what is iddat in islam

Iddah or iddat is a term used in Islam to refer to the period of waiting that a woman must observe after the death of her husband or after a divorce, during which she may not marry another man. The purpose of this period is to ascertain whether the woman is pregnant or not and to acknowledge the certainty of paternity. The length of iddah varies according to a number of circumstances. Generally, the iddah of a divorced woman is three lunar months (i.e. about 89 days), but if the marriage was not consummated, there is no iddah. For a woman whose husband has died, the iddah is four lunar months and ten days (i.e. about 128 days) after the death of her husband, whether or not the marriage was consummated. If a woman is pregnant when she is widowed or divorced, the iddah lasts until she gives birth. During the iddah period, certain things are forbidden to Muslim women, such as wearing makeup or clothing to attract attention, marrying or making any arrangements for marriage, and mixing with society unless she has responsibilities, such as going to work to provide for her family. The iddah period starts right after the death of the husband or after a divorce for a Muslim wife.