Rulings Concerning the Waiting Period of a Widow
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السؤال:
This is a long message received from Yemen from a listener of the program who says: Your Eminence, may Allah preserve you, the women among us whose husbands have passed away do not observe the waiting period prescribed by Islamic law, nor do they refrain from using perfume, kohl, and other prohibited things. These women are responsible for farming, fetching water from wells, and other such tasks. What guidance do you offer them, so that perhaps they will hear it?
Answer:
It is obligatory for a woman whose husband has died to observe a waiting period of four months and ten days, if she is not pregnant, four months and ten days. She must avoid perfume, beautiful clothing, kohl, and wearing jewelry until she completes the waiting period, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded. So she must observe the waiting period of four months and ten days, as Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) said: [al-Baqarah:234].
This is the obligation of every woman whose husband has died: to observe a waiting period of four months and ten days, and to avoid the causes of fitnah (trial, discord or temptation): perfume, kohl, henna, and wearing gold or silver jewelry, or the like, until she completes the waiting period. It is obligatory to teach them, to teach them this, to teach the widow to comply with the Shari'ah (Islamic sacred law), to act according to the Shari'ah, whether she is inside the village, outside the village, in the date palms, in the farms, or in the desert, she must learn.
It is obligatory for her guardians to teach her how to observe the waiting period, whether she is in the town, the city, the village, the outer farm, or the desert; teaching is obligatory. Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) says: [Al-Ma'idah: 2], and He says (Glorified and Exalted is He): Indeed, man is in loss, except those who have believed and done righteous deeds and advised each other to truth and advised each other to patience [Al-Asr: 1-3], and Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) says: [Al-Tawbah: 71].
This is the duty of the believers: to show mercy to one another, to enjoin what is right, to forbid what is wrong, to cooperate in righteousness and piety, and to advise one another to truth and patience. This is the case in every place. It is obligatory to cooperate in righteousness and piety, to advise one another to truth, to give sincere advice, to enjoin what is right, to forbid what is wrong, to teach the ignorant, to teach the ignorant woman, to teach the ignorant man, to teach the young man, and to teach others. Teaching is necessary, as is advising one another to truth and giving sincere advice. This is the duty of everyone, and by this, the servant deserves the pleasure of Allah and honor. This is the meaning of His saying (Glorified and Exalted is He): [Al-Ma'idah: 2], and His saying (peace and blessings be upon him): : Indeed, man is in loss, except those who have believed and done righteous deeds and advised each other to truth and advised each other to patience [Al-Asr: 1-3], and His saying (Exalted and Majestic is He): [Al-Tawbah: 71].
And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sahih Muslim 2586a And he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Sahih al-Bukhari 2446 And he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Sahih al-Bukhari 6951 It is agreed upon that it is authentic. And he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1425Sahih (Darussalam) Muslim narrated it in his Sahih.
So it is obligatory for all Muslims in every place to cooperate, men and women. Men must cooperate, and women must cooperate in obedience to Allah and His Messenger, in religious education, in teaching, in enjoining good, in forbidding evil, in enjoining one another to truth. The knowledgeable teaches the ignorant. The woman teaches the woman, the man teaches the woman, and the woman teaches the man. Teaching all men and women in the manner prescribed by the Shari'ah. So the woman teaches, even if it is to a non-mahram (a relative one may not marry) from behind a screen, she advises and teaches. And the man teaches, even if it is not his wife, even if it is not his women, he teaches the women from his neighbors, from his relatives, in the mosque, he teaches them, he explains to them the command of Allah, he advises them to obey Allah. This is how the imam of the mosque does it, this is how the preacher does it. It is necessary to enjoin one another to truth with men and women, it is necessary to advise one another. We ask Allah for guidance for everyone.
The presenter: O Allah, amen. May Allah reward you with good, Your Eminence.
This is a long message received from Yemen from a listener of the program who says: Your Eminence, may Allah preserve you, the women among us whose husbands have passed away do not observe the waiting period prescribed by Islamic law, nor do they refrain from using perfume, kohl, and other prohibited things. These women are responsible for farming, fetching water from wells, and other such tasks. What guidance do you offer them, so that perhaps they will hear it?
Answer:
It is obligatory for a woman whose husband has died to observe a waiting period of four months and ten days, if she is not pregnant, four months and ten days. She must avoid perfume, beautiful clothing, kohl, and wearing jewelry until she completes the waiting period, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded. So she must observe the waiting period of four months and ten days, as Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) said:
And those who are taken in death among you and leave wives behind - they, [the wives, shall] wait four months and ten [days]
وَالَّذِينَ يُتَوَفَّوْنَ مِنْكُمْ وَيَذَرُونَ أَزْوَاجًا يَتَرَبَّصْنَ بِأَنفُسِهِنَّ أَرْبَعَةَ أَشْهُرٍ وَعَشْرًاThis is the obligation of every woman whose husband has died: to observe a waiting period of four months and ten days, and to avoid the causes of fitnah (trial, discord or temptation): perfume, kohl, henna, and wearing gold or silver jewelry, or the like, until she completes the waiting period. It is obligatory to teach them, to teach them this, to teach the widow to comply with the Shari'ah (Islamic sacred law), to act according to the Shari'ah, whether she is inside the village, outside the village, in the date palms, in the farms, or in the desert, she must learn.
It is obligatory for her guardians to teach her how to observe the waiting period, whether she is in the town, the city, the village, the outer farm, or the desert; teaching is obligatory. Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) says:
cooperate in righteousness and piety
وَتَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْبِرِّ وَالتَّقْوَىBy Time,
وَالْعَصْرِ The believing men and believing women are allies of one another. They enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and establish prayer and give zakah and obey Allah and His Messenger. Those - Allah will have mercy upon them. Indeed, Allah is Exalted in Might and Wise.
وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتُ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلِيَاءُ بَعْضٍ يَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ وَيُقِيمُونَ الصَّلاةَ وَيُؤْتُونَ الزَّكَاةَ وَيُطِيعُونَ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ أُوْلَئِكَ سَيَرْحَمُهُمُ اللَّهُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌThis is the duty of the believers: to show mercy to one another, to enjoin what is right, to forbid what is wrong, to cooperate in righteousness and piety, and to advise one another to truth and patience. This is the case in every place. It is obligatory to cooperate in righteousness and piety, to advise one another to truth, to give sincere advice, to enjoin what is right, to forbid what is wrong, to teach the ignorant, to teach the ignorant woman, to teach the ignorant man, to teach the young man, and to teach others. Teaching is necessary, as is advising one another to truth and giving sincere advice. This is the duty of everyone, and by this, the servant deserves the pleasure of Allah and honor. This is the meaning of His saying (Glorified and Exalted is He):
cooperate in righteousness and piety
وَتَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْبِرِّ وَالتَّقْوَىBy Time,
وَالْعَصْرِ The believing men and believing women are allies of one another. They enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong
وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتُ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلِيَاءُ بَعْضٍ يَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِAnd the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
The similitude of believers in regard to mutual love, affection, fellow-feeling is that of one body; when any limb of it aches, the whole body aches, because of sleeplessness and fever.
مثل المؤمنين في توادهم، وتراحمهم، وتعاطفهم مثل الجسد، إذا اشتكى منه عضو تداعى له سائر الجسد بالسهر والحمىA believer to another believer is like a building whose different parts enforce each other." The Prophet (ﷺ) then clasped his hands with the fingers interlaced
المؤمن للمؤمن كالبنيان يشد بعضه بعضًا، وشبك بين أصابعهAnd whoever fulfilled the needs of his brother, Allah will fulfill his needs.
من كان في حاجة أخيه؛ كان الله في حاجتهAnd Allah is engaged in helping the worshipper as long as the worshipper is engaged in helping his brother.
والله في عون العبد ما كان العبد في عون أخيهSo it is obligatory for all Muslims in every place to cooperate, men and women. Men must cooperate, and women must cooperate in obedience to Allah and His Messenger, in religious education, in teaching, in enjoining good, in forbidding evil, in enjoining one another to truth. The knowledgeable teaches the ignorant. The woman teaches the woman, the man teaches the woman, and the woman teaches the man. Teaching all men and women in the manner prescribed by the Shari'ah. So the woman teaches, even if it is to a non-mahram (a relative one may not marry) from behind a screen, she advises and teaches. And the man teaches, even if it is not his wife, even if it is not his women, he teaches the women from his neighbors, from his relatives, in the mosque, he teaches them, he explains to them the command of Allah, he advises them to obey Allah. This is how the imam of the mosque does it, this is how the preacher does it. It is necessary to enjoin one another to truth with men and women, it is necessary to advise one another. We ask Allah for guidance for everyone.
The presenter: O Allah, amen. May Allah reward you with good, Your Eminence.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.