Innovations in mourning that contradict the Shari'ah
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
Our sister from Sudan asks, saying: Mourning in our Sudanese society:
First: The widow in her waiting period must remain in seclusion and lie on the ground for the entire prescribed period.
Second: She must face the wall of the room.
Third: She must refrain from speaking, especially at sunrise and sunset, during a period the women call the "nursing period."
Fourth: Refraining from bathing and washing clothes.
Is any of this part of the religion? And given the large number of women who adhere to this phenomenon, I ask the Shaykh to guide everyone. May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
All of this has no basis in the Shari'ah. It is obligatory to comply with the Shari'ah and adhere to the pure Shari'ah. The woman in mourning must remain in the house where her husband died and in which she was residing. She must stay for four months and ten days if she is not pregnant. If she is pregnant, she remains in the waiting period until she gives birth. It is obligatory for her to leave off perfume, jewelry, beautiful clothes, kohl, and henna. These are the things that attract desire and make her an object of attention. It is obligatory to leave them off, as the hadiths from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) state.
As for what the questioner mentioned about her lying on the ground and not sitting on a carpet, this has no basis. This is invalid, and it is being difficult and imposing unnecessary hardship. Likewise, facing the wall is a mistake. She should face whatever she wishes, like other women. Likewise, what is the third one?
The presenter: Her refraining from speaking to people.
The Shaykh: Likewise, her refraining from speaking to people is a mistake. She should speak to whoever she wishes, like other women. She speaks to her relatives, she speaks to her children, she speaks to her neighbors, and she speaks to whoever asks permission to speak with her, in words that contain no harm. But she does not seclude herself with any man, like other women. As for speaking, there is no harm in speaking with her mahrams and others regarding her interests and needs, in a manner that involves no suspicion. Yes. The fourth.
The presenter: Her committing to silence at sunrise and sunset during the period they call the "nursing period"?
The Shaykh: Likewise, this is invalid. She is not required to commit to silence at sunrise and sunset. Rather, she speaks throughout the day and throughout the night. All four of these things have no basis or foundation. Rather, the Muslim woman must avoid them and not submit to the innovations and superstitions that people have invented. She is only required to do what the Lawgiver (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded her to do, which is to avoid beautiful clothes and to leave off perfume and jewelry, because they attract attention and cause men to desire her. Likewise, she is not allowed to put kohl on her eyes or use henna, because this causes fitnah (temptation) regarding her. This is while she remains in her husband's house, if that is feasible, the house where her husband died and in which she was residing, if it is feasible. However, if the house is ruined, or if it is rented and the landlord does not allow her to continue renting it, or if she is alone and feels lonely with no one to comfort her, she moves to her family's house. There is no harm in any of this. We ask Allah for success for everyone. Yes.
The presenter: O Allah, amen. May Allah reward you with good. An important point, O Shaykh, if you would be so kind: her refraining from bathing and washing her clothes?
The Shaykh: Likewise, this is also a mistake. She may bathe whenever she wishes, at night or during the day, on any day, on Friday or otherwise. She may comb her hair whenever she wishes, but without perfume. She may wash her clothes, whether her own or her children's. There is no harm in any of this. All of this unnecessary hardship has no basis. We seek refuge in Allah from obeying Satan. Yes.
The presenter: O Allah, amen. May Allah reward you with good.
Our sister from Sudan asks, saying: Mourning in our Sudanese society:
First: The widow in her waiting period must remain in seclusion and lie on the ground for the entire prescribed period.
Second: She must face the wall of the room.
Third: She must refrain from speaking, especially at sunrise and sunset, during a period the women call the "nursing period."
Fourth: Refraining from bathing and washing clothes.
Is any of this part of the religion? And given the large number of women who adhere to this phenomenon, I ask the Shaykh to guide everyone. May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
All of this has no basis in the Shari'ah. It is obligatory to comply with the Shari'ah and adhere to the pure Shari'ah. The woman in mourning must remain in the house where her husband died and in which she was residing. She must stay for four months and ten days if she is not pregnant. If she is pregnant, she remains in the waiting period until she gives birth. It is obligatory for her to leave off perfume, jewelry, beautiful clothes, kohl, and henna. These are the things that attract desire and make her an object of attention. It is obligatory to leave them off, as the hadiths from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) state.
As for what the questioner mentioned about her lying on the ground and not sitting on a carpet, this has no basis. This is invalid, and it is being difficult and imposing unnecessary hardship. Likewise, facing the wall is a mistake. She should face whatever she wishes, like other women. Likewise, what is the third one?
The presenter: Her refraining from speaking to people.
The Shaykh: Likewise, her refraining from speaking to people is a mistake. She should speak to whoever she wishes, like other women. She speaks to her relatives, she speaks to her children, she speaks to her neighbors, and she speaks to whoever asks permission to speak with her, in words that contain no harm. But she does not seclude herself with any man, like other women. As for speaking, there is no harm in speaking with her mahrams and others regarding her interests and needs, in a manner that involves no suspicion. Yes. The fourth.
The presenter: Her committing to silence at sunrise and sunset during the period they call the "nursing period"?
The Shaykh: Likewise, this is invalid. She is not required to commit to silence at sunrise and sunset. Rather, she speaks throughout the day and throughout the night. All four of these things have no basis or foundation. Rather, the Muslim woman must avoid them and not submit to the innovations and superstitions that people have invented. She is only required to do what the Lawgiver (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded her to do, which is to avoid beautiful clothes and to leave off perfume and jewelry, because they attract attention and cause men to desire her. Likewise, she is not allowed to put kohl on her eyes or use henna, because this causes fitnah (temptation) regarding her. This is while she remains in her husband's house, if that is feasible, the house where her husband died and in which she was residing, if it is feasible. However, if the house is ruined, or if it is rented and the landlord does not allow her to continue renting it, or if she is alone and feels lonely with no one to comfort her, she moves to her family's house. There is no harm in any of this. We ask Allah for success for everyone. Yes.
The presenter: O Allah, amen. May Allah reward you with good. An important point, O Shaykh, if you would be so kind: her refraining from bathing and washing her clothes?
The Shaykh: Likewise, this is also a mistake. She may bathe whenever she wishes, at night or during the day, on any day, on Friday or otherwise. She may comb her hair whenever she wishes, but without perfume. She may wash her clothes, whether her own or her children's. There is no harm in any of this. All of this unnecessary hardship has no basis. We seek refuge in Allah from obeying Satan. Yes.
The presenter: O Allah, amen. May Allah reward you with good.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.