What is the waiting period for a woman whose husband has died? Is it permissible for her to go out? And where does she observe the waiting period?
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The questioner : I lost my husband a month ago.
The Shaykh: May Allah have mercy on him.
The questioner : How many months does a woman observe the waiting period?
The Shaykh : Four months and ten days.
The questioner : Is it permissible for her to go out during this period, and what is the wisdom behind that, if you please?
The Shaykh : First, do not ask about the wisdom; ask about the ruling of the Shari'ah.
The questioner: The ruling of the Shari'ah.
The Shaykh : As for the wisdom, some people may know it while most people do not. So if you ask me, for example, "What is the wisdom?" and I say "I do not know," you will then have doubt. But if you ask me "What is the ruling?" I know the ruling. It is stated in the Book of Allah and in the hadith of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) that a woman whose husband has died must observe the waiting period in her home, and specifically in the house where she received the news of her husband's death. So if she was in a house other than her own, she must complete the remaining days of the waiting period there: four months and ten days. It is even more necessary that if the husband dies in his home and she is with him, she is not permissible to go out at all until the waiting period is fully completed. However, if there is a dire necessity, the issue falls under the general rule which states: "Necessities permit the prohibited." For example, may Allah forbid it, if this woman suffers a heart attack, they must take her to the hospital; this is a necessary matter. But if she wants to visit her father, her brother, her mother, or her relatives, or if she wants to buy something from the market and there is someone who can buy it for her, none of these things are necessities in any way. So she must remain in her home until her waiting period is completely finished. But this does not prevent her from speaking with strangers, let alone relatives, in a normal conversation; there is no harm in that, whether it is behind a veil or by telephone. The answer is clear.
The questioner : Clear. No problem, another question if you please.
The Shaykh: May Allah have mercy on him.
The questioner : How many months does a woman observe the waiting period?
The Shaykh : Four months and ten days.
The questioner : Is it permissible for her to go out during this period, and what is the wisdom behind that, if you please?
The Shaykh : First, do not ask about the wisdom; ask about the ruling of the Shari'ah.
The questioner: The ruling of the Shari'ah.
The Shaykh : As for the wisdom, some people may know it while most people do not. So if you ask me, for example, "What is the wisdom?" and I say "I do not know," you will then have doubt. But if you ask me "What is the ruling?" I know the ruling. It is stated in the Book of Allah and in the hadith of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) that a woman whose husband has died must observe the waiting period in her home, and specifically in the house where she received the news of her husband's death. So if she was in a house other than her own, she must complete the remaining days of the waiting period there: four months and ten days. It is even more necessary that if the husband dies in his home and she is with him, she is not permissible to go out at all until the waiting period is fully completed. However, if there is a dire necessity, the issue falls under the general rule which states: "Necessities permit the prohibited." For example, may Allah forbid it, if this woman suffers a heart attack, they must take her to the hospital; this is a necessary matter. But if she wants to visit her father, her brother, her mother, or her relatives, or if she wants to buy something from the market and there is someone who can buy it for her, none of these things are necessities in any way. So she must remain in her home until her waiting period is completely finished. But this does not prevent her from speaking with strangers, let alone relatives, in a normal conversation; there is no harm in that, whether it is behind a veil or by telephone. The answer is clear.
The questioner : Clear. No problem, another question if you please.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.