Iddah/Iddat

Iddah – The waiting period prescribed by Allah for a woman after divorce or death of her husband after the expiry of which she can marry another person.

Iddah: "waiting period," usually three menstrual cycles, which a divorced woman must observe before she is free to remarry. The purpose is to establish whether she is pregnant with her ex-husband's child (if she were to remarry immediately, there is the possibility of doubt regarding the paternity of a child conceived immediately). If she is pregnant, her `iddah lasts until the baby is born. For a woman whose husband died the waiting period is four months and ten days.