Al-Kāfi - Volume 6 > Waiting period of a Widow whose Husband is Absent
Hadith #1

مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحَكَمِ عَنِ الْعَلَاءِ بْنِ رَزِينٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ عَنْ أَحَدِهِمَا ( عليهما السلام ) فِي الرَّجُلِ يَمُوتُ وَ تَحْتَهُ امْرَأَةٌ وَ هُوَ غَائِبٌ قَالَ تَعْتَدُّ مِنْ يَوْمِ يَبْلُغُهَا وَفَاتُهُ .

1. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Ali ibn al-Hakam from al-‘Ala’ ibn Razin from Muhammad ibn Muslim who has said the following: “About the case of a man who dies and leaves behind a widow and he is absent, one of the two Imam, (abu Ja‘far or abu ‘Abd Allah), ‘Alayhim al-Salam, has said, ‘She must commence her ‘Iddah (waiting period) from the day she receives the news of his death.’”



Hadith #2

مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِسْمَاعِيلَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْفُضَيْلِ عَنْ أَبِي الصَّبَّاحِ الْكِنَانِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ( عليه السلام ) قَالَ الَّتِي يَمُوتُ عَنْهَا زَوْجُهَا وَ هُوَ غَائِبٌ فَعِدَّتُهَا مِنْ يَوْمِ يَبْلُغُهَا إِنْ قَامَتِ الْبَيِّنَةُ أَوْ لَمْ تَقُمْ .

2. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Muhammad ibn ’Isma‘il from Muhammad ibn al-Fudayl abu al-Sabbah al-Kinaniy who has said the following: “About the case of a woman whose husband dies and who is absent, abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has said, ‘Her waiting period begins from the day she is informed, regardless, there is proving evidence or not.’”



Hadith #3

عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ عُمَرَ بْنِ أُذَيْنَةَ عَنْ زُرَارَةَ وَ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ وَ بُرَيْدِ بْنِ مُعَاوِيَةَ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ( عليه السلام ) أَنَّهُ قَالَ فِي الْغَائِبِ عَنْهَا زَوْجُهَا إِذَا تُوُفِّيَ قَالَ الْمُتَوَفَّى عَنْهَا زَوْجُهَا تَعْتَدُّ مِنْ يَوْمِ يَأْتِيهَا الْخَبَرُ لِأَنَّهَا تُحِدُّ عَلَيْهِ .

3. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ibn abu ‘Umayr from ‘Umar ibn ‘Udhaynah from Zurarah Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Muhammad ibn Muslim and Burayd who has said the following: “About the case of a woman whose husband is absent when he dies, abu Ja‘far, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has said, ‘She must count her waiting period from the day the news reaches her because she commences mourning for him.’”



Hadith #4

أَبُو عَلِيٍّ الْأَشْعَرِيُّ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْجَبَّارِ وَ أَبُو الْعَبَّاسِ الرَّزَّازُ عَنْ أَيُّوبَ بْنِ نُوحٍ جَمِيعاً عَنْ صَفْوَانَ عَنِ ابْنِ مُسْكَانَ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ( عليه السلام ) قَالَ فِي الْمَرْأَةِ إِذَا بَلَغَهَا نَعْيُ زَوْجِهَا قَالَ تَعْتَدُّ مِنْ يَوْمِ يَبْلُغُهَا أَنَّهَا تُرِيدُ أَنْ تُحِدَّ لَهُ .

4. Abu Ali al-Ash‘ariy has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Jabbar and abu al-‘Abbas al-Razzaz from Ayyub ibn Nuh all from Safwan from ibn Muskan from al-Hassan ibn Ziyad who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has said, ‘When a woman receives the news of the death of her husband, she must begin counting her waiting period and mourning for him.’”



Hadith #5

عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي نَصْرٍ عَنْ رِفَاعَةَ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ( عليه السلام ) عَنِ الْمُتَوَفَّى عَنْهَا زَوْجُهَا وَ هُوَ غَائِبٌ مَتَى تَعْتَدُّ فَقَالَ يَوْمَ يَبْلُغُهَا وَ ذَكَرَ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ( صلى الله عليه وآله ) قَالَ إِنَّ إِحْدَاكُنَّ كَانَتْ تَمْكُثُ الْحَوْلَ إِذَا تُوُفِّيَ زَوْجُهَا وَ هُوَ غَائِبٌ ثُمَّ تَرْمِي بِبَعْرَةٍ وَرَاءَهَا .

5. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from ibn abu Nasr from Rifa‘ah who has said the following: “I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, about the case of a woman whose husband dies and he is absent and about when she must begin counting her waiting period. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is from the day the news reaches her. The Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, said to women, “One of you would wait for one year, when her husband died and he was absent, hold back her carnal desires and throw it behind her.’””



Hadith #6

مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحَكَمِ عَنْ مُوسَى بْنِ بَكْرٍ عَنْ زُرَارَةَ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ( عليه السلام ) قَالَ إِنْ مَاتَ عَنْهَا زَوْجُهَا يَعْنِي وَ هُوَ غَائِبٌ فَقَامَتِ الْبَيِّنَةُ عَلَى مَوْتِهِ فَعِدَّتُهَا مِنْ يَوْمِ يَأْتِيهَا الْخَبَرُ أَرْبَعَةُ أَشْهُرٍ وَ عَشْراً لِأَنَّ عَلَيْهَا أَنْ تُحِدَّ عَلَيْهِ فِي الْمَوْتِ أَرْبَعَةَ أَشْهُرٍ وَ عَشْراً فَتُمْسِكَ عَنِ الْكُحْلِ وَ الطِّيبِ وَ الْأَصْبَاغِ .

6. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad Ali ibn al-Hakam from Musa ibn Bakr from Zurarah who has said the following: “Abu Ja‘far, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has stated this Hadith. ‘When a woman’s husband who is absent dies and evidence is established about it, then her waiting period is counted from the day the news reaches her up to four months and ten days. She must begin mourning for him for four months and ten days, thus, she must stay away from musk, kohl, perfumes and dyes.’”



Hadith #7

عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي نَصْرٍ عَنْ أَبِي الْحَسَنِ الرِّضَا ( عليه السلام ) قَالَ الْمُتَوَفَّى عَنْهَا زَوْجُهَا تَعْتَدُّ حِينَ يَبْلُغُهَا لِأَنَّهَا تُرِيدُ أَنْ تُحِدَّ عَلَيْهِ .

7. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ibn abu Nasr who has said the following: “Abu al-Hassan, al-Rida’, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has said, ‘A woman whose husband dies must begin counting her waiting period from the day the news reaches her as well as mourning for him.’”