Iddah in the Perspective of Maqasid al-Shariah

Abstract

Muslim women who have undergone divorce, whether during their husbands' lifetimes or following their husbands' demise, are obligated to adhere to a waiting period before they can marry another man. The term "iddah" finds its roots in Arabic and denotes the act of calculation and estimation. Etymologically, "iddah" originates from the words "adda" (to tally) and "iddah" (counting), signifying a woman's duty to meticulously calculate and evaluate the days and intervals during this sanctified phase.

Terminologically, "iddah" designates a span in which a woman refrains from remarriage post her husband's death or after divorce. This interval encompasses awaiting childbirth, completing a specific duration referred to as "quru'," or the culmination of a predetermined count of months. Within this study, the researcher opted for the method of literary scrutiny. The researcher examines divorce-related writings through the lens of Maqashid Sharia. The study's outcomes deduce that the waiting period (iddah) for divorced or widowed women, from the Maqashid Sharia perspective, pursues three primary objectives: upholding faith, safeguarding the self/psyche, and preserving lineage.

Consequently, observing this waiting span sustains faith, and its adherence is obligatory due to the pivotal and inescapable nature of religious practice, as the desired results are exclusively attainable through this course of action. Likewise, the fulfillment of religious obligations not only crucially preserves the religion itself but also safeguards one's spirit, intellect, possessions, and offspring. Accordingly, the iddah period becomes a religious matter intertwined with the preservation of faith, approached through actions aimed at maintaining religious devotion.