Write on Iddah with emphasis on kinds, purposes, durations and implications.
Explanation
In , iddah or iddat (: ุงูุนุฏุฉโ; period of waiting) is the period a woman must observe after the death of her husband or after a , during which she may not another man. One of its main purposes is to remove any doubt as to the paternity of a child born after the divorce or death of the prior husband.
The length of โiddah varies according to a number of circumstances. Generally, the โiddah of a woman divorced by her husband is three monthly periods, but if the marriage was not there is no โiddah. For a woman whose husband has died, the โiddah is four lunar months and ten 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 โiddah lasts until she gives birth.
Islamic scholars consider this directive to be a balance between mourning of husband's death and protecting the widow from criticism that she might be subjected to from remarrying too quickly after her husbandโs death. This is also to ascertain whether a woman is pregnant or not, since four and a half months is half the length of a normal pregnancy.