I am a woman in mourning for my husband and four months pregnant. Am I obligated to cover my hair throughout the mourning period, even if I am among my mahram relatives?
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The questioner : Note that we are a woman in mourning for her husband and four months pregnant. She says: I ask the honorable Shaykh to kindly answer my following questions. Am I obligated to cover my hair throughout the mourning period, even if I am among my mahram relatives, considering that I am spending the mourning period in my parents' house? This is the first part.
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and I send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, the Seal of the Prophets and the Imam of the righteous, and upon his family and his Companions, and those who follow them with excellence until the Day of Judgment. It is not obligatory for a woman in mourning to cover her hair unless there are men present who are not her mahram relatives. A woman in mourning regarding covering her head, uncovering it, bathing, and speaking to men is like a woman who is not in mourning. However, the woman in mourning does not wear clothes of adornment; that is, it is not said that she wore a garment with which she adorns herself. As for colors, she may wear whatever colors she wishes, but they must not be for adornment. She does not wear jewelry such as rings, bracelets, bangles, or necklaces. In fact, if she has a bracelet on, it is obligatory for her to remove it. If it cannot be removed except by cutting it, she cuts it. She does not use perfume, whether from agarwood, rose, or anything else, unless she has purified herself, in which case she may use agarwood solely to remove a bad odor, and only to the extent of the need.
The fourth: She does not adorn herself with kohl, red lipstick, makeup, or henna, because that is part of adornment.
The fifth: She does not leave the house in which her husband died and in which she resides, except for a need during the day. For example, she may go to the market to buy her needs if no one is available to buy them for her, or she may be a woman who has sheep and goes out to tend to them during the day because no one else is available to tend to them, or she may go to the court to perform a legal proof or other such needs. Or she may go to her friend if her chest feels tight during the day; she goes to her friend to relieve her distress and then returns before nightfall. She does not go out at night except for dire necessity. Dire necessity is, for example, if she faints and is transported to the hospital, or if she fears that the house will collapse on her due to rain, or if a fire breaks out in the house, so she goes out. This is dire necessity.
As for her speaking to men on the telephone, there is nothing wrong with it. Speaking to men at the door who ask permission, saying, "Is so-and-so there? Is so-and-so there?"—speaking to them is fine. Going up to the roof at night or during the day is fine. Going out to the courtyard of the house, meaning the open space outside the house but enclosed by a wall, is also fine. Bathing on any night or day is fine. Praying before the imam's prayer, but after the time has entered, is fine. Yes, that is correct.
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and I send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, the Seal of the Prophets and the Imam of the righteous, and upon his family and his Companions, and those who follow them with excellence until the Day of Judgment. It is not obligatory for a woman in mourning to cover her hair unless there are men present who are not her mahram relatives. A woman in mourning regarding covering her head, uncovering it, bathing, and speaking to men is like a woman who is not in mourning. However, the woman in mourning does not wear clothes of adornment; that is, it is not said that she wore a garment with which she adorns herself. As for colors, she may wear whatever colors she wishes, but they must not be for adornment. She does not wear jewelry such as rings, bracelets, bangles, or necklaces. In fact, if she has a bracelet on, it is obligatory for her to remove it. If it cannot be removed except by cutting it, she cuts it. She does not use perfume, whether from agarwood, rose, or anything else, unless she has purified herself, in which case she may use agarwood solely to remove a bad odor, and only to the extent of the need.
The fourth: She does not adorn herself with kohl, red lipstick, makeup, or henna, because that is part of adornment.
The fifth: She does not leave the house in which her husband died and in which she resides, except for a need during the day. For example, she may go to the market to buy her needs if no one is available to buy them for her, or she may be a woman who has sheep and goes out to tend to them during the day because no one else is available to tend to them, or she may go to the court to perform a legal proof or other such needs. Or she may go to her friend if her chest feels tight during the day; she goes to her friend to relieve her distress and then returns before nightfall. She does not go out at night except for dire necessity. Dire necessity is, for example, if she faints and is transported to the hospital, or if she fears that the house will collapse on her due to rain, or if a fire breaks out in the house, so she goes out. This is dire necessity.
As for her speaking to men on the telephone, there is nothing wrong with it. Speaking to men at the door who ask permission, saying, "Is so-and-so there? Is so-and-so there?"—speaking to them is fine. Going up to the roof at night or during the day is fine. Going out to the courtyard of the house, meaning the open space outside the house but enclosed by a wall, is also fine. Bathing on any night or day is fine. Praying before the imam's prayer, but after the time has entered, is fine. Yes, that is correct.