965 – Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “My maternal aunt was divorced and wanted to go out to harvest her date-palms. A man rebuked her for leaving the house, so she went to the Prophet ﷺ. He told her, ‘Rather, go and harvest your palms, for perhaps you will give some of it in charity or perform some other good deed.’ ” Narrated by Muslim.

Vocabulary:
• juddī – with a ḍamma on the jīm; meaning: “go out to your palms and harvest them.”
• “to harvest her date-palms” – the verb jadda / yajiddu, jaddan, means to cut. When the palms are said to ajadda, their harvest time has arrived; al-jidād (with either fatḥa or kasra) refers to cutting the fruit clusters. The woman intended to cut and gather her dates.
• fazajarahā – he scolded and stopped her.
• “for perhaps” – indicates the rationale for permitting her to go out.
• “or do a good deed” – the “or” introduces an additional, varied benefit.

Lessons derived from the ḥadith:

1. A woman who has been divorced and is in her ʿiddah (waiting period) is not like a widow in the waiting period after her husband’s death; she may leave the house whenever she wishes. Even so, as a general principle, a woman’s remaining in her home is better and more protective, for the Prophet ﷺ said, “Their homes are better for them.” If that holds true for acts of worship, praying with the congregation, and listening to beneficial counsel, then how much more for other matters!

2. Ibn al-Qayyim said: If an objector were to ask, “Why has the Sharia distinguished between death and divorce when, in terms of the womb’s condition, the situation is the same in both?”