69. What is the need for a period of ‘Iddah’ in women? 

These verses of the Quran (2:228, 2:231, 2:232, 2:234, 2:235, 33:49, 65:1) speak about women not to immediately go for remarriage on losing their husbands, but to hold on for an intermediate period (2:228, 2:231, 2:232, 2:234, 2:235, 33:49, 65:1) known as ‘Iddah’. 

Verses 2:234, 2:235 of the Quran say the intervening period is four months and ten days from the day of death of husband to the day of remarriage.

And the verse 65:4 specifies the period as three months for women pregnant from the earlier marriage and those menopaused.

In the view of some the stipulation of the kind of ‘Iddah’ that applies to pregnant widowed applies exclusively to those of the divorced is not acceptable. This verse generally uses the term women’s Iddah for the divorced as well as widowed. 

This law is not inimical to women. It brings immense benefits to them.

May be the women was carrying the child and the husband passed away and remarrying immediately without the intervening ‘iddah’ would raise questions about the male parenthood of the child on delivery. The second husband would disclaim the baby. 

The family members of the first husband would also disclaim the baby on their part. The child is subjected to psychological torture and loses the claim to tag itself as the legal heir.

And if the second husband decides and accuses her of having carried another’s child and cheated him, her future also becomes a question mark.

Some people may think one month is good enough to find out if the women is consummated, and an intermediary period of three months and ten days is too long a gap. And the argument is the subsequent month would reveal she is not carrying once she experiences her menstrual cycle.

This is a wise question, but to prevent certain practical difficulties Islam lays down the period as four months and ten days. 

A women can, despite having the knowledge of her pregnancy in the first month itself, still can manage to hide the fact to get married at the earliest. This story cannot be played with the gap of three months and ten days, because by that time her pregnancy will be revealed physically.

If she happens to deliver a baby six or seven months after her second marriage the chances of the husband growing suspicious are more. This cannot be said in the case of a second marriage taking place after a period of four months and ten days after the demise of the first husband. And the second husband would understand had she been carrying; it could have shown itself visibility in four months. 

Thus, for the kinds of reasons as shown above, to bring benefits for women thereby, for them to have a happy future, and for the future safety of their children God has made an inbuilt arrangement in these laws. 

And it has also been scientifically proved a period of four months and ten days needs to be maintained in the case of remarriage of women losing their husbands. 

A Jewish scientist by the name of Robert Gilham undertook a study on this subject,

He found that during sexual intercourse a man leaves his sex prints in the woman that lasts up to three months inside her. Accordingly, he undertook another study in the US in an area predominantly populated by Afro-Americans and found that the Muslim women had the sexual imprints of only their husbands. 

At the same time, he undertook a study among American women living in a street adjacent only to find different imprints in them. He found three different kinds of imprints in them. 

Robert Gilham immediately subjected his wife to undergo the same study, and found she had three kinds of sexual imprints, this shocked him and declared only one out of his three sons who carried his lineage as his biological son.

If a woman remarries within one or two months after the husband’s demise, the chances of the baby’s DNA not matching the second husband is possible and chances of matching the first husband is not ruled out. 

This discovery also necessitates the need for ‘iddah.’ 

There would not be any confusion regarding DNA if the woman remarries after a period of four months and ten days.

The reason for Robert Gilham to believe Quran as the word of God and his consequent reversion to Islam is this law on Iddah in Islam.

We can understand the importance of the law on Iddah from these happenings.

Some Muslim's lock up women in the dark for four months and ten days in the name of Iddah. Iddah must be understood as a period intermediary between the demise of a husband and remarriage, and within which no activities like dressing etc., as a provocation for marriage to be undertaken. 

Other than this there is another Iddah. This is specified as a period of three menstrual cycles to be passed before the women could remarry after she has been divorced for the first time by the husband. Within this period, regulated as three menstrual period the husband is allowed to reunite again. This kind of iddah can be seen mentioned in verses 2:228, 2:231, 2:232, 33:49, 65:1 of the Quran. 

This kind of Iddah does not carry any rider with it other than not to remarry within it. 

To know more about iddah please refer explanation points 360, 404, 424.

To know about divorce please refer explanation points 66, 70, 74, 386, 402, 424