If a man divorces a woman and she is now sitting in the iddah of talaaq and then the man passes away, what will be her iddah? Please explain the hanafi and shafi'ee opinion.

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Assalaamu `alaykum waRahmatullahi Wabarakatuh

If a woman is in her iddah for a talaq baain (irrevocable divorce) and the husband passes away before the completion of her iddah, then one must see which of the two iddahs (iddah after talaq or iddah after death) will take longer to complete. She will observe the iddah which will take longer to complete. (note: iddah for talaq is the completion of three full hayd periods if she is not conceived. If she is conceived then the iddah will be till birth. The iddah of death is four months and ten days)

If a woman was in her iddah for a talaq raj’ee (revocable divorce) and the husband passes away before the completion of her iddah, then her iddah will change to the iddah of death.

(Darrul Mukhtar)

(Raddul Muhtaar)

(Bahishti Zewar (Urdu), P. 363, Makkiyah)

(Al-Mahmud, P. 20, Darul Iftaa)

And Allah knows best

Wassalaamu `alaykum

Ml. Asif Umar,
Student Darul Iftaa

Checked and Approved by:

Mufti Ebrahim Desai
Darul Iftaa