Is there an 'iddah for a woman whose husband died but had not consummated the marriage with her?
The scholars have agreed that the waiting period (iddah) for a free, Muslim wife whose husband has passed away — provided she is not pregnant — is four months and ten days. This applies whether he had consummated the marriage with her or not, and whether she was an adult or not; based on the Almighty's saying: (And those of you who die and leave wives behind them, they (their wives) shall wait (as regards their marriage) for four months and ten days.) [Al-Baqarah: 234], and based on the Prophet's (peace be upon him) saying: "It is not lawful for a woman who believes in Allah and the Last Day to mourn for a deceased person for more than three days, except for her husband, (for whom she mourns) for four months and ten days."
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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