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Is it permissible for a divorced woman to recite the Fatiha and sit with a suitor without seclusion during her waiting period ('iddah)?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

The aunt's divorce has not yet occurred, and therefore, no one is permitted to propose to her. If the divorce takes place and it is a revocable divorce, then it is not permissible to propose to her during her waiting period (iddah), neither explicitly nor implicitly. However, if the divorce is irrevocable, then it is permissible to propose implicitly without explicit declaration, based on Allah's saying: (And there is no blame upon you for what you indirectly indicate of a marriage proposal or conceal within yourselves). Reciting Al-Fatiha at the time of proposal is considered an explicit proposal and is not permissible; furthermore, it is an innovation for which there is no Sunnah.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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