“Wisdoms Behind the Waiting Period”
As-Salaamu ‘Alaykum,
Bismillah,
All praise is due to Allah, and may exaltation and safety be granted to Muhammad, his family, his companions and those who aid them. To proceed:
Al-‘Allaamah, Saalih al-Fawzaan, may Allah preserve him, said:
…The wisdoms behind the legislation of the waiting period (al-‘Iddah) (1) can be summed up in the following points:
[1]: Ensuring that the woman’s womb is clear from pregnancy, so that another man does not [marry her and] have intercourse with her before knowing whether she is pregnant or not, and as a result, lineage becomes uncertain and lost;
[2]: Magnifying [the worth] of a marriage contract;
[3]: Prolonging the chance [for the husband] to reconsider staying with his wife;
[4]: [If the woman’s husband has passed way], the waiting period gives the deceased his rights. And by preventing the woman from beautifying herself (2), [in the case of her husband's death], it displays the significance of his loss… (3)
(1) [TN]: Al-’Iddah: An Islamically defined waiting period for a woman after divorce or the death of her husband. See “A Dictionary of Fiqh Terminology” by Professor, Muhammad Qal’aji, pg. 276.
(2) [TN]: Known as al-Ihdaad (i.e. mourning), Ibid
(3) Saalih al-Fawzan, Brief Comments on Zaad al-Mustaqn’i, 2/348
