Iddah for a Husband's Death: the widow's waiting period

Iddah for a husband’s death is the mandatory waiting period for a wife whose husband has died, before she can remarry.

The period is four months and ten days, regardless of whether the wife is menstruating, which differs from an ordinary divorce iddah.^[1]

During this period, a widow usually observes certain mourning practices under local custom, alongside handling estate matters and related faraid rights.

If the wife is pregnant when the husband dies, the iddah period differs and depends on the delivery date. Read iddah to understand all the waiting periods.