It was narrated from Humaid bin Nafi’ that Zainab bint
Abi Salamah told him these three Hadiths. Zainab said: “I entered upon Umm Habibah, the wife of Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم, when her father u Sufyafl bin Harb died. Umm
rbIbah called for some perfume d put some on a young girl, then put some on her cheeks. Then ie said: ‘By Allah, I do not have I: any need for perfume but I heard the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم say: It is not permissible for any woman who believes in Allah and the Last Day to mourn for anyone who dies for more than three days, except for a husband, (for whom the mourning period is) four months and ten days.’ Zainab said: “Then I went into Zainab bint Jahsh when her brother died, and she called for some perfume and put some on. Then she said: ‘By Allah, I do not have any need for perfume but I heard the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم say on the Minbar: It is not permissible for any woman who believes in Allah and the Last Day to mourn for anyone who dies for more than three days, except for a husband, (for whom the mourning period is) four months and ten days.” Zainab said: “I heard Umm Salamah say: ‘A woman came to the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم and said: Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم, my daughter’s husband has died and she has a problem in her eye; can I put kohl on her? The Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم said: No. Then he said: “It is four months and ten days. During the Jahili one of you would throw a piece of dung at the end of the year.’ Humaid said: “I said to Zainab: ‘What is this throwing a piece of dung at the end of the year?’ She said: ‘If a woman’s husband died, she would enter a small room (Hijch) and wear her worst clothes, and she would not put on perfume or anything until a year. Then an animal would be brought, a donkey or sheep or bird, and she would end her ‘Iddah with it (clean herself with it), and usually any animal used for that purpose would die. Then she would come out and would be given a piece of dung which she would throw, then she would go back to whatever she wanted of perfume, etc.” In the narration of Muhammad (bin Salamah) Malik said: Htfsh means hut. (Sahih)