Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

As Salam Alaykum
I have just finished reading your answer to the Question # 822 (rules and requirements of iddah).
You have said that dring the period of iddah a woman is forbidden to wear attractive clothes and apply perfume .... etc., and that she must wear plain, simple and humble cloths for the period of iddah. Howeve, in this respect you have not quoted any verses of the Qur`an or any Hadis.
As far as I am aware there are no such restrictions regarding the appearance of a woman in iddah. This practice of discrimenating widows was among Hindus since ancient times and still it is observed by most Hindu famlies.
Could you please also explain what do you mean by plain and humble clothes? Although you have said in your article "There is no particular clothing, or a particular colour that she needs to wear ....
An early reply will be appreciated.
Thanks 

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

What clothes to wear in Iddah?

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad(saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Your Question: I have just finished reading your answer to the Question # 822 (rules and requirements of iddah).
You have said that dring the period of iddah a woman is forbidden to wear attractive clothes and apply perfume .... etc., and that she must wear plain, simple and humble cloths for the period of iddah. Howeve, in this respect you have not quoted any verses of the Qur`an or any Hadis.
Fiqh-us-Sunnah Fiqh 4.23

Umm 'Atiyyah reported that the Messenger of Allah (saws) said: "A woman should not mourn for any deceased person for more than three days, except in the case of her husband's death, which she must mourn for a period of four months and ten days. Such a woman (in mourning) is not to wear any (brightly) colored dress. She may wear only plain dress. During this period she should not use any adornment or eye makeup, nor wear any perfume, nor dye her hands and feet with henna.”

Related by Bukhari.

Your Statement: As far as I am aware there are no such restrictions regarding the appearance of a woman in iddah. This practice of discrimenating widows was among Hindus since ancient times and still it is observed by most Hindu famlies.

Beloved brother in Islam, in general people go towards the two extremes when formulating the mourning of the widow.

One extreme in the pagan cultures is that they condemn the widow for ever by burning her alive with the body of her dead husband, or condemning her to wear white clothes for the rest of her life, or shunning her on every occasion accusing her to be a ‘bad omen’ and hold her as the bad luck which was responsible for her husband’s death.

The other extreme in some cultures is to pretend as if nothing has happened, and allow the widow to carry on with her life as she sees fit.

Islam has prescribed the ‘middle-path’ and a balance between the two extremes, and declared a mourning period of four months and ten days for the widow; after which she is free to marry anyone of her choice if she wishes to do so, and live the rest of her life as a normal woman in society.

Your Question: Could you please also explain what do you mean by plain and humble clothes? Although you have said in your article "There is no particular clothing, or a particular colour that she needs to wear ....
Although Shariah has not prescribed any particular clothing for the mourning period of the widow, it has commanded that she wear any plain clothes which she would normally wear in the house; meaning something that has nothing to do with enhancing her beauty, or fashion, or something that one wears when gracing an occasion. She is commanded to not wear any ornaments, nor apply any-make, nor apply perfume, nor apply any henna, nor color her hair, etc., and live out the prescribed waiting period of four months and ten days in a simple and honorable manner.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan