Sunan an-Nasa'i
Sunan an-Nasa'i 3541
أَخْبَرَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ حَبِيبِ بْنِ عَرَبِيٍّ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادٌ، عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ سَعِيدٍ، عَنْ حُمَيْدِ بْنِ نَافِعٍ، عَنْ زَيْنَبَ، أَنَّ امْرَأَةً، سَأَلَتْ أُمَّ سَلَمَةَ وَأُمَّ حَبِيبَةَ أَتَكْتَحِلُ فِي عِدَّتِهَا مِنْ وَفَاةِ زَوْجِهَا فَقَالَتْ أَتَتِ امْرَأَةٌ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَسَأَلَتْهُ عَنْ ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ " قَدْ كَانَتْ إِحْدَاكُنَّ فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ إِذَا تُوُفِّيَ عَنْهَا زَوْجُهَا أَقَامَتْ سَنَةً ثُمَّ قَذَفَتْ خَلْفَهَا بِبَعْرَةٍ ثُمَّ خَرَجَتْ وَإِنَّمَا هِيَ أَرْبَعَةُ أَشْهُرٍ وَعَشْرًا حَتَّى يَنْقَضِيَ الأَجَلُ " .
It was narrated from Zainab that a woman asked Umm Salamah and Umm Habibah whether she could use kohl during her waiting period after her husband's death. They related that a woman had come to the Prophet and asked him about this. He said: 'In pre-Islamic times, when a woman's husband died, she would remain in mourning for a year, then throw a piece of dung behind her and leave. The prescribed period is only four months and ten days, until the term is complete.'