18/9. Chapter:
Sahih Muslim 1486d — Perfume After Three Days
The Obligation to mourn during the 'Iddah following the death of one's husband, but it is forbidden to mourn for more than three days in other cases
Hadith About Perfume After Three Days of Mourning
Sahih Muslim : 1486d
Sahih MuslimHadith Number 1486d
وَحَدَّثَنَا عَمْرٌو النَّاقِدُ، وَابْنُ أَبِي عُمَرَ، - وَاللَّفْظُ لِعَمْرٍو - حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ بْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ، عَنْ أَيُّوبَ بْنِ مُوسَى، عَنْ حُمَيْدِ بْنِ نَافِعٍ، عَنْ زَيْنَبَ بِنْتِ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ، قَالَتْ لَمَّا أَتَى أُمَّ حَبِيبَةَ نَعِيُّ أَبِي سُفْيَانَ دَعَتْ فِي الْيَوْمِ الثَّالِثِ بِصُفْرَةٍ فَمَسَحَتْ بِهِ ذِرَاعَيْهَا وَعَارِضَيْهَا وَقَالَتْ كُنْتُ عَنْ هَذَا غَنِيَّةً سَمِعْتُ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ " لاَ يَحِلُّ لاِمْرَأَةٍ تُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ أَنْ تُحِدَّ فَوْقَ ثَلاَثٍ إِلاَّ عَلَى زَوْجٍ فَإِنَّهَا تُحِدُّ عَلَيْهِ أَرْبَعَةَ أَشْهُرٍ وَعَشْرًا ".
Zainab bint Abu Salama reported that when the news of the death of Abu Safyan came to Umm Habiba she sent for yellow (perfume) on the third day and rubbed it on her forearms and on her cheeks and said: I had in fact no need of it, but I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: It is not permissible for the women believing in Allah and the Hereafter to abstain from adornment beyond three days except (at the death of) husband (in which case she must abstain from adornment) for four months and ten days.
Reference : Sahih Muslim 1486dIn-book reference : Book 18, Hadith 79USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 9, Hadith 3544
Summary of Sahih Muslim Hadith 1486d
This hadith about mourning beyond three days shows Umm Habiba’s action after the news of Abu Sufyan’s death reached her. On the third day, she called for yellow perfume and rubbed it on her forearms and cheeks. She made it clear that she did not need the perfume for herself. She did it because she had heard the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم say that a woman who believes in Allah and the Hereafter should not mourn beyond three days, except at the death of her husband. In the husband’s case, she mourns for four months and ten days. The hadith is simple and practical: grief may be real, but the outward mourning period has a stated limit in this text.
What we learn from this hadith
- Umm Habiba applied perfume on the third day after hearing of Abu Sufyan’s death.
- She explained that her action was based on what she heard from the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم.
- Mourning beyond three days is not allowed here except for a husband.
- For a husband, the period is four months and ten days.
