Can a Widow Work During Iddah? Guidelines for Managing a Grocery Store

Permissibility of Working in a Grocery Store During Iddah

Question: A sister asks that her husband passed away a few days ago, and he used to run a grocery store located below their house, with the house above it. The family survives on the earnings from this store. Can she sit at the store with her face covered during her period of waiting (iddah), as there is no other source of income, and she does not want her daughters to sit there? She has a son, but he is ill and disabled, and his treatment is ongoing. All expenses are managed through this store. What should the widow do in this situation?

Answer: In the situation described, where a woman’s husband has passed away, and she is in her iddah period, but she needs to run a grocery store to support her family because there is no other suitable person to do so, it is permissible for her to sit in her store during her iddah. This is considered an excuse (for necessity). However, she must still observe the other rules of iddah, such as refraining from adornment and not leaving the house without need, except to manage the store. She should limit herself to the store and her home.

Respondent: Sheikh Maqbool Ahmed Salafi Hafizahullah 

Jeddah Dawah Center, Saudi Arabia  

Interpreter: Hasan Fuzail