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Do the rulings related to a woman's going out apply only to the Mothers of the Believers? And does a woman's going out for her needs during the waiting period (iddah) of widowhood indicate its permissibility for those not in iddah? And is the going out of Asma bint Abi Bakr before the revelation of the hijab used as evidence for the permissibility of a woman's going out?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

It is not correct to say that staying at home is exclusively for the Mothers of the Believers, as this verse addresses the women of the entire Ummah in general. Scholars understood this from the Almighty's saying: "And stay in your houses." The verse indicates the preference for staying at home, not an absolute prohibition of going out. Indeed, women are permitted to go out for their needs, as the Prophet, peace be upon him, said to his wives: "Indeed, you have been permitted to go out for your needs," provided that it is done with modesty, dignity, and proper conduct, and under specific conditions mentioned by scholars.

A woman's going out has no relation to the verse of Hijab except in terms of the obligation of covering after its revelation. There is a difference between a woman in 'iddah (waiting period) and others regarding going out; the former is not allowed to spend the night outside her home, and some scholars may prohibit her from going out at night unless it is for a necessity.

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

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