Can a widow attend a family wedding during the ‘iddah period?

Hazrat Amirul Momineen, Khalifatul Masih V^aa, examined some of the fatwas issued by Dar-ul-Ifta Rabwah regarding the participation of a widow in her son’s wedding during the ‘iddah period, a wali’s permission for the marriage of a widow or a divorced woman, and also the method of citation used in those fatwas.

Huzoor-e-Anwar^aa then issued the following guidance regarding these issues in his letter dated 29 October 2021:

“Among the fatwas issued by Nizamat Dar-ul-Ifta, you have also issued the following fatwa regarding someone’s wedding ceremony, taking place during his mother’s ‘iddah period after she became a widow:

“‘Mourning and attending a son’s wedding ceremony are two conflicting matters. In the case of your wedding ceremony, your mother could not spend her ‘iddah as a widow in a state of mourning. Hence, you should plan your wedding to take place after the completion of your mother’s ‘iddah.’ (Fatwa No. 13/11.09.2021)

“In my view, this fatwa of yours is not correct. In ahadith, only widows have been ordered to spend four months and ten days in ‘iddah. However, with your fatwa, you are obliging others to join the widow in mourning and to postpone their essential tasks until the completion of her ‘iddah period.

“My daughter’s wedding ceremony also took place when my mother was going through her ‘iddah. After the demise of Hazrat Sahibzada Mirza Mansoor Ahmad, my beloved mother wrote to Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IV^rh for guidance and Huzoor^rh instructed for the wedding ceremony to go ahead on the appointed date and said that it was forbidden to go out of the house during the ‘iddah period, but it was not forbidden to participate in a simple manner in a wedding ceremony being held at one’s own house. That is why we made arrangements for the ladies in the verandah and courtyard of the house and Ummi, as per Huzoor’s^rh instructions, also joined this ceremony at home in a simple manner.

“Hence, if people choose to postpone such a wedding ceremony of their own accord, it is their personal decision, but it would not be appropriate for you to issue a fatwa prohibiting them from doing so.”