Fatwa ID: 07120

 

Answered by: Maulana Sheik Abdel Ahad Imrit

 

Question:

 

A widow (60 years of age) is currently in her ‘iddah.

 

Her son and his family are going to Umrah. They plan to meet his wife’s parents etc. there who are coming from Sudan. They haven’t been able to meet in 5 years because of the war.

 

He doesn’t want to leave his mother alone at home because, according to him, she won’t be able to take care of herself due to her age and she is emotionally distraught as can be imagined.

 

He wants to travel with her to the Emirates and leave her there with her sisters who can take care of her.

 

Would she be allowed to travel under these circumstances?

 

 

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

 

Answer:

 

In response to your inquiry, it would be preferable for your sister to come over, or for arrangements to be made for someone to care for here [1], as widows are expected to observe the Idaat period in their permanent residence at the time of divorce or their husband’s passing.

 

Relocating during Idaat is only permissible under necessity (Al Darurah – الضرورة), with valid shar’i reasons.

 

 

Allah The Most High says :

2:234

وَٱلَّذِينَ يُتَوَفَّوْنَ مِنكُمْ وَيَذَرُونَ أَزْوَٰجًۭا يَتَرَبَّصْنَ بِأَنفُسِهِنَّ أَرْبَعَةَ أَشْهُرٍۢ وَعَشْرًۭا ۖ فَإِذَا بَلَغْنَ أَجَلَهُنَّ فَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْكُمْ فِيمَا فَعَلْنَ فِىٓ أَنفُسِهِنَّ بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرٌۭ ٢٣٤

 

Those among you who pass away and leave wives behind, their wives keep themselves waiting for four months and ten days. So, when they have reached (the end of) their waiting period, there is no sin on you in what they do for themselves in recognised manner. Allah is All-Aware of what you do.

 

 

To establish a necessity, certain conditions must be met, such as a genuine fear for one’s life or limb. This fear must be current, not anticipated. [2]

 

 

Valid excuses include situations where her life, wealth, or chastity are in jeopardy, the collapse or imminent danger of her Idaat residence, or a strong apprehension of losing honor, life, property, or health.

 

If a widow fears living alone without a trustworthy companion and the fear is severe, then moving out of the house during Idaaat may be permissible. Otherwise, it is not allowed.

 

 

«الفتاوى العالمكيرية = الفتاوى الهندية» (1/ 535):

«عَلَى الْمُعْتَدَّةِ أَنْ تَعْتَدَّ فِي الْمَنْزِلِ الَّذِي يُضَافُ إلَيْهَا بِالسُّكْنَى حَالَ وُقُوعِ الْفُرْقَةِ وَالْمَوْتِ كَذَا فِي الْكَافِي.

 

لَوْ كَانَتْ زَائِرَةً أَهْلَهَا أَوْ كَانَتْ فِي غَيْرِ بَيْتِهَا لِأَمْرٍ حِينَ وُقُوعِ الطَّلَاقِ انْتَقَلَتْ إلَى بَيْتِ سُكْنَاهَا بِلَا تَأْخِيرٍ وَكَذَا فِي عِدَّةِ الْوَفَاةِ كَذَا فِي غَايَةِ الْبَيَانِ.

 

إنْ اُضْطُرَّتْ إلَى الْخُرُوجِ مِنْ بَيْتِهَا بِأَنْ خَافَتْ سُقُوطَ مَنْزِلِهَا أَوْ خَافَتْ عَلَى مَالِهَا أَوْ كَانَ الْمَنْزِلُ بِأُجْرَةٍ وَلَا تَجِدُ مَا تُؤَدِّيهِ فِي أُجْرَتِهِ فِي عِدَّةِ الْوَفَاةِ فَلَا بَأْسَ عِنْدَ ذَلِكَ أَنْ تَنْتَقِلَ، وَإِنْ كَانَتْ تَقْدِرُ عَلَى الْأُجْرَةِ لَا تَنْتَقِلُ، وَإِنْ كَانَ الْمَنْزِلُ لِزَوْجِهَا وَقَدْ مَاتَ فَلَهَا أَنْ تَسْكُنَ فِي نَصِيبِهَا إنْ كَانَ مَا يُصِيبُهَا مِنْ ذَلِكَ مَا يُكْتَفَى بِهِ فِي السُّكْنَى وَتَسْتَتِرُ عَنْ سَائِرِ الْوَرَثَةِ مِمَّنْ لَيْسَ بِمَحْرَمٍ لَهَا كَذَا فِي الْبَدَائِعِ، وَإِنْ كَانَ نَصِيبُهَا مِنْ دَارِ الْمَيِّتِ لَا يَكْفِيهَا فَأَخْرَجَهَا الْوَرَثَةُ مِنْ نَصِيبِهِمْ انْتَقَلَتْ كَذَا فِي الْهِدَايَةِ. لَوْ أَسْكَنُوهَا فِي نَصِيبِهِمْ بِأُجْرَةٍ وَهِيَ تَقْدِرُ عَلَى أَدَائِهَا لَا تَنْتَقِلُ كَذَا فِي شَرْحِ مَجْمَعِ الْبَحْرَيْنِ لِابْنِ الْمَلَكِ. وَإِذَا انْتَقَلَتْ لِعُذْرٍ يَكُونُ سُكْنَاهَا فِي الْبَيْتِ الَّذِي انْتَقَلَتْ إلَيْهِ بِمَنْزِلَةِ كَوْنِهَا فِي الْمَنْزِلِ الَّذِي انْتَقَلَتْ مِنْهُ فِي حُرْمَةِ الْخُرُوجِ عَنْهُ كَذَا فِي الْبَدَائِعِ.

لَوْ كَانَتْ بِالسَّوَادِ قَدْ دَخَلَ عَلَيْهَا الْخَوْفُ مِنْ سُلْطَانٍ أَوْ غَيْرِهِ كَانَتْ فِي سَعَةٍ مِنْ التَّحَوُّلِ إلَى الْمِصْرِ كَذَا فِي الْمَبْسُوطِ.

 

الْمُعْتَدَّةُ إذَا كَانَتْ فِي مَنْزِلٍ لَيْسَ مَعَهَا أَحَدٌ وَهِيَ لَا تَخَافُ مِنْ اللُّصُوصِ وَلَا مِنْ الْجِيرَانِ وَلَكِنَّهَا تَفْزَعُ مِنْ أَمْرِ الْمَبِيتِ إنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ الْخَوْفُ شَدِيدًا لَيْسَ لَهَا أَنْ تَنْتَقِلَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ الْمَوْضِعِ، وَإِنْ كَانَ الْخَوْفُ شَدِيدًا كَانَ لَهَا أَنْ تَنْتَقِلَ كَذَا فِي فَتَاوَى قَاضِي خَانْ»

 

 

 

Only Allah (عز و جل) knows best.

Written by Maulana Sheik Abdel Ahad Imrit

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham

 

 

 

 

 

 

[1] Fatawa Mahmoodiyyah Vol13 as from 390

 

[2] The Principles of Iftā and its Etiquettes” by Justice Muftῑ Taqῑ ‘Uthmānῑ Ṣaḥib with the “Commentary of ‘Uqūd Rasmil Muftῑ” by Ibn ‘Abidῑn Al Shāmῑ pg267