Divorce Section · 43 – A woman whose husband has died should observe a period of mourning.
According to a narration from Humayd ibn Nafi’, Zeynab bint Abi Salama related three hadiths to her, and Zeynab said: When my father, Abu Sufyan, died, I entered upon Umm Habiba. There was fragrance, henna, and other perfumes. She requested perfume and after applying it to a female slave, she applied it to both sides of her face. Then she swore by Allah that she did not need the perfume, but rather she had heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: “It is permissible for a woman who believes in Allah and the Last Day not to mourn over a deceased person for more than three days and abstain from adornment.” However, a woman whose husband has died observes mourning (abstains from adornment) for four months and ten days.
Zeynab (radiallahu anha) said: When my brother died, I entered upon Zeynab bint Jahsh. She requested perfume and had it applied to her, then she said: “I did not need the perfume, but I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) on the pulpit say: ‘Is it permissible for a woman who believes in Allah and the Last Day to mourn over a deceased person for more than three days? (abstain from adornment)’ However, if her husband dies, she observes mourning (abstains from adornment) for four months and ten days.”
Zeynab said: I heard my mother, Umm Salama, say: A woman came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and said: “O Messenger of Allah! My daughter’s husband has died, and her eye is afflicted. Should we apply kohl to it?” The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said twice or three times, "No," and in each case he said, "It is not permissible." Then he said: “But the abstaining from adornment is for four months and ten days. Indeed, in pre-Islamic times, a woman whose husband died would cast the dung of her camel to the beginning of the year (wait a year).” Humayd said: I asked Zeynab: What is the dung of the camel that the woman casts to the beginning of the year? Zeynab said: In pre-Islamic times, when a woman’s husband died, she would enter a ruinous place, wear her oldest clothes, and abstain from perfume and anything else for a year. After the year passed, a riding animal or a sheep or a bird was brought, and the woman broke it apart (ended her ritual mourning), and discarded it. Sometimes the animal she rode to leave would die immediately. Then she would come out of that place and they would give her camel dung to cast behind her, after which she could return to perfume and whatever else she desired to use.
Abu Dawud says:
Hifs: means a small house. [232]
EXPLANATION
Tafazzu: means to break, shatter or whiten like silver.
Baghrā: is the term for the round dung of camels.