Mourning of a widow (ihdad)

Ihdad, in the language, is leaving off adornment as a sign of grief; in the technical sense a woman's abstaining from adornment and what is meant by it for a fixed term in fixed circumstances, and likewise from lodging away from her home. It is obligatory on the woman in the widow's waiting period of a valid marriage by consensus, on his saying: it is not lawful for a woman who believes in God and the Last Day to keep mourning for the dead beyond three nights — except for a husband, four months and ten. The mourner avoids what counts as adornment by law or custom — perfume, kohl, dyed cloth — and the hadith names the wars-dyed, saffron-dyed and anything perfumed. She may go out for her needs; if she is away from her home she must return to the house of marriage, while travel for Hajj or a long journey is treated in detail.