Sports Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohammed may not be in the public eye for at least 130 days (4 months and 10 days) following the death of her husband that occurred on July 29, 2021.
According to the Islamic tradition, Iddah or Iddat (waiting period), is the period a widow must observe after the death of her husband or after a divorce.
The Quran states that Iddah must be observed in the house where the widow was living with the husband. The widow is required to stay indoors in mourning and can only leave the house during an emergency or when seeking medical attention.
Iddat begins from the time of the husband’s death even if the woman is not aware of her husband’s death.
Why the 130 days?
Jamia Mosque Imam Sheikh Juma Amir told The Standard that the four months and 10 days are observed to allow various issues to play. Among them, to give the widow a mourning period to reflect and strategize and plan her future.
“Also it is important for any Muslim widow to observe Iddah so as to establish if she is pregnant because 4 months is a long period for any woman to establish if at all she is pregnant or not. Any pregnancy discovered during this period is assumed to be the responsibility of the former husband,” Amir told The Standard.
“Remember, this is a mourning period and various people are always visiting the widow to bereave her. She might be confused and carried away by the opposite sex during the period and may end up falling in love while at it,” the Imam added.
Among other issues to be observed during the Iddah is for the widow not to apply excess make-up and dress up for accessions. However, Juma Amir was quick to state that, this doesn’t mean that she is not allowed to look smart.
The bereaved is also expected to cover herself in loose fitting clothes and above all cover her head with a scarf.
Amina’s case
In observance of the Islamic teachings, however, Amina Mohammed being a Cabinet Secretary, may be allowed to attend to pressing issues in her docket and even attend cabinet meetings.
“As a scholar, I would advise her to take some time off to mourn the just departed husband. I know her docket is demanding and her being a public figure, it is not easy to stay away from her responsibility for that long. However, she needs to” Amir told The Standard.
The husband of the Sports Cabinet Secretary Khalid Ahmed died Thursday morning in Karen Hospital, Nairobi after a short illness. A family spokesman said the incident happened at about 5 am.