Question:Does contracting marriage with a woman who is in 'Iddah (waiting period following divorce or widowhood) result in eternal prohibition for the one who contracts the marriage, and is there a distinction between revocable and irrevocable 'Iddah?

Answer:In the name of Allah, it is prohibited for him in both cases. Allah knows best.

Question:It has been reported from some scholars that if a man has four wives under his guardianship and one of them dies, he cannot marry a fourth wife until the end of the mourning period, which is four months and ten days, as a precautionary measure. Is it possible to know the relationship between the end of the mourning period and the man's marriage after the death of the fourth wife?

Answer:In the name of Allah we should know that the divine rulings are purely acts of worship. For example, the morning prayer consists of two rak'ahs (units of prayer), while the noon, afternoon, and evening prayers consist of four rak'ahs each (except in the case of travel). The sunset prayer consists of three rak'ahs. In each rak'ah, there is one bowing and two prostrations. In a permanent marriage contract, it is not permissible to have more than four wives. In a temporary marriage contract, it is permissible to have more than four wives. It is not permissible to have intercourse with a woman during her menstrual period or postpartum bleeding, but it is permissible during istihadah (false menses). We all - except for the infallible ones - admit that we do not know the reasons and causes behind the divine rulings and the motives behind them. This is the correct answer. We should also know that Allah Almighty has given the woman who died in this case a kind of sanctity, respect, and prestige in society so the husband remains in mourning for her and stays away from taking another wife in her place. This allows the husband to maintain his prestige and respect in the eyes of families, so that women do not shy away from marrying him as a fourth wife, just as Allah Almighty has imposed this on women if their husband dies. Allah knows best.

Question:It has been reported from some scholars that if a man has four wives under his guardianship and one of them dies, he cannot marry a fourth wife until the end of the mourning period, which is four months and ten days, as a precautionary measure. Is it possible to know the relationship between the end of the mourning period and the man's marriage after the death of the fourth wife?

Answer:In the name of Allah we should know that the divine rulings are purely acts of worship. For example, the morning prayer consists of two rak'ahs (units of prayer), while the noon, afternoon, and evening prayers consist of four rak'ahs each (except in the case of travel). The sunset prayer consists of three rak'ahs. In each rak'ah, there is one bowing and two prostrations. In a permanent marriage contract, it is not permissible to have more than four wives. In a temporary marriage contract, it is permissible to have more than four wives. It is not permissible to have intercourse with a woman during her menstrual period or postpartum bleeding, but it is permissible during istihadah (false menses). We all - except for the infallible ones - admit that we do not know the reasons and causes behind the divine rulings and the motives behind them. This is the correct answer. We should also know that Allah Almighty has given the woman who died in this case a kind of sanctity, respect, and prestige in society so the husband remains in mourning for her and stays away from taking another wife in her place. This allows the husband to maintain his prestige and respect in the eyes of families, so that women do not shy away from marrying him as a fourth wife, just as Allah Almighty has imposed this on women if their husband dies. Allah knows best.