Section1
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A woman whose husband dies while she is not pregnant2—whether before or after consummation—must, if she is free, observe a waiting period of four months and ten days3; a slave woman observes half that length. If the husband of a wife who is in the waiting period for a revocable divorce dies, that waiting period is annulled and a new waiting period for death begins from the moment of his passing. If he dies during the waiting period of a woman whom he had irrevocably divorced while healthy, she does not transfer to the waiting period of death. However, a woman whom he irrevocably divorced during his terminal illness must observe whichever of the two waiting periods—death or divorce—is longer, unless she is a slave, a non-Muslim wife under dhimmah, or she herself initiated the separation; in those cases she observes only the waiting period for divorce.
If a man divorces some of his wives, whether he names the one divorced or leaves it unspecified, then forgets which wife he divorced4 and dies before lots can be cast, every one of them, except a pregnant wife, must observe whichever of the two waiting periods is longer. -
A non-pregnant, menstruating woman who is separated from her husband while he is alive must, if she is free5 or partially emancipated, observe three complete menstrual cycles6; otherwise, her waiting period is two cycles.
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A woman who is separated from her husband during his lifetime and does not menstruate because of immaturity or menopause must, if she is free, wait three months, and if she is a slave, two months. For a partially emancipated woman the period is calculated in proportion to the extent of her freedom, and any fraction is rounded up.