Waiting Period of a Widow with whom he has Gone to Bed and where she must Complete her Waiting Period and Her Obligations

“I once asked abu ’Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a widow; if she must complete her waiting period in her home or wherever she wants. He (the Imam) said, ’It is wherever she wants; Ali (a.s.), brought ’Umm Kulthum to his home when ‘Umar died.’”

“I once asked Abu 'Abdillah (a.s.) about a woman whose husband has passed away: where should she observe her waiting period, in her husband's house or wherever she wishes? He said: "Yes, wherever she wishes." Then he said: "When Umar died, Ali (as) came to Umm Kulthum, took her hand, and led her to his house."”

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a widow if she can go out to the house of her father and mother from her house, if she so chooses, to complete her waiting period. He (the Imam) said, ‘If she wants to complete her waiting period in the house of her husband, she can do so. If she wants to complete it in the house of her family she must not use kohl or wear ornaments.’ ”

“I once asked abu Ibrahim (a.s.), about the case of a woman whose husband dies. He (the Imam) said, ‘She must not use kohl for beautification or perfume and must not wear colorful dress, spend the night somewhere else. She can pay off rights, use hair clip and go for al-Hajj even though she is in her waiting period.’”

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a woman whose husband dies if she can perform al-Hajj and bear witness for rights. He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, she can do so.’”

“I once asked abu Ibrahim (a.s.), about the case of a woman whose husband dies. He (the Imam) said, ‘She must not use kohl for beautification, perfume or colorful dresses. She must not go out of her house during the day or spend the night somewhere other than her house.’ I then asked, ‘Can she go out to bear witness for a right? He (the Imam) said, ‘She can do so after midnight and return in al-‘Isha ’ (darkness).”’

“I once asked abu Ibrahim (a.s.), about the case of a woman whose husband dies; if she can go out of the house of her husband. He (the Imam) said, ‘She can go out of the house of her husband, travel for al-Hajj or move from one house to another house.’”

“I once asked one of the two Imam, (abu Ja‘far or abu ‘Abd Allah), ‘Alayhim al-Salam, about the case of a woman whose husband dies and about where she can complete her waiting period. He (the Imam) said, ‘She can do so wherever she likes but she must not pass a night in a place other than her house.’”

“I once asked abu Ibrahim (a.s.), about the case of a woman who is widowed; if she can count her waiting period in a house for a month or less or more then move to another house and stay there as she did in the other house and so on until her waiting period is complete. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is permissible and it is not harmful.’”

“A woman came to abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), to ask for a fatwa about spending the night in another house; her husband had died. He (the Imam) said, ‘In the time of ignorance widows had to sit in mourning for twelve months. When Muhammad (SAW), was sent he felt sympathy for their weakness and reduced it (mourning) to four months and ten days but you do not bear it patiently.’”

“Once abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), was asked about the case of a woman whose husband dies; if it is proper for her to perform al-Hajj and visit the sick people. He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, she can do so for the sake of Allah, but must not use kohl and perfume.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘A widow whose husband has died must not use perfumes and beautify herself until her ‘Iddah (waiting period) of four months and ten days is complete.’”

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a woman whose husband dies; if she during her waiting period can go out for a right. He (the Imam) said, ‘Certain ones of the wives of the Holy Prophet, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, asked saying, ‘Husband of so and so has died; if she can go out for a right which affects her.’ The Messenger of Allah said, ‘Woe upon you! Before I commenced my mission a woman among you whose husband would die needed to hold back carnal desires and throw it behind her.’ She then would say, ‘I will not use comb, kohl, or dyes for one complete year.’ I have only commanded you to wait for four months and ten days; even then you do not remain patient not to use comb, kohl, dyes not to go out during the day and not to spend the night somewhere other than your home.’ She then asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah, what must she do? There is a right that affects her.’ He (the Messenger of Allah) said, ‘She can go only after midnight and return when it is dark after sunset so that she is not spending the night somewhere other than her house.’ I then asked him (the Imam) if she could perform al-Hajj. He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, she can do so.’”

“I once asked abu Ibrahim (a.s.), about the case of a woman whose husband dies; if she can perform al-Hajj. He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, she can do so and she can move from one house to another house.’”