Ibn Hibban

Sayyida Zainab bint Abu Salama (may Allah be pleased with her) has narrated three traditions. Sayyida Zainab (may Allah be pleased with her) states: I went to serve Sayyida Umm Habiba (may Allah be pleased with her) when her father, Sayyiduna Abu Sufyan bin Harb (may Allah be pleased with him), had passed away. Sayyida Umm Habiba (may Allah be pleased with her) called for some yellow color in which there was either khaluq or perhaps some other fragrance mixed. She applied some of it to a girl and then applied a little to her own stomach. Then she said: By Allah! I had no need to use fragrance, but I heard the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) say: "It is not permissible for any woman who believes in Allah and the Last Day to mourn for anyone who dies for more than three days, except for her husband, for whom she will mourn for four months and ten days." Sayyida Zainab (may Allah be pleased with her) states: Once I went to serve Sayyida Zainab bint Jahsh (may Allah be pleased with her) when her brother, Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Jahsh (may Allah be pleased with him), had passed away. She called for fragrance and applied a little of it, then she said: By Allah! I had no need to use fragrance, but I heard the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) say this. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said from the pulpit: "It is not permissible for any woman who believes in Allah and the Last Day to mourn for anyone who dies for more than three days, except for her husband, for whom she will mourn for four months and ten days." Sayyida Zainab (may Allah be pleased with her) states: I heard my mother, Sayyida Umm Salama (may Allah be pleased with her), narrate that a woman came to the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), my daughter is a widow and her eyes hurt, so can we apply kohl to her? The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said: No. This happened perhaps two or three times, and each time the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said: No, this (i.e., her waiting period) is four months and ten days. In the pre-Islamic era, a woman would throw dung after a year had passed (then her waiting period would be complete). The narrator named Humaid states: I asked Sayyida Zainab (may Allah be pleased with her): What is meant by throwing dung after a year? Sayyida Zainab (may Allah be pleased with her) explained: (After the widow's waiting period was over) an animal such as a donkey, goat, or bird would be brought to the woman, and she would stroke it with her hand. Usually, the animal would die. Then the woman would come out (of her hut), she would be given a dung pellet, which she would throw away. After that, she would start using fragrance, etc. Imam Malik was asked: What is meant by the words of the narration "tafzuhu"? He replied: It means that the woman would stroke her hand over the skin of that animal.