Chapter: The Prohibition of a Woman’s Mourning (‘iḥdād) for More Than Three Days—Except for Her Husband
Linguistically, ‘iḥdād means “abstention.” The term is applied here because a widow is religiously required to refrain from adornment, perfume, and remarriage during this period.
The scholars have reached consensus on the legitimacy of ‘iḥdād, relying on clear and sound textual evidence. It brings many benefits, the foremost being that the woman fulfills the right her husband—who had the greatest claim upon her—by displaying sorrow at his loss. In addition, by abandoning adornment she shields herself from the eyes of would-be suitors, thereby preserving the honor of her late husband throughout the waiting period.
Narration
Zaynab bint Abī Salama said: “A close relative of Umm Ḥabībah died, so she called for a yellowish perfume and wiped it over her forearms. She then explained, ‘I am doing this only because I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say, “It is not lawful for a woman who believes in Allah and the Last Day to observe ‘iḥdād for any deceased person for more than three days, except for her husband—for whom the term is four months and ten nights.”’”
Lexical Notes
• al-ḥamīm: a close relation. In some versions of al-Bukhārī and Muslim the deceased was her father, Abū Sufyān.
• bi-ṣufrah: a perfume mixed with saffron or wars (dyer’s weld).
• taḥudd (to observe ‘iḥdād): with ḍamma on the tāʾ and kasrah on the ḥāʾ; its verb is aḥadda. One may also say aḥaddat (with fatḥa on the tāʾ and ḍamma on the ḥāʾ). The active participle is muḥidd or ḥādd; ḥāddah (with hāʾ) is not used.
Overall Meaning
When Umm Ḥabībah’s father passed away, she recalled the Prophet’s prohibition against observing mourning for more than three days except in the case of a husband. Wishing to comply fully, she applied a scented substance tinged with yellow to her forearms and stated that she did so because she had heard the Prophet ﷺ say: “A woman who believes in Allah and the Last Day may not mourn any deceased person for more than three days, except for her husband—for whom the prescribed term is four months and ten nights.”
Legal Conclusions
- It is forbidden for a woman to observe ‘iḥdād for any deceased person for more than three days, except in the case of her husband.
- A three-day period is permitted for other relatives, as a concession to grief and an outlet for expressing sorrow over the loss of a loved one.