Fatwa ID: 03469

Answered by: Maulana Irfan Ali​

Question

What conditions must be met for a woman in iddah to be able to work?
What if she must pay the rent for her house etc., but she also has parents that she can stay with? Can she still work to pay the rent?

Also is her iddah after a decree absolute 3 periods regardless of how short her periods are (so long as they are valid periods)?

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيْم

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

Answer:

In the Sharia, the woman sitting her waiting period is not permitted to leave her residence.

However, when there is an extreme need to do so, such as leaving for work whereby that is her only source of income and she can't carry on living throughout the waiting period without it, then she will be permitted to go to work.

In such a case, she will only be permitted to leave her house for the necessary amount of time and anything beyond that will be impermissible.

However, if there is an alternative for her then it will not be permissible, such as her family providing her with the financial support that is required.

(Fatawaa Mahmoodiyah, Volume 13, Page 404, Jamiah Farooqiyyah)

Only Allah knows best

Written by Maulana Irfan Ali

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham