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Fatwa CenterDivorcee Doesn’t Know How and Where to Spend the ‘Iddah
Question
Salam Alaykum waramatullahi wabarakatuh Good day I have a question I’m a new muslim 4years now and my husband born arab muslim he divorce me for the first time only by word yesterday he ask me if to ask if it’s obligatory to stay until my iddah finished because he said if it’s obligatory he will allow me to stay in his home but if not I can leave and back to my family please guide me and make my deen guided Jazak Allahu Khair
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad 
is His slave and Messenger.
Firstly, we would like to congratulate you on the blessing of embracing Islam bestowed upon you by Allah, The Exalted. You are advised to express the enjoined gratitude to Him for this blessing by being keen on acquiring beneficial knowledge, performing righteous deeds, attending gatherings of goodness, and keeping the company of righteous women, to help you in your religious and worldly affairs. We ask Allah, The Exalted, to bless you with more guidance, piety, and righteousness.
If the case is as you mentioned and this is the first divorce, it counts as a revocable divorce.
Therefore, it is obligatory on you to observe the ‘Iddah (post-divorce waiting period) in the marital home and it is not permissible for you to leave it, and it is even impermissible for your husband to expel you from it until the ‘Iddah expires. Allah, The Exalted, Says (what means): {O Prophet, when you [Muslims] divorce women, divorce them for [the commencement of] their waiting period and keep count of the waiting period, and fear Allah, your Lord. Do not turn them out of their [husbands'] houses, nor should they [themselves] leave [during that period] …} [Quran 65:1]
During the ‘Iddah, you are still considered his wife as per the Sharee‘ah; it is permissible for you to take off the Hijab before him, beautify yourself for him, and allow him to be alone with you, and so on. It is permissible for him to revoke the divorce without the need for conducting a new contract as long as the ‘Iddah has not expired.
We advise you to resort to reconciliation and seek the mediation of wise members of your families. The Islamic Sharee‘ah urged Muslims to opt for reconciliation and settlement of disputes; Allah, The Exalted, Says (what means): {And if a woman fears from her husband contempt or evasion, there is no sin upon them if they make terms of settlement between them - and settlement is best…} [Quran 4:128]
Allah knows best.
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