Caution: Translations of Quran and Ḥadīth may lead to possible misapplications and misinterpretations. This site is intended for students of sacred knowledge that are proficient in comprehending classical Arabic and have a strong foundation in Islamic sciences. Also note that religious injunctions rely on several aspects beyond what one may glean through reading individual aḥādīth.
ahmad:26766Muḥammad b. Jaʿfar > Shuʿbah And Ḥajjāj > Shuʿbah > Ḥumayd b. Nāfiʿ > Zaynab b. Um Salamah

[Machine] Hamim, the husband of Umm Habiba, passed away. She raised her voice and wiped her arms, saying, "I only do this because I heard the Messenger of Allah, ﷺ , say that it is not permissible for a Muslim woman who believes in Allah and the Last Day to observe mourning for more than three days, except for her husband, for a period of four months and ten days." This statement was narrated by Zainab from her mother and from Zainab, the wife of the Prophet ﷺ , or from one of the wives of the Prophet ﷺ .  

أحمد:٢٦٧٦٦حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ وَحَجَّاجٌ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي شُعْبَةُ عَنْ حُمَيْدِ بْنِ نَافِعٍ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ زَيْنَبَ بِنْتَ أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ قَالَتْ

تُوُفِّيَ حَمِيمٌ لِأُمِّ حَبِيبَةَ فَدَعَتْ بِصُفْرَةٍ فَمَسَحَتْ بِذِرَاعَيْهَا وَقَالَتْ إِنَّمَا أَصْنَعُ هَذَا لِشَيْءٍ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ وَقَالَ حَجَّاجٌ لِأَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ قَالَ لَا يَحِلُّ لِامْرَأَةٍ مُسْلِمَةٍ تُؤْمِنُ بِاللهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ أَنْ تُحِدَّ فَوْقَ ثَلَاثٍ إِلَّا عَلَى زَوْجِهَا أَرْبَعَةَ أَشْهُرٍ وَعَشْرًا وَحَدَّثَتْهُ زَيْنَبُ عَنْ أُمِّهَا وَعَنْ زَيْنَبَ زَوْجِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ أَوْ عَنِ امْرَأَةٍ مِنْ بَعْضِ أَزْوَاجِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ  


See similar narrations below:

Collected by Bukhārī, Muslim, Aḥmad, Bayhaqī
bukhari:1280al-Ḥumaydī > Sufyān > Ayyūb b. Mūsá > Ḥumayd b. Nāfiʿ > Zaynab Āb.ah Abū Salamah > Lammā

When the news of the death of Abu Sufyan reached from Sham, Um Habiba on the third day, asked for a yellow perfume and scented her cheeks and forearms and said, "No doubt, I would not have been in need of this, had I not heard the Prophet ﷺ saying: "It is not legal for a woman who believes in Allah and the Last Day to mourn for more than three days for any dead person except her husband, for whom she should mourn for four months and ten days."  

البخاري:١٢٨٠حَدَّثَنَا الْحُمَيْدِيُّ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ حَدَّثَنَا أَيُّوبُ بْنُ مُوسَى قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي حُمَيْدُ بْنُ نَافِعٍ عَنْ زَيْنَبَ ابْنَةِ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ قَالَتْ

لَمَّا جَاءَ نَعْىُ أَبِي سُفْيَانَ مِنَ الشَّأْمِ دَعَتْ أُمُّ حَبِيبَةَ ؓ بِصُفْرَةٍ فِي الْيَوْمِ الثَّالِثِ فَمَسَحَتْ عَارِضَيْهَا وَذِرَاعَيْهَا وَقَالَتْ إِنِّي كُنْتُ عَنْ هَذَا لَغَنِيَّةً لَوْلاَ أَنِّي سَمِعْتُ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ يَقُولُ لاَ يَحِلُّ لاِمْرَأَةٍ تُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ أَنْ تُحِدَّ عَلَى مَيِّتٍ فَوْقَ ثَلاَثٍ إِلاَّ عَلَى زَوْجٍ فَإِنَّهَا تُحِدُّ عَلَيْهِ أَرْبَعَةَ أَشْهُرٍ وَعَشْرًا  

bukhari:5345Muḥammad b. Kathīr > Sufyān > ʿAbdullāh b. Abū Bakr b. ʿAmr b. Ḥazm > Ḥumayd b. Nāfiʿ > Zaynab Āb.ah Um Salamah

When Um Habiba bint Abi Sufyan was informed of her father's death, she asked for perfume and rubbed it over her arms and said, "I am not in need of perfume, but I have heard the Prophet ﷺ saying, "It is not lawful for a lady who believes in Allah and the Last Day to mourn for more than three days except for her husband for whom the (mourning) period is four months and ten days."  

البخاري:٥٣٤٥حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ كَثِيرٍ عَنْ سُفْيَانَ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَبِي بَكْرِ بْنِ عَمْرِو بْنِ حَزْمٍ حَدَّثَنِي حُمَيْدُ بْنُ نَافِعٍ عَنْ زَيْنَبَ ابْنَةِ أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ

عَنْ أُمِّ حَبِيبَةَ ابْنَةِ أَبِي سُفْيَانَ لَمَّا جَاءَهَا نَعِيُّ أَبِيهَا دَعَتْ بِطِيبٍ فَمَسَحَتْ ذِرَاعَيْهَا وَقَالَتْ مَا لِي بِالطِّيبِ مِنْ حَاجَةٍ لَوْلاَ أَنِّي سَمِعْتُ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ يَقُولُ لاَ يَحِلُّ لاِمْرَأَةٍ تُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ تُحِدُّ عَلَى مَيِّتٍ فَوْقَ ثَلاَثٍ إِلاَّ عَلَى زَوْجٍ أَرْبَعَةَ أَشْهُرٍ وَعَشْرًا  

muslim:1486bMuḥammad b. al-Muthanná > Muḥammad b. Jaʿfar > Shuʿbah > Ḥumayd b. Nāfiʿ > Zaynab b. Um Salamah

I, am doing it, for I have heard Messenger of Allah ﷺ saying: It is not permissible for a woman believing in Allah and the Hereafter to mourn beyond three days except the husband (for whom she can mourn) for four months and ten days.  

مسلم:١٤٨٦bوَحَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ عَنْ حُمَيْدِ بْنِ نَافِعٍ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ زَيْنَبَ بِنْتَ أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ قَالَتْ

تُوُفِّيَ حَمِيمٌ لأُمِّ حَبِيبَةَ فَدَعَتْ بِصُفْرَةٍ فَمَسَحَتْهُ بِذِرَاعَيْهَا وَقَالَتْ إِنَّمَا أَصْنَعُ هَذَا لأَنِّي سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ لاَ يَحِلُّ لاِمْرَأَةٍ تُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ أَنْ تُحِدَّ فَوْقَ ثَلاَثٍ إِلاَّ عَلَى زَوْجٍ أَرْبَعَةَ أَشْهُرٍ وَعَشْرًا  

ahmad:27398Yaḥyá > Shuʿbah > Ḥumayd b. Nāfiʿ > Zaynab b. Abū Salamah

It is not permissible for a woman believing in Allah and the Hereafter to observe mourning on the dead for more than three (days), except in case of her husband. (Using translation from Muslim 1491)  

أحمد:٢٧٣٩٨حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى عَنْ شُعْبَةَ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي حُمَيْدُ بْنُ نَافِعٍ عَنْ زَيْنَبَ بِنْتِ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ

أَنَّ أُمَّ حَبِيبَةَ مَاتَ نَسِيبٌ لَهَا أَوْ قَرِيبٌ لَهَا فَدَعَتْ بِصُفْرَةٍ فَمَسَحَتْ بِهِ ذِرَاعَيْهَا وَقَالَتْ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ أَوْ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ لَا يَحِلُّ لِامْرَأَةٍ تُؤْمِنُ بِاللهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ أَنْ تُحِدَّ عَلَى مَيِّتٍ فَوْقَ ثَلَاثٍ إِلَّا عَلَى زَوْجٍ فَإِنَّهَا تُحِدُّ عَلَيْهِ أَرْبَعَةَ أَشْهُرٍ وَعَشْرًا  

bayhaqi:15518Abū Muḥammad ʿAbdullāh b. Yūsuf al-Aṣbahānī Imlāʾ > Abū Saʿīd Aḥmad b. Muḥammad b. Ziyād al-Baṣrī Bimakkah > Muḥammad b. Saʿīd b. Ghālib > Sufyān b. ʿUyaynah > Ayyūb b. Mūsá > Ḥumayd b. Nāfiʿ > Zaynab b. Abū Salamah > Lammā

When the news of the death of Abu Sufyan reached from Sham, Um Habiba on the third day, asked for a yellow perfume and scented her cheeks and forearms and said, "No doubt, I would not have been in need of this, had I not heard the Prophet ﷺ saying: "It is not legal for a woman who believes in Allah and the Last Day to mourn for more than three days for any dead person except her husband, for whom she should mourn for four months and ten days." (Using translation from Bukhārī 1280)   

البيهقي:١٥٥١٨وَحَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُحَمَّدٍ عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ يُوسُفَ الْأَصْبَهَانِيُّ إِمْلَاءً أنا أَبُو سَعِيدٍ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ الْبَصْرِيُّ بِمَكَّةَ نا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ سَعِيدِ بْنِ غَالِبٍ نا سُفْيَانُ بْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ عَنْ أَيُّوبَ بْنِ مُوسَى عَنْ حُمَيْدِ بْنِ نَافِعٍ عَنْ زَيْنَبَ بِنْتِ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ قَالَتْ لَمَّا

جَاءَ نَعْيُ أَبِي سُفْيَانَ دَعَتْ أُمُّ حَبِيبَةَ ؓ بِصُفْرَةٍ فَمَسَحَتْ عَارِضَيْهَا وَذِرَاعَيْهَا الْيَوْمَ الثَّالِثَ وَقَالَتْ إِنْ كُنْتُ لَغَنِيَّةً عَنْ هَذَا لَوْلَا أَنِّي سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ لَا يَحِلُّ لِامْرَأَةٍ تُؤْمِنُ بِاللهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ أَنْ تُحِدَّ عَلَى مَيِّتٍ فَوْقَ ثَلَاثٍ إِلَّا عَلَى زَوْجٍ فَإِنَّهَا تُحِدُّ عَلَيْهِ أَرْبَعَةَ أَشْهُرٍ وَعَشْرًا  

رَوَاهُ الْبُخَارِيُّ فِي الصَّحِيحِ عَنِ الْحُمَيْدِيِّ وَرَوَاهُ مُسْلِمٌ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَرَ كِلَاهُمَا عَنْ سُفْيَانَ