The Period a Divorced Woman must Wait before she may Remarry - Section 1

Abu Salama was told by Fatima daughter of Qais that Abu ‘Amr b. Hafs divorced her absolutely when he was away from home, and his agent sent her some barley. She was displeased with it, and when he said, “I swear by God that you have no claim on us,” she went to God’s Messenger and mentioned that to him. Saying that she was due no maintenance, he ordered her to spend the period before she could remarry in the house of Umm Sharik, but said afterwards, “That is a woman whom my companions visit; spend the period in the house of Ibn Umm Maktum, for he is blind and you can undress. Then when you are in a position to be remarried, tell me." She said that when she was in a position to remarry she mentioned to him that Mu'awiya b. Abu Sufyan and Abu Jahm had asked her in marriage, and he replied, “As for Abu Jahm, he does not put down his stick from his shoulder, and as for Mu'awiya, he is a poor man who has no property; marry Usama b. Zaid." She objected to him, but he said, “Marry Usama," so she married him, God prospered him, and she was envied. A version on her authority has, “As for Abu Jahm, he is a man who is given to beating women." In a version it says that her husband divorced her three times and that when she went to the Prophet (ﷺ) he said, “You are due no maintenance unless you are pregnant." Muslim transmitted it.

عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ عَنْ فَاطِمَةَ بِنْتِ قَيْسٍ: أَنَّ أَبَا عَمْرِو بْنَ حَفْصٍ طَلَّقَهَا الْبَتَّةَ وَهُوَ غَائِبٌ فَأَرْسَلَ إِلَيْهَا وَكِيْلُهُ الشَّعِيرَ فَسَخِطَتْهُ فَقَالَ: وَاللَّهِ مَا لَكِ عَلَيْنَا مِنْ شَيْءٍ فَجَاءَتْ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَذَكَرْتُ ذَلِكَ لَهُ فَقَالَ: «لَيْسَ لَكِ نَفَقَةٌ» فَأَمَرَهَا أَنْ تَعْتَدَّ فِي بَيْتِ أُمِّ شَرِيكٍ ثُمَّ قَالَ: «تِلْكِ امْرَأَةٌ يَغْشَاهَا أَصْحَابِي اعْتَدِّي عِنْدَ ابْنِ أُمِّ مَكْتُومٍ فَإِنَّهُ رَجُلٌ أَعْمَى تَضَعِينَ ثِيَابَكِ فَإِذَا حَلَلْتِ فَآذِنِينِي» . قَالَتْ: فَلَمَّا حَلَلْتُ ذَكَرْتُ لَهُ أَنَّ مُعَاوِيَةَ بْنَ أَبِي سُفْيَانَ وَأَبَا جَهْمٍ خَطَبَانِي فَقَالَ: «أَمَّا أَبُو الْجَهْمِ فَلَا يَضَعُ عَصَاهُ عَنْ عَاتِقِهِ وَأَمَّا مُعَاوِيَةُ فَصُعْلُوكٌ لَا مَالَ لَهُ انْكِحِي أُسَامَةَ بْنَ زَيْدٍ» فَكَرِهْتُهُ ثُمَّ قَالَ: «انْكِحِي أُسَامَةَ» فَنَكَحْتُهُ فَجَعَلَ اللَّهُ فِيهِ خَيْرًا وَاغْتَبَطْتُ وَفِي رِوَايَةٍ عَنْهَا: «فَأَمَّا أَبُو جَهْمٍ فَرَجُلٌ ضَرَّابٌ لِلنِّسَاءِ» . رَوَاهُ مُسْلِمٌ وَفِي رِوَايَةٍ: أَنَّ زَوْجَهَا طَلَّقَهَا ثَلَاثًا فَأَتَتِ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقَالَ: «لَا نَفَقَةَ لَكِ إِلَّا أَنْ تَكُونِي حَامِلا»

'A'isha said that Fatima was in a lonely place and fear was entertained regarding the district where she was, so the Prophet (ﷺ) gave her permission, i.e., to remove. In a version she asked what was the matter with Fatima and whether she did not fear God, i.e., with reference to her saying that she had no place to live and no maintenance. Bukhari transmitted it.

وَعَن عائشةَ قَالَتْ: إِنَّ فَاطِمَةَ كَانَتْ فِي مَكَانٍ وَحِشٍ فَخِيفَ عَلَى نَاحِيَتِهَا فَلِذَلِكَ رَخَّصَ لَهَا النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسلم تَعْنِي النُّقْلَةِ وَفِي رِوَايَةٍ: قَالَتْ: مَا لِفَاطِمَةَ؟ أَلَا تَتَّقِي اللَّهَ؟ تَعْنِي فِي قَوْلِهَا: لَا سُكْنَى وَلَا نَفَقَة. رَوَاهُ البُخَارِيّ

Sa'id b. al-Musayyib said that Fatima was removed simply because she had so much to say against her husband’s relatives. It is transmitted in <i>Sharh as-sunna</i>.

وَعَن سعيدِ بنِ المسيِّبِ قَالَ: إِنَّمَا نُقِلَتْ فَاطِمَةُ لِطُولِ لِسَانِهَا عَلَى أحمائِها. رَوَاهُ فِي شرح السّنة

Jabir said:

My maternal aunt was divorced by three utterances of the divorce and wanted to cut down fruit from her palm-trees, but a man forbade her to go out, so she went to the Prophet (ﷺ) and he said, “Certainly, cut down fruit from your palm-trees, for perhaps you may give <i>sadaqa</i> or do an act of kindness.” Muslim transmitted it.

وَعَن جابرٍ قَالَ: طُلِّقَتْ خَالَتِي ثَلَاثًا فَأَرَادَتْ أَنْ تَجُدَّ نَخْلَهَا فَزَجَرَهَا رَجُلٌ أَنْ تَخْرُجَ فَأَتَتِ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقَالَ: «بَلَى فَجُدِّي نَخْلَكِ فَإِنَّهُ عَسَى أَنْ تَصَّدَّقِي أَوْ تَفْعَلِي مَعْرُوفا» . رَوَاهُ مُسلم

Al-Miswar b. Makhrama said that some nights after her husband’s death Subai’a al-Aslamiya gave birth to a child. Then she went to the Prophet (ﷺ) and asked permission to marry. He gave her permission and she married. Bukhari transmitted it.

وَعَنِ الْمِسْوَرِ بْنِ مَخْرَمَةَ: أَنَّ سُبَيْعَةَ الْأَسْلَمِيَّةَ نُفِسَتْ بَعْدَ وَفَاةِ زَوْجِهَا بِلَيَالٍ فَجَاءَتِ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَاسْتَأْذَنَتْهُ أَنْ تَنْكِحَ فأذِنَ لَهَا فنكحت. رَوَاهُ البُخَارِيّ

Umm Salama told that a woman came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said:

"Messenger of God, my daughter’s husband has died and her eye is troubling her, so may we apply collyrium to it?” He said “No” twice or thrice, saying only “No” all the time. Then he said, “It is only four months and ten days, whereas in the pre-Islamic period none of you threw away the piece of dung till a year had passed.”* * The reference is to a pre-Islamic custom by which a widow threw a piece of dung when her <i>idda</i> period came to an end. Cf. Lane, <i>Lexicon</i> and <i>Taj al-'arus</i>; <i>Mirqat</i>, 3:513 f. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

وَعَن أُمِّ سلمةَ قَالَتْ: جَاءَتِ امْرَأَةٌ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقَالَتْ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّ ابْنَتِي تُوُفِّيَ عَنْهَا زَوْجُهَا وَقَدِ اشْتَكَتْ عَيْنُهَا أَفَنَكْحُلُهَا؟ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «لَا» مَرَّتَيْنِ أَوْ ثَلَاثًا كُلُّ ذَلِكَ يَقُولُ: «لَا» قَالَ: «إِنَّمَا هِيَ أَرْبَعَةُ أَشْهُرٍ وعشرٌ وَقد كَانَت إِحْدَاهُنَّ فِي الجاهليَّةِ تَرْمِي بِالْبَعْرَةِ عَلَى رَأْسِ الْحَوْلِ»

Umm Habiba and Zainab daughter of Jahsh reported God’s Messenger as saying, “It is not lawful for a woman who believes in God and the last day to observe mourning for one who has died more than three nights, except for the four months and ten days in the case of a husband.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

وَعَنْ أُمِّ حَبِيبَةَ وَزَيْنَبَ بِنْتِ جحش عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: «لَا يَحِلُّ لِامْرَأَةٍ تُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ أَنْ تُحِدَّ عَلَى مَيِّتٍ فَوْقَ ثَلَاثِ لَيَالٍ إِلَّا عَلَى زَوْجٍ أَرْبَعَةَ أَشْهُرٍ وَعَشْرًا»

Umm 'Atiya reported God’? Messenger as saying, “A woman must not observe mourning for one who has died more than three nights, except for the four months and ten days in the case of a husband, and she must not wear a dyed garment except one of the type made of dyed yarn,1 or apply collyrium, or touch perfume except for a little costus or azfar2 when she has been purified after her courses.” 1. <i>‘Asb</i>. This word is applied to a type of Yemen garment which was made of cloth which was dyed before being woven. 2. A certain odoriferous substance resembling finger-nails, used in incense. (Bukhari and Muslim.) Abu Dawud added, “or apply henna.”

وَعَن أُمِّ عطيَّةَ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: «لَا تُحِدُّ امْرَأَةٌ عَلَى مَيِّتٍ فَوْقَ ثَلَاثٍ إِلَّا عَلَى زَوْجٍ أَرْبَعَةَ أَشْهُرٍ وَعَشْرًا وَلَا تَلْبَسُ ثَوْبًا مَصْبُوغًا إِلَّا ثَوْبَ عَصْبٍ وَلَا تكتحِلُ وَلَا تَمَسُّ طِيبًا إِلَّا إِذَا طَهُرَتْ نُبْذَةً مِنْ قُسْطٍ أَوْ أَظْفَارٍ» . مُتَّفَقٌ عَلَيْهِ. وَزَادَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ: «وَلَا تختضب»

Zainab daughter of Ka‘b said that al-Furai‘a daughter of Malik b. Sinan and sister of Abu Sa'id al-Khudri informed her that she went to God’s Messenger and asked to be allowed to return to her people among the B. Khudra, for her husband had gone out in search of some slaves of his who had run away and they had killed him. She said she asked God's Messenger to be allowed to return to her people, for her husband had not left her in a house which belonged to him, nor had he left any maintenance and that when he agreed she went away, but when she was in the courtyard (or in the mosque) he called her and said, “Stay in your house till the prescribed period is ended.” She said that she observed the period in it for four months and ten days. Malik, Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, Nasa’i,. Ibn Majah and Darimi transmitted it.

عَن زَيْنَب بنت كَعْب: أَنَّ الْفُرَيْعَةَ بِنْتَ مَالِكِ بْنِ سِنَانٍ وَهِيَ أُخْتُ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ أَخْبَرَتْهَا أَنَّهَا جَاءَتْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ تَسْأَلُهُ أَنْ تَرْجِعَ إِلَى أَهْلِهَا فِي بَنِي خُدْرَةَ فَإِنَّ زَوْجَهَا خَرَجَ فِي طَلَبِ أَعْبُدٍ لَهُ أَبَقُوا فَقَتَلُوهُ قَالَتْ: فَسَأَلْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنْ أَرْجِعَ إِلَى أَهْلِي فَإِنَّ زَوْجِي لَمْ يَتْرُكْنِي فِي مَنْزِلٍ يَمْلِكُهُ وَلَا نَفَقَةٍ فَقَالَتْ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «نَعَمْ» . فَانْصَرَفْتُ حَتَّى إِذَا كُنْتُ فِي الْحُجْرَةِ أَوْ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ دَعَانِي فَقَالَ: «امْكُثِي فِي بَيْتِكِ حَتَّى يَبْلُغَ الْكِتَابُ أَجَلَهُ» . قَالَتْ: فَأَعْتَدَدْتُ فِيهِ أَرْبَعَةَ أَشْهُرٍ وَعَشْرًا. رَوَاهُ مَالِكٌ وَالتِّرْمِذِيُّ وَأَبُو دَاوُدَ وَالنَّسَائِيُّ وَابْنُ مَاجَهْ وَالدَّارِمِيُّ

Umm Salama said:

God’s Messenger came to visit me when Abu Salama died, and I had put the juice of aloes on myself. He asked me what it was, and I told him it was only the juice of aloes and contained no perfume, so he said, “It gives the face a glow, so apply it only at night and remove it in the daytime, and do not comb yourself with scent or henna, for it is a dye.” I asked God’s Messenger what I should use when combing myself, and he told me to use lote-tree leaves and smear my head copiously with them. Abu Dawud and Nasa’i transmitted it.

وَعَن أُمِّ سلمَةَ قَالَتْ: دَخَلَ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ حِينَ تُوُفِّيَ أَبُو سَلَمَةَ وَقَدْ جعلتُ عليَّ صَبِراً فَقَالَ: «مَا هَذَا يَا أُمَّ سَلَمَةَ؟» . قُلْتُ: إِنَّمَا هُوَ صَبِرٌ لَيْسَ فِيهِ طِيبٌ فَقَالَ: «إِنَّهُ يَشُبُّ الْوَجْهَ فَلَا تَجْعَلِيهِ إِلَّا بِاللَّيْلِ وَتَنْزِعِيهِ بِالنَّهَارِ وَلَا تَمْتَشِطِي بِالطِّيبِ وَلَا بِالْحِنَّاءِ فَإِنَّهُ خضاب» . رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُد وَالنَّسَائِيّ

She reported the Prophet (ﷺ) as saying, “One whose husband has died must not wear garments dyed with saffron or red clay, or jewels, and she must not apply henna or collyrium. Abu Dawud and Nasa'i transmitted it.

وَعَنْهَا عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: «المُتوَفّى عَنْهَا زوجُها لَا تَلبسُ المُعَصفَرَ مِنَ الثِّيَابِ وَلَا الْمُمَشَّقَةَ وَلَا الْحُلِيَّ وَلَا تَخْتَضِبُ وَلَا تَكْتَحِلُ» . رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُدَ وَالنَّسَائِيُّ

Sulaiman b. Yasar told that al-Ahwas died in Syria when his wife whom he had divorced was at the beginning of her third menstrual period, as Mu'awiya b. Abu Sufyan wrote to Zaid b. Thabit asking him about that. Zaid wrote in reply that when she began her third period she was free from him and he was free from her; he could not inherit from her or she from him. Malik transmitted it.

عَن سُليمانَ بنِ يَسارٍ: أَنَّ الْأَحْوَصَ هَلَكَ بِالشَّامِ حِينَ دَخَلَتِ امْرَأَتُهُ فِي الدَّمِ مِنَ الْحَيْضَةِ الثَّالِثَةِ وَقَدْ كَانَ طَلَّقَهَا فَكَتَبَ مُعَاوِيَةُ بْنُ أَبِي سُفْيَانَ إِلَى زَيْدِ بْنِ ثَابِتٍ يَسْأَلُهُ عَنْ ذَلِكَ فَكَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ زِيدٌ: إِنَّهَا إِذَا دَخَلَتْ فِي الدَّمِ مِنَ الْحَيْضَةِ الثَّالِثَةِ فَقَدْ بَرِئَتْ مِنْهُ وَبَرِئَ مِنْهَا لَا يرِثُها وَلَا ترِثُه. رَوَاهُ مَالك

Sa'id b. al-Musayyib reported ‘Umar b. al-Khattab as saying, “If any woman is divorced and has one or two menstrual periods then stops menstruating she must wait nine months, and if it is apparent that she is pregnant the rules concerning that are applied; otherwise she must observe a period of three months after the nine months are ended, after which she may lawfully remarry. Malik transmitted it.

وَعَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ الْمُسَيَّبِ قَالَ: قَالَ عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ أَيُّمَا امْرَأَةٍ طُلِّقَتْ فَحَاضَتْ حَيْضَةً أَوْ حَيْضَتَيْنِ ثُمَّ رُفِعَتْهَا حيضتُها فإنَّها تنتظِرُ تسعةَ أشهرٍ فإنْ بانَ لَهَا حَمْلٌ فَذَلِكَ وَإِلَّا اعْتَدَّتْ بَعْدَ التِّسْعَةِ الْأَشْهَرِ ثلاثةَ أشهرٍ ثمَّ حلَّتْ. رَوَاهُ مَالك