The Qur’anic verse “Those of you who die and leave widows should bequeath for their widows a year’s maintenance and residence was abrogated by the verse containing the laws of succession, as one-fourth or one-eighth share was prescribed for them (i.e., the widows). The waiting period for one year was also repealed as a period of four months ten days was prescribed for them.
Sunan Abi Dawud Book 13, Hadith 124
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Jabir said “My maternal aunt was divorced by three pronouncements and she went out to cut down fruit from her palm trees. A man met her and forbade her (to go out). So she went to the Prophet (ﷺ) and mentioned it to him. He said “Go out, and cut down fruit from your palm trees for perhaps you may give alms (sadaqah) or do an act of kindness.
Sunan Abi Dawud Book 13, Hadith 123 Next Hadith → Zainab said: I visited Umm Habibah when her father AbuSufyan, died. She asked for some yellow perfume containing saffron (khaluq) or something else. Then she applied it to a girl and touched her cheeks.
She said: I have no need of perfume, but I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: It is not lawful for a woman who believes in Allah and the Last Day to observe mourning for one who has died, more than three nights, except for four months and ten days in the case of a husband.
Zaynab said: I also visited Zaynab, daughter of Jahsh, when her brother died. She asked for some perfume and used it upon herself.
She then said: I have no need of perfume, but I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say when he was on the pulpit: It is not lawful for a woman who believes in Allah and the Last Day to observe mourning for one who has died, more than three nights, except for four months and ten days in the case of a husband.
Zaynab said: I heard my mother, Umm Salamah, say: A woman came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and said: Messenger of Allah, the husband of my daughter has died, and she is suffering from sore eyes; may we put antimony in her eyes?
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: No. He said this twice or thrice. Each time he said: No. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: The waiting period is now four months and ten days. In pre-Islamic days one of you used to throw away a piece of dung at the end of a year.
Humayd said: I asked Zaynab: What do you mean by throwing away a piece of dung at the end of a year.
Zaynab replied: When the husband of a woman died, she entered a small cell and put on shabby clothes, not touching perfume or any other thing until a year passed. Then an animal such as donkey or sheep or bird was provided for her. She rubbed herself with it. The animal with which she rubbed herself rarely survived. She then came out and was given a piece of dung which she threw away. She then used perfume or something else which she desired.
Abu Dawud said: The Arabic word "hafsh" means a small cell.
Sunan Abi Dawud Book 13, Hadith 125
Sunan Abi Dawud Book 13, Hadith 123 Next Hadith → Zainab said: I visited Umm Habibah when her father AbuSufyan, died. She asked for some yellow perfume containing saffron (khaluq) or something else. Then she applied it to a girl and touched her cheeks.
She said: I have no need of perfume, but I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: It is not lawful for a woman who believes in Allah and the Last Day to observe mourning for one who has died, more than three nights, except for four months and ten days in the case of a husband.
Zaynab said: I also visited Zaynab, daughter of Jahsh, when her brother died. She asked for some perfume and used it upon herself.
She then said: I have no need of perfume, but I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say when he was on the pulpit: It is not lawful for a woman who believes in Allah and the Last Day to observe mourning for one who has died, more than three nights, except for four months and ten days in the case of a husband.
Zaynab said: I heard my mother, Umm Salamah, say: A woman came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and said: Messenger of Allah, the husband of my daughter has died, and she is suffering from sore eyes; may we put antimony in her eyes?
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: No. He said this twice or thrice. Each time he said: No. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: The waiting period is now four months and ten days. In pre-Islamic days one of you used to throw away a piece of dung at the end of a year.
Humayd said: I asked Zaynab: What do you mean by throwing away a piece of dung at the end of a year.
Zaynab replied: When the husband of a woman died, she entered a small cell and put on shabby clothes, not touching perfume or any other thing until a year passed. Then an animal such as donkey or sheep or bird was provided for her. She rubbed herself with it. The animal with which she rubbed herself rarely survived. She then came out and was given a piece of dung which she threw away. She then used perfume or something else which she desired.
Abu Dawud said: The Arabic word "hafsh" means a small cell.
Sunan Abi Dawud Book 13, Hadith 125