Do I have to stay in his house during my iddah, and what if it is not safe there?

Sources

1. 1

   al-Nawawī, Minhāj al-Ṭālibīn (Shāfiʿī), p. 256–257

   Open: al-Nawawī, Minhāj al-Ṭālibīn (Shāfiʿī), p. 256–257 ↗ · checked Oct 18, 2026

   Read the passage: source 1

   تجب سكنى لمعتدة طلاق ولو بائنا إلا ناشزة ولمعتدة وفاة في الأظهر وفسخ على المذهب وتسكن في مسكن كانت فيه عند الفرقة وليس لزوج وغيره إخراجها ولا لها خروج … قلت: ولها الخروج في عدة وفاة وكذا بائن في النهار لشراء طعام … وتنتقل من المسكن لخوف من هدم أو غرق أو على نفسها أو تأذت بالجيران أو هم بها أذى شديدا

   Housing is owed to a woman in the iddah of divorce, even a final one, unless she was rebellious (nāshiz). She lives in the home she was in at the separation; neither the husband nor anyone else may put her out, and she may not leave. She may go out in the iddah of death, and so may a finally divorced woman by day, to buy food and the like. She moves from the home out of fear of its falling or flooding, or fear for herself, or if she is harmed by the neighbors or they by her, severely.

2. 2

   al-Buhūtī, Sharḥ Muntahā al-Irādāt (Ḥanbalī), 3:204

   Open: al-Buhūtī, Sharḥ Muntahā al-Irādāt (Ḥanbalī), 3:204 ↗ · checked Oct 18, 2026

   Read the passage: source 2

   إلَّا لِحَاجَةٍ) تَدْعُو إلَى خُرُوجِهَا مِنْهُ كَخُرُوجِهَا مِنْهُ (لِخَوْفٍ) عَلَى نَفْسِهَا أَوْ مَالِهَا

   Except for a need that calls her to leave it, such as leaving out of fear for herself or her property.

3. 3

   al-Dardīr, al-Sharḥ al-Kabīr ʿalā Mukhtaṣar Khalīl, with Ḥāshiyat al-Dasūqī (Mālikī), 2:486–487

   Open: al-Dardīr, al-Sharḥ al-Kabīr ʿalā Mukhtaṣar Khalīl, with Ḥāshiyat al-Dasūqī (Mālikī), 2:486–487 ↗ · checked Oct 18, 2026

   Read the passage: source 3

   أَوْ لِعُذْرٍ) أَيْ كَانْتِقَالِ بَدْوِيَّةٍ وَكَانْتِقَالٍ لِعُذْرٍ فَالْمَعْطُوفُ مَحْذُوفٌ أَيْ يَجُوزُ لِلْمُعْتَدَّةِ أَنْ تَنْتَقِلَ لِعُذْرٍ (لَا يُمْكِنُ الْمُقَامُ مَعَهُ بِمَسْكَنِهَا) (كَسُقُوطِهِ أَوْ خَوْفِ جَارِ سُوءٍ) أَوْ لُصُوصٍ … فِي حَوَائِجِهَا طَرَفَيْ النَّهَارِ

   She may move for an excuse that makes staying in her home impossible, such as its falling down, or fear of a bad neighbor or of thieves. And she may go out for her needs at the two ends of the day.

4. 4

   Ibn ʿĀbidīn, Radd al-Muḥtār ʿalā al-Durr al-Mukhtār (Ḥanafī), 3:535–536

   Open: Ibn ʿĀbidīn, Radd al-Muḥtār ʿalā al-Durr al-Mukhtār (Ḥanafī), 3:535–536 ↗ · checked Oct 18, 2026

   Read the passage: source 4

   وَلَا تَخْرُجُ مُعْتَدَّةُ رَجْعِيٍّ وَبَائِنٌ) بِأَيِّ فُرْقَةٍ كَانَتْ عَلَى مَا فِي الظَّهِيرِيَّةِ وَلَوْ مُخْتَلِعَةً عَلَى نَفَقَةِ عِدَّتِهَا فِي الْأَصَحِّ اخْتِيَارٌ، أَوْ عَلَى السُّكْنَى فَيَلْزَمُهَا أَنْ تَكْتَرِيَ بَيْتَ الزَّوْجِ مِعْرَاجٌ (لَوْ حُرَّةً) أَوْ أَمَةً مُبَوَّأَةً وَلَوْ مِنْ فَاسِدٍ (مُكَلَّفَةً مِنْ بَيْتِهَا أَصْلًا) لَا لَيْلًا وَلَا نَهَارًا … وَتَعْتَدَّانِ) أَيْ مُعْتَدَّةُ طَلَاقٍ وَمَوْتٍ (فِي بَيْتٍ وَجَبَتْ فِيهِ) وَلَا يَخْرُجَانِ مِنْهُ (إلَّا أَنْ تُخْرَجَ أَوْ يَتَهَدَّمَ الْمَنْزِلُ، أَوْ تَخَافُ) انْهِدَامَهُ، أَوْ (تَلَفَ مَالِهَا، أَوْ لَا تَجِدَ كِرَاءَ الْبَيْتِ) وَنَحْوَ ذَلِكَ مِنْ الضَّرُورَاتِ فَتَخْرُجُ لِأَقْرَبِ مَوْضِعٍ إلَيْهِ

   A woman in the iddah of a revocable or a final divorce does not leave her home at all, by night or by day. Both the divorced woman and the widow keep the iddah in the house where it began and do not leave it, unless she is put out, the house falls or she fears it will, she fears for her property, she cannot find the rent, or similar necessities; then she moves to the nearest place.

5. 5

   Qurʾān, al-Ṭalāq 65:1

   Open: Qurʾān, al-Ṭalāq 65:1 ↗ · checked Oct 18, 2026

   Read the passage: source 5

   يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّبِىُّ إِذَا طَلَّقْتُمُ ٱلنِّسَآءَ فَطَلِّقُوهُنَّ لِعِدَّتِهِنَّ وَأَحْصُوا۟ ٱلْعِدَّةَ ۖ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ رَبَّكُمْ ۖ لَا تُخْرِجُوهُنَّ مِنۢ بُيُوتِهِنَّ وَلَا يَخْرُجْنَ إِلَّآ أَن يَأْتِينَ بِفَـٰحِشَةٍ مُّبَيِّنَةٍ ۚ وَتِلْكَ حُدُودُ ٱللَّهِ ۚ وَمَن يَتَعَدَّ حُدُودَ ٱللَّهِ فَقَدْ ظَلَمَ نَفْسَهُۥ ۚ لَا تَدْرِى لَعَلَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحْدِثُ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ أَمْرًا

   O Prophet, when you [Muslims] divorce women, divorce them for [the commencement of] their waiting period and keep count of the waiting period, and fear Allāh, your Lord. Do not turn them out of their [husbands'] houses, nor should they [themselves] leave [during that period] unless they are committing a clear immorality. And those are the limits [set by] Allāh. And whoever transgresses the limits of Allāh has certainly wronged himself. You know not; perhaps Allāh will bring about after that a [different] matter.