Can I go to my husband’s janāzah, or visit his grave, while I am in iddah?

Sources

1. 1

   al-Dasūqī, Ḥāshiyah ʿalā al-Sharḥ al-Kabīr of al-Dardīr (Mālikī), 1:421

   Open: al-Dasūqī, Ḥāshiyah ʿalā al-Sharḥ al-Kabīr of al-Dardīr (Mālikī), 1:421 ↗ · checked Oct 18, 2026

   Read the passage: source 1

   (وَ) جَازَ (خُرُوجُ مُتَجَالَّةٍ) لَا أَرَبَ لِلرِّجَالِ فِيهَا لِجِنَازَةِ كُلِّ أَحَدٍ (أَوْ) شَابَّةٍ (إنْ لَمْ يُخْشَ مِنْهَا الْفِتْنَةُ فِي) جِنَازَةِ مَنْ عَظُمَتْ مُصِيبَتُهُ عَلَيْهَا (كَأَبٍ) وَأُمٍّ (وَزَوْجٍ وَابْنٍ) وَبِنْتٍ (وَأَخٍ) وَأُخْتٍ مُطْلَقًا وَكُرِهَ لِغَيْرِ مَنْ ذُكِرَ وَحُرِّمَ عَلَى الْمَخْشِيَّةِ مُطْلَقًا

   An older woman whom men do not desire may go out for anyone's funeral; a young woman may, if no temptation is feared from her, for the funeral of someone whose loss is great for her, such as a father, mother, husband, son, daughter, brother or sister. It is disliked for others and forbidden where temptation is feared.

2. 2

   Ibn ʿĀbidīn, Radd al-Muḥtār ʿalā al-Durr al-Mukhtār (Ḥanafī), 2:232

   Open: Ibn ʿĀbidīn, Radd al-Muḥtār ʿalā al-Durr al-Mukhtār (Ḥanafī), 2:232 ↗ · checked Oct 18, 2026

   Read the passage: source 2

   وَيُكْرَهُ خُرُوجُهُنَّ تَحْرِيمًا

   Women going out (to follow the funeral procession) is prohibitively disliked (makrūh taḥrīman).

3. 3

   Ibn Qudāmah, al-Mughnī (Ḥanbalī), Maktabat al-Qāhirah edition, 2:356

   Open: Ibn Qudāmah, al-Mughnī (Ḥanbalī), Maktabat al-Qāhirah edition, 2:356 ↗ · checked Oct 18, 2026

   Read the passage: source 3

   (١٥٤١) فَصْلٌ: وَيُكْرَهُ اتِّبَاعُ النِّسَاءِ الْجَنَائِزَ؛ لِمَا رُوِيَ عَنْ أُمِّ عَطِيَّةَ قَالَتْ: «نُهِينَا عَنْ اتِّبَاعِ الْجَنَائِزِ، وَلَمْ يُعْزَمْ عَلَيْنَا» . مُتَّفَقٌ عَلَيْهِ.

   It is disliked for women to follow funeral processions, because of Umm ʿAṭiyyah's report: "We were forbidden to follow funerals, but it was not made binding on us" (agreed upon).

4. 4

   Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 1278 · None shown on sunnah.com (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī)

   Open: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 1278 ↗ · checked Oct 18, 2026

   Read the passage: source 4

   قَالَتْ نُهِينَا عَنِ اتِّبَاعِ الْجَنَائِزِ، وَلَمْ يُعْزَمْ عَلَيْنَا

   Narrated Um 'Atiyya: We were forbidden to accompany funeral processions but not strictly.

5. 5

   Ibn Qudāmah, al-Mughnī (Ḥanbalī), Maktabat al-Qāhirah edition, 8:163

   Open: Ibn Qudāmah, al-Mughnī (Ḥanbalī), Maktabat al-Qāhirah edition, 8:163 ↗ · checked Oct 18, 2026

   Read the passage: source 5

   (٦٣٩٧) فَصْلٌ: وَلِلْمُعْتَدَّةِ الْخُرُوجُ فِي حَوَائِجِهَا نَهَارًا، سَوَاءٌ كَانَتْ مُطَلَّقَةً أَوْ مُتَوَفًّى عَنْهَا. لِمَا رَوَى «جَابِرٌ قَالَ طَلُقَتْ خَالَتِي ثَلَاثًا، فَخَرَجَتْ تَجُذُّ نَخْلَهَا، فَلَقِيَهَا رَجُلٌ، فَنَهَاهَا، فَذَكَرَتْ ذَلِكَ لِلنَّبِيِّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - فَقَالَ اُخْرُجِي، فَجُذِّي نَخْلَك، لَعَلَّك أَنْ تَصَّدَّقِي مِنْهُ، أَوْ تَفْعَلِي خَيْرًا» . رَوَاهُ النَّسَائِيّ، وَأَبُو دَاوُد. وَرَوَى مُجَاهِدٌ، قَالَ: «اُسْتُشْهِدَ رِجَالٌ يَوْمَ أُحُدٍ فَجَاءَتْ نِسَاؤُهُمْ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - وَقُلْنَ، يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - نَسْتَوْحِشُ بِاللَّيْلِ، أَفَنَبِيتُ عِنْدَ إحْدَانَا، فَإِذَا أَصْبَحْنَا بَادَرْنَا إلَى بُيُوتِنَا؟ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ -: تَحَدَّثْنَ عِنْدَ إحْدَاكُنَّ، حَتَّى إذَا أَرَدْتُنَّ النَّوْمَ، فَلْتَؤُبْ كُلُّ وَاحِدَةٍ إلَى بَيْتِهَا» . وَلَيْسَ لَهَا الْمَبِيتُ فِي غَيْرِ بَيْتِهَا، وَلَا الْخُرُوجُ لَيْلًا، إلَّا لِضَرُورَةٍ؛ لِأَنَّ اللَّيْلَ مَظِنَّةُ الْفَسَادِ، بِخِلَافِ النَّهَارِ، فَإِنَّهُ مَظِنَّةُ قَضَاءِ الْحَوَائِج وَالْمَعَاشِ، وَشِرَاءِ مَا يُحْتَاجُ إلَيْهِ.

   The woman in iddah may go out for her needs by day, divorced or widowed, because of Jābir's report about his aunt harvesting her palms, and a report from Mujāhid about the widows of Uḥud (talk together at one house, then each goes home to sleep). She may not spend the night anywhere but her home, nor go out at night except for necessity, because night is when harm is feared, unlike the day, when needs, livelihood and shopping are done.