Rules of Iddat

Iddat is the period of waiting of a woman who has been divorced or who has lost her husband. There are rules pertaining to the iddat period, the knowledge of which is essential. Many women in this situation flout the laws of the Shariah on account of being unaware of these masaa-il. The following are the rules which have to be observed during the iddat:

1. The iddat for a woman who has been divorced is three haidh periods according to the Hanafi Math-hab, and according to the Shaafi’i Math-hab it is three tuhr periods (periods of purity, i.e. the period of pure days which intervenes between two haidhs).
2. The iddat of a woman whose husband has died is four months and ten days.
3. The iddat of a pregnant woman, whether she is a divorcee or a widow, is until the birth of the child.
4. It is not permissible for a woman in her iddat to emerge from her home unnecessarily. While it is not permissible for women to unnecessarily leave their home precincts at all times, this prohibition is emphasised for a woman in her iddat.
5. It is not permissible for a woman in her iddat to adorn or beautify herself. Thus, even halaal forms of makeup are not permissible during iddat.
6. During iddat it is not permissible to wear fine garments or garments made of silk, brocade and velvet.
7. It is not permissible for a woman in iddat to wear jewellery. Adornment of all types is unlawful.
8. It is not permissible for her to go out of the house for drives and joy rides even with her parents.
9. It is not permissible for her to entertain a marriage proposal during iddat.
10. She may not apply perfume of any kind.
11. It is not permissible for a woman in her iddat to use hair oil for adorning herself. If she has to use oil because of some ailment or headache, then oil without fragrance has to be used.
12. While a woman who has been given talaaq raj’i (revokable divorce) has to remain at home and cannot marry during her iddat, the other prohibitions regarding adornment do not apply to her. It is permissible for her to adorn herself to entice her husband, thus inducing him to revoke the talaaq.
13. A woman has to pass her iddat in the house which was her normal residence at the time of the talaaq or death of her husband unless there is some valid Shar’i reason to relocate elsewhere.
14. A temporary residence elsewhere at the time of the event (talaaq or death of the husband) will not be the home for iddat, e.g. the woman was temporarily staying with her parents when her husband died. She now has to return to her husband’s home and pass her iddat there.
15. It will be permissible for a woman in iddat to leave the house for a valid reason, e.g. fear, danger, illness, etc.
16. If a woman in iddat has no source of income and those responsible for her fail to maintain her, then it will be permissible for her to leave the home to earn her living, but it will be compulsory for her to return home by sunset.
17. A woman accompanied her husband on a journey. If the husband dies at the temporary residence on the journey, she has to pass her iddat at the place where her husband died provided that the necessary arrangements for her stay exist there. If such arrangements do not exist for her, then she will have to return to her hometown.
18. If some danger threatens her stay in the house of iddat, it will be permissible for her to move to a safe place.
19. A pregnant woman in her iddat suffers a miscarriage. If the foetus had developed any bodily part, e.g. finger, nail, foot, etc. then such a miscarriage will signify the end of the iddat. If no bodily organ had developed then her iddat will be a period of three haidhs if she is a divorcee. If she is a widow, then it will be four months and ten days.
20. The maintenance of a divorcee during her iddat is the responsibility of the husband. He has to provide for her while she is in iddat.
21. If the divorced woman leaves the matrimonial home without the consent of the husband and takes up residence elsewhere, the man will no longer be responsible for her maintenance.
22. The estate of the deceased husband is not responsible for the maintenance of a widow. She is responsible for her own maintenance. She is entitled to her share of inheritance in the estate of her deceased husband, but her maintenance remains her own responsibility.
23. Where a woman is not by the means to support herself, her maintenance will be the responsibility of her closest male relatives. This applies to all women, not only to those in iddat.

(The Majlis Archives)