18.

The Book of Divorce

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كتاب الطلاق

Zainab (bint Abu Salama) (رضي الله تعالى عنها) reported, I went to Ummul Momineen Umm Habiba (رضي الله تعالى عنها), the wife of Allah's Apostle (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم), when her father Abu Sufyan (رضي الله تعالى عنه) had died. Umm Habiba (رضي الله تعالى عنها) sent for a perfume having yellowness in it or something else like it, and she applied it to a girl and then rubbed it on her cheeks and then said, by Allah, I need no perfume but for the fact that I heard Allah's Apostle (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) say on the pulpit, it is not permissible for a woman believing in Allah and the Hereafter to mourn for the dead beyond three days, but (in case of the death) of the husband it is permissible for four months and ten days.’ Zainab (رضي الله تعالى عنها) said, I then visited Ummul Momineen Zainab hint Jahsh (رضي الله تعالى عنها) when her brother died and she sent for perfume and applied it and then said, by Allah, I don't feel any need for the perfume but that I heard Allah's Apostle (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) say on the pulpit, it is not permissible for a woman believing in Allah and the Hereafter to mourn the dead beyond three days except in case of her husband (for whom she can mourn) for four months and ten days.’ Zainab (رضي الله تعالى عنها) said, I heard my mother Ummul Momineen Umm Salama (رضي الله تعالى عنها) as saying, a woman came to Allah's Apostle (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) and said, Allah's Apostle (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) I have a daughter whose husband has died and there has developed some trouble in her eye; should we apply collyrium to it? Thereupon Allah's Apostle (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) said, no (repeating it twice or thrice, saying only, no all the time). Then he said, it is only four mouths and ten days, whereas in the pre-Islamic period none of you threw away the dung until one year had passed. Humaid said, I said to Zainab (رضي الله تعالى عنها), what is this throwing of dung until a year is passed? Zainab ( رضي الله تعالى عنها) said, when the husband of a woman died, she went into a hut and put on her worst clothes, and did not apply perfume or something like it until a year was over. Then an animal like a donkey, or a goat, or a bird was brought to her and she rubbed her hand over it, and it so happened that one on which she rubbed her hand died. She then came out of her house and she was given dung and she threw it and then she made use of anything like perfume or something else as she liked.