When Can a Pregnant Widow Remarry?
Source: Fatāwā Amunpūrī by Shaykh Ghulām Muṣṭafā Ẓahīr Amunpūrī
❖ Question:
If a woman is pregnant and her husband passes away, when can she remarry?
✿ Answer:
The ʿiddah (waiting period) of a pregnant woman is until delivery. She cannot remarry until she has given birth.
◈ Qur’ānic Evidence
﴿وَأُوۡلَٰتُ ٱلۡأَحۡمَالِ أَجَلُهُنَّ أَن يَضَعۡنَ حَمۡلَهُنَّ﴾
(Sūrat al-Ṭalāq: 4)
“And the term (ʿiddah) of pregnant women is until they deliver their burden.”
◈ Prophetic Evidence
- Sayyidah Subayʿah bint al-Ḥārith رضي الله عنها was pregnant when her husband passed away. A few days later she gave birth. The Prophet ﷺ permitted her to remarry after the delivery.
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 5318, 6906; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 1485)
Also see: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 5319, 5320; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 1484.
◈ Scholars’ Consensus
Imām al-Tirmidhī رحمه الله said:
“Most of the people of knowledge, including the Companions of the Prophet ﷺ, acted upon this ḥadīth: if a woman’s husband passes away while she is pregnant, it is permissible for her to remarry after childbirth, even if the regular period of mourning (ʿiddah) has not fully elapsed.”
(Sunan al-Tirmidhī, under ḥadīth 1193)
✅ Conclusion:
- A pregnant widow’s ʿiddah ends with childbirth.
- She may remarry immediately after giving birth, even if the standard mourning period (four months and ten days) has not yet been completed.
