Fatwa ID: 09328
Answered by Mufti Abdurrahman Mohammad
Question:
Can a woman in iddah after being divorced (twice by ex-husband and not reconciled) is no longer his wife go to the Masjid for Tarawih? This is to boost her iman and take her child so they don’t feel lonely. If there is a dispensation from another school, then I can take if need be.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
Allah (ﷻ) says in the Quran:
O Prophet! ˹Instruct the believers:˺ When you ˹intend to˺ divorce women, then divorce them with concern for their waiting period, and count it accurately. And fear Allah, your Lord. Do not force them out of their homes, nor should they leave—unless they commit a blatant misconduct. These are the limits set by Allah. And whoever transgresses Allah’s limits has truly wronged his own soul. You never know, perhaps Allah will bring about a change ˹of heart˺ later. (At-Talāq 65:1)
The Prophet (ﷺ) instructed a woman in her ‘Iddah:
Stay in your house for four months and ten days, until the term prescribed is fulfilled. (Sunan an-Nasa’i 3532)
A woman in ‘Iddah is not allowed to leave her home unless there is a valid necessity (Darūrah). [1, 2] Salāt At-Tarawīh is not a necessity as it is a voluntary prayer, and the general rule is that it is better for a woman to pray at home than in the Masjid. [3] It has been narrated from the Prophet (ﷺ) that:
It is more excellent for a woman to pray in her house than in her courtyard, and more excellent for her to pray in her private chamber than in her house.
Therefore, you are required to stay at home and may not go to the Masjid for Tarawih.
Only Allah ﷻ knows best.
Written by Mufti Abdurrahman Mohammad
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
References:
[1]
قَالَ) وَلَا يَنْبَغِي لِلْمُطَلَّقَةِ ثَلَاثًا أَوْ وَاحِدَةً بَائِنَةً أَوْ رَجْعِيَّةً أَنْ تَخْرُجَ مِنْ مَنْزِلِهَا لَيْلًا وَلَا نَهَارًا حَتَّى تَنْقَضِيَ عِدَّتُهَا لِقَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى {وَلَا يَخْرُجْنَ إلَّا أَنْ يَأْتِينَ بِفَاحِشَةٍ مُبَيِّنَةٍ} [الطلاق: ١
(Al-Mabsūt As-Sarakhsī, vol. 6, pg. 32, Matba’ah As-Sa’ādah)
[2]
وَمِنْهَا حُرْمَةُ الْخُرُوجِ مِنْ الْبَيْتِ لِبَعْضِ الْمُعْتَدَّاتِ دُونَ بَعْضٍ، وَجُمْلَةُ الْكَلَامِ فِي هَذَا الْحُكْمِ أَنَّ الْمُعْتَدَّةَ لَا يَخْلُو إمَّا أَنْ تَكُونَ مُعْتَدَّةً مِنْ نِكَاحٍ صَحِيحٍ وَإِمَّا أَنْ تَكُونَ مُعْتَدَّةً مِنْ نِكَاحٍ فَاسِدٍ، وَلَا يَخْلُو إمَّا أَنْ تَكُونَ حُرَّةً وَإِمَّا أَنْ تَكُونَ أَمَةً بَالِغَةً أَوْ صَغِيرَةً عَاقِلَةً أَوْ مَجْنُونَةً مُسْلِمَةً أَوْ كِتَابِيَّةً مُطَلَّقَةً أَوْ مُتَوَفَّى عَنْهَا زَوْجُهَا، وَالْحَالُ حَالُ الِاخْتِيَارِ أَوْ حَالُ الِاضْطِرَارِ: فَإِنْ كَانَتْ مُعْتَدَّةً مِنْ نِكَاحٍ صَحِيحٍ وَهِيَ حُرَّةٌ مُطَلَّقَةٌ بَالِغَةٌ عَاقِلَةٌ مُسْلِمَةٌ وَالْحَالُ حَالُ الِاخْتِيَارِ فَإِنَّهَا لَا تَخْرُجُ لَيْلًا وَلَا نَهَارًا سَوَاءٌ كَانَ الطَّلَاقُ ثَلَاثًا أَوْ بَائِنًا أَوْ رَجْعِيًّا أَمَّا فِي الطَّلَاقِ الرَّجْعِيِّ فَلِقَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى ﴿لا تُخْرِجُوهُنَّ مِنْ بُيُوتِهِنَّ وَلا يَخْرُجْنَ إِلا أَنْ يَأْتِينَ بِفَاحِشَةٍ مُبَيِّنَةٍ﴾ [الطلاق: ١
Badāi’ Al-Sanāi’ Fī Tartīb Al-Sharāi’, vol. 3, pg. 205, Dār Al-Kutub Al-’Ilmiyyah
[3]
وَأَمَّا النِّسْوَةُ فَهَلْ يُرَخَّصُ لَهُنَّ أَنْ يَخْرُجْنَ فِي الْعِيدَيْنِ؟ أَجْمَعُوا عَلَى أَنَّهُ لَا يُرَخَّصُ لِلشَّوَابِّ مِنْهُنَّ الْخُرُوجُ فِي الْجُمُعَةِ وَالْعِيدَيْنِ وَشَيْءٍ مِنْ الصَّلَاةِ؛ لِقَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى ﴿وَقَرْنَ فِي بُيُوتِكُنَّ﴾ [الأحزاب: ٣٣] وَالْأَمْرُ بِالْقَرَارِ نَهْيٌ عَنْ الِانْتِقَالِ وَلِأَنَّ خُرُوجَهُنَّ سَبَبُ الْفِتْنَةِ بِلَا شَكٍّ، وَالْفِتْنَةُ حَرَامٌ، وَمَا أَدَّى إلَى الْحَرَامِ فَهُوَ حَرَامٌ. …
وَأَمَّا صَلَاةُ الْعِيدِ فَإِنَّهَا تُؤَدَّى فِي الْجَبَّانَةِ فَيُمْكِنُهَا أَنْ تَعْتَزِلَ نَاحِيَةً عَنْ الرِّجَالِ كَيْ لَا تُصْدَمَ فَرَخَّصَ لَهُنَّ الْخُرُوجَ وَاَللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ ثُمَّ هَذَا الْخِلَافُ فِي الرُّخْصَةِ وَالْإِبَاحَةِ فَأَمَّا لَا خِلَافَ فِي أَنَّ الْأَفْضَلَ أَنْ لَا يَخْرُجْنَ فِي صَلَاةٍ لِمَا رُوِيَ عَنْ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: «صَلَاةُ الْمَرْأَةِ فِي دَارِهَا أَفْضَلُ مِنْ صَلَاتِهَا فِي مَسْجِدِهَا، وَصَلَاتُهَا فِي بَيْتِهَا أَفْضَلُ مِنْ صَلَاتِهَا فِي دَارِهَا، وَصَلَاتُهَا فِي مَخْدَعِهَا أَفْضَلُ مِنْ صَلَاتِهَا فِي بَيْتِهَا
Badāi’ Al-Sanāi’ Fī Tartīb Al-Sharāi’, vol. 1, pg. 275-276, Dār Al-Kutub Al-’Ilmiyyah