18/9. Chapter:
Sahih Muslim 1487a — Mourning Limits for Women
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 Mourning Limits for Women
Sahih Muslim : 1487a
Sahih MuslimHadith Number 1487a
وَحَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ يَحْيَى، قَالَ قَرَأْتُ عَلَى مَالِكٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَبِي بَكْرٍ، عَنْ حُمَيْدِ بْنِ نَافِعٍ، عَنْ زَيْنَبَ بِنْتِ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ، أَنَّهَا أَخْبَرَتْهُ هَذِهِ الأَحَادِيثَ الثَّلاَثَةَ، قَالَ قَالَتْ زَيْنَبُ دَخَلْتُ عَلَى أُمِّ حَبِيبَةَ زَوْجِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم حِينَ تُوُفِّيَ أَبُوهَا أَبُو سُفْيَانَ فَدَعَتْ أُمُّ حَبِيبَةَ بِطِيبٍ فِيهِ صُفْرَةٌ خَلُوقٌ أَوْ غَيْرُهُ فَدَهَنَتْ مِنْهُ جَارِيَةً ثُمَّ مَسَّتْ بِعَارِضَيْهَا ثُمَّ قَالَتْ وَاللَّهِ مَا لِي بِالطِّيبِ مِنْ حَاجَةٍ غَيْرَ أَنِّي سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ عَلَى الْمِنْبَرِ " لاَ يَحِلُّ لاِمْرَأَةٍ تُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ تُحِدُّ عَلَى مَيِّتٍ فَوْقَ ثَلاَثٍ إِلاَّ عَلَى زَوْجٍ أَرْبَعَةَ أَشْهُرٍ وَعَشْرًا " . قَالَتْ زَيْنَبُ ثُمَّ دَخَلْتُ عَلَى زَيْنَبَ بِنْتِ جَحْشٍ حِينَ تُوُفِّيَ أَخُوهَا فَدَعَتْ بِطِيبٍ فَمَسَّتْ مِنْهُ ثُمَّ قَالَتْ وَاللَّهِ مَا لِي بِالطِّيبِ مِنْ حَاجَةٍ غَيْرَ أَنِّي سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ عَلَى الْمِنْبَرِ " لاَ يَحِلُّ لاِمْرَأَةٍ تُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ تُحِدُّ عَلَى مَيِّتٍ فَوْقَ ثَلاَثٍ إِلاَّ عَلَى زَوْجٍ أَرْبَعَةَ أَشْهُرٍ وَعَشْرًا " . قَالَتْ زَيْنَبُ سَمِعْتُ أُمِّي أُمَّ سَلَمَةَ، تَقُولُ جَاءَتِ امْرَأَةٌ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَتْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّ ابْنَتِي تُوُفِّيَ عَنْهَا زَوْجُهَا وَقَدِ اشْتَكَتْ عَيْنُهَا أَفَنَكْحُلُهَا فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " لاَ " . مَرَّتَيْنِ أَوْ ثَلاَثًا كُلَّ ذَلِكَ يَقُولُ لاَ ثُمَّ قَالَ " إِنَّمَا هِيَ أَرْبَعَةُ أَشْهُرٍ وَعَشْرٌ وَقَدْ كَانَتْ إِحْدَاكُنَّ فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ تَرْمِي بِالْبَعَرَةِ عَلَى رَأْسِ الْحَوْلِ " . قَالَ حُمَيْدٌ قُلْتُ لِزَيْنَبَ وَمَا تَرْمِي بِالْبَعَرَةِ عَلَى رَأْسِ الْحَوْلِ فَقَالَتْ زَيْنَبُ كَانَتِ الْمَرْأَةُ إِذَا تُوُفِّيَ عَنْهَا زَوْجُهَا دَخَلَتْ حِفْشًا وَلَبِسَتْ شَرَّ ثِيَابِهَا وَلَمْ تَمَسَّ طِيبًا وَلاَ شَيْئًا حَتَّى تَمُرَّ بِهَا سَنَةٌ ثُمَّ تُؤْتَى بِدَابَّةٍ حِمَارٍ أَوْ شَاةٍ أَوْ طَيْرٍ فَتَفْتَضُّ بِهِ فَقَلَّمَا تَفْتَضُّ بِشَىْءٍ إِلاَّ مَاتَ ثُمَّ تَخْرُجُ فَتُعْطَى بَعَرَةً فَتَرْمِي بِهَا ثُمَّ تُرَاجِعُ بَعْدُ مَا شَاءَتْ مِنْ طِيبٍ أَوْ غَيْرِهِ .
Zainab (bint Abu Salama) (Allah be pleased with her) reported: I went to Umm Habiba, the wife of Allah's Apostle (ﷺ), when her father Abu Sufyan had died. Umm Habiba sent for a perfume having yellowness in it or something else like it, and she applied it to a girl and then rubbed it on her cheeks and then said: By Allah, I need no perfume but for the fact that I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) say on the pulpit:" It is not permissible for a woman believing in Allah and the Hereafter to mourn for the dead beyond three days, but (in case of the death) of the husband it is permissible for four months and ten days." Zainab said: I then visited Zainab hint Jahsh (Allah be pleased with her) when her brother died and she sent for perfume and applied it and then said: By Allah, I don't feel any need for the perfume but that I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) say on the pulpit:" It is not permissible for a woman believing in Allah and the Hereafbler to mourn the dead beyond three days except in case of her husband (for whom she can mourn) for four months and ten days." Zainab (Allah be pleased with her) said: I heard my mother Umm Salama (Allah be pleased with her) as saying: A woman came to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and said: Allah's Messenger. I have a daughter whose husband has died and there has developed some trouble in her eye; should we apply collyrium to it? Thereupon Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: No (repeating it twice or thrice, saying only, NO" all the time). Then he said: It is only four mouths and ten days, whereas in the preIslamic period none of you threw away the dung until one year had passed. Humaid said: I said to Zainab: What is this throwing of dung until a year is passed? Zainab said: When the husband of a woman died, she went into a hut and put on her worst clothes, and did not apply perfume or something like it until a year was over. Then an animal like a donkey, or a goat, or a bird was brought to her and she rubbed her hand over it, and it so happened that one on which she rubbed her hand died. She then came out of her house and she was given dung and she threw it and then she made use of anything like perfume or something else as she liked.
Reference : Sahih Muslim 1486a, 1487a, 1488a, 1489In-book reference : Book 18, Hadith 73USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 9, Hadith 3539
Summary of Sahih Muslim Hadith 1487a
This hadith about mourning limits for women reports the same set of narrations from Zainab bint Abu Salama. Umm Habiba used perfume after Abu Sufyan died and said she only did so because she heard Allah's Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) say that a believing woman does not mourn a dead person beyond three days, except her husband, for four months and ten days. Zainab bint Jahsh made a similar statement after her brother died. Umm Salama also reported the question about a widowed daughter with an eye problem, and the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) answered no to applying collyrium. The hadith also compares this period with a former one-year practice described in the report.
What we learn from this hadith
- The hadith sets a three-day mourning limit for deaths other than the husband.
- A widow's mourning period is stated as four months and ten days.
- The use of perfume by Umm Habiba and Zainab bint Jahsh showed they were not extending mourning.
- The report contrasts the Islamic period with an older one-year practice.
