Iddat (عدت، العدۃ)

Iddat or Iddah refers to the period of waiting. In Islam, it refers to the period which a woman needs to wait after being divorced or widowed. If a woman is divorced, she needs to wait for 3 menstrual periods (or 3 months) to pass, and if she is widowed, she needs to wait for 4 months and 10 days before she can remarry. However, if a woman became pregnant before she was divorced or widowed, then, her waiting period is extended to the time until the child is born.

During an Iddat, a woman cannot marry any other man, or even send any proposal for marriage. She is not allowed to go outside, on her own, without any important reason. She is recommended not to wear flashy clothes and adhere to simple clothing.