A woman making Istibra’a after committing Zina

18-7-2012 | IslamWeb

Question:

Sheik, there is this lovers that had sex before marriage many atimes, so they decided it is time to get married, they went to see a local mullah and told him everything about themselves, and the mullah advise them that they should repent and ask Allah for forgiveness sincerely and they should never indulge in it again, and he told the woman that she shoul observe 'istibirrah'- that she should lock her selve inside huse for 4 month without seeing any muharram,does this have any islamic basis or not? And i think by observing this 4 month d whole world will know that they had sex before marriage which is against the teaching of islam which enjoy us to hide our sins.

---

Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

It is permissible for a person who committed Zina (fornication or adultery) with a woman to marry her provided that they both have repented to Allaah, and provided that this marriage takes place after Istibra’a, i.e. after she gives birth if she is pregnant or observes a waiting period of three menses according to one view of the scholars, or one menses according to another view, as clarified in Fatwa 117411.

As regards the statement that she has to stay in her home for four months without seeing her Mahaarim (male unmarriageable relatives), then this statement has no foundation in Islam. Rather, this is speaking on behalf of Allaah without knowledge.

Allaah Knows best.