Tirmidhi

Narrated Um Salama: The husband of a lady died and her eyes became sore and the people mentioned her story to the Prophet They asked him whether it was permissible for her to use kohl as her eyes were exposed to danger. He said, "Previously, when one of you was bereaved by a husband she would stay in her dirty clothes in a bad unhealthy house (for one year), and when a dog passed by, she would throw a globe of dung. No, (she should observe the prescribed period Idda) for four months and ten days.'

Humaid ibn Nafi reported the following three traditions on the authority of Zaynab, daughter of Abu Salamah: Zainab said: I visited Umm Habibah when her father Abu Sufyan, died. She asked for some yellow perfume containing saffron (khaluq) or something else. Then she applied it to a girl and touched her cheeks. She said: I have no need of perfume, but I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: It is not lawful for a woman who believes in Allah and the Last Day to observe mourning for one who has died, more than three nights, except for four months and ten days in the case of a husband. Zaynab said: I also visited Zaynab, daughter of Jahsh, when her brother died. She asked for some perfume and used it upon herself. She then said: I have no need of perfume, but I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say when he was on the pulpit: It is not lawful for a woman who believes in Allah and the Last Day to observe mourning for one who has died, more than three nights, except for four months and ten days in the case of a husband. Zaynab said: I heard my mother, Umm Salamah, say: A woman came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said: Messenger of Allah, the husband of my daughter has died, and she is suffering from sore eyes; may we put antimony in her eyes? The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: No. He said this twice or thrice. Each time he said: No. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: The waiting period is now four months and ten days. In pre-Islamic days one of you used to throw away a piece of dung at the end of a year. Humayd said: I asked Zaynab: What do you mean by throwing away a piece of dung at the end of a year. Zaynab replied: When the husband of a woman died, she entered a small cell and put on shabby clothes, not touching perfume or any other thing until a year passed. Then an animal such as donkey or sheep or bird was provided for her. She rubbed herself with it. The animal with which she rubbed herself rarely survived. She then came out and was given a piece of dung which she threw away. She then used perfume or something else which she desired. Abu Dawud said: The Arabic word "hafsh" means a small cell.

´It was narrated from Zainab bint Umm Salamah -I (the narrator) said:` "From her mother?" He said: "Yes" - "that the Prophet was asked about a woman whose husband had died but they were worried about her eyes - could she use kohl?" He said: "One of you used to stay in her house wearing her shabbiest clothes for a year, then she would come out. No, (the mourning period is) four months and ten (days)."

´Zainab bint Abi Salamah narrated that her mother Umm Salamah said:` "A woman from the Quraish came and said: 'O Messenger of Allah, my daughter's eyes are inflamed; shall I apply kohl to her?' (The daughter's) husband had died so (the Prophet) said: 'Not until four months and ten days (have passed).' Then she said: 'I fear for her sight.' He said: 'No, not until four months and ten days (have passed). During the Jahiliyyah one of you would mourn for her husband for a year, then when one year had passed she would throw a piece of dung.'"

´It was narrated from Zainab bint Abi Salamah, from her mother, that a woman came to the Prophet and asked him about her daughter whose husband had died and she was ill. He said:` "One of you used to mourn for a year, then throw a piece of dung when a year had passed. Rather it (the mourning period) is four months and ten days."

It is narrated from Humaid bin Nafi’ (may Allah have mercy on him) that Sayyida Zainab bint Abi Salama (may Allah be pleased with her) told him three hadiths: Zainab said: When the father of the wife of the Prophet (peace be upon him), Umm Habiba (may Allah be pleased with her), Abu Sufyan bin Harb (may Allah be pleased with him), passed away, I went to her. Then Umm Habiba (may Allah be pleased with her) asked for yellow perfume in which there was saffron or something else mixed, and she applied that perfume (with oil) to her slave-girl, then (with the remaining part) she rubbed it on her cheeks and said: By Allah! I have no need for perfume except that I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) say: It is not lawful for a woman who believes in Allah and the Last Day to mourn for any deceased person for more than three nights, except for her husband, for whom she should mourn for four months and ten days. Zainab (bint Abi Salama) said: Then I went to Zainab bint Jahsh (may Allah be pleased with her), whose brother had died. Then she asked for perfume and applied it, and said: By Allah! I have no need for perfume except that I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) say from the pulpit: It is not lawful for a woman who believes in Allah and the Last Day to mourn for any deceased person for more than three nights, except for her husband, for whom she should mourn for four months and ten days. Zainab (bint Abi Salama) said: I heard my mother Umm Salama, the wife of the Prophet (peace be upon him), say that a woman came to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and said: O Messenger of Allah! My daughter’s husband has died and she has pain in her eyes, so can she apply kohl? The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said two or three times: “No.” Then the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “It is only four months and ten days. In the time of ignorance, among you women, a woman whose husband died would throw dung after a year had passed.” Humaid bin Nafi’ said: I asked Zainab (bint Umm Salama): What does it mean to throw dung after a year had passed? Zainab said: When a woman’s husband died, she would enter a dirty room and wear dirty clothes. She would not apply perfume nor use anything else (for cleanliness). Then, when a year had passed, an animal—donkey, goat, or bird—would be brought, and she would touch it to her body. Whichever animal she touched to her body would (usually) die. Then she would come out (of the room), and she would be given (camel) dung (or manure), and she would throw it away. After that, she would apply perfume and so on. Imam Malik said: «تفتض» means «تمسح» (she touched it), and «حفش» refers to a (small closed room) fort. The hadiths narrated by Abdullah bin Abi Bakr are completed.

Narrated [Umm Salamah (RA)]: A woman said: "O Allah's Messenger, my daughter's husband died and her eye is troubling her, so may we apply Kuhl (antimony) to it?" He replied, "No." [Agreed upon].

Sayyida Zaynab bint Abu Salamah (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates from her mother, Umm al-Mu’minin Sayyida Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her), that a woman came to the service of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: O Messenger of Allah! My daughter’s husband has passed away and my daughter has pain in her eyes, so can she apply kohl? The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Previously, a woman would throw dung after a year had passed (meaning her waiting period would end after a year), but now it is four months and ten days. Yahya says: I asked Humayd bin Nafi‘: What did the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) mean by these words, “Previously, a woman would throw dung after a year had passed”? He replied: In the time of ignorance, a woman (during mourning) would wear extremely bad clothes, then she would go to a far-off room in the house, and after a year had passed, she would take dung and throw it behind her back. Here, Imam Humaydi has sometimes narrated these words: she would throw it behind her back and say, “I have become lawful.”