Marrying a woman in Iddat

Iddat is a delay or an interval of time that a woman must observe when her husband gave her Talaaq or when her husband passed away. During this interval, she has neither the right to marry anyone nor does anyone have the right to propose her for marriage. She does not have the right to promise to marry someone also. If someone married a woman who is still in Iddat, the Nikah is not valid.

It should be noted that the Iddat of a woman, whose husband gave Talaaq, is three Haiz. If she no longer gets Haiz, then, she should observe Iddat for 90 days. And if she is pregnant, then, her Iddat will end with the delivery of the child. As for a woman, whose husband passed away, her Iddat is 4 months and 10 days and if the woman is pregnant, she must observe iddat till child birth.

Nowadays, people do not give due consideration to Iddat. Even before the ending of Iddat, the couple-to-be start coming and going by each other and they start making preparation for the wedding. It is very reprehensible and disgusting. All of this is Haraam. We must wait for the Iddat to be completed before proposing in marriage.

Just as it is not permissible to meet before the Iddat ends, in the same way, it is also not permissible to romance  by phone or by message also.

[English version of "Marié ene madame ki dans iddat" – Al Jamiat – Vol.4 No.11}