Iddah Calculator
Calculate the waiting period (iddah) duration for divorced or widowed Muslim women. Covers divorce, death, khula, and pregnancy scenarios.
Iddah Calculator
Calculator
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Formula: Iddah = f(reason, menstruation, pregnancy)
Worked example — Iddah ends approximately June 19, 2026 (90 days from divorce date)
Formula
Iddah = f(reason, menstruation, pregnancy)
The iddah duration depends on the reason for marriage dissolution (divorce, death, khula), whether the woman menstruates, and whether she is pregnant. Pregnant women wait until delivery. Divorced menstruating women wait 3 cycles. Widows wait 4 months and 10 days.
Worked Examples
Example 1: Iddah After Divorce for Menstruating Woman
Problem:A woman is divorced on March 21, 2026. She has regular menstrual cycles. Calculate her iddah period.
Solution:Type: Divorce with menstruation Iddah duration: 3 complete menstrual cycles Approximate duration: 3 x 30 days = 90 days Start date: March 21, 2026 End date: March 21 + 90 = June 19, 2026 Note: Actual end depends on completion of 3 full cycles, not calendar days.
Result:Iddah ends approximately June 19, 2026 (90 days from divorce date)
Example 2: Iddah for a Widow
Problem:A woman's husband passes away on January 15, 2026. She is not pregnant. Calculate her iddah period.
Solution:Type: Death of husband, not pregnant Iddah duration: 4 months and 10 days = 130 days Start date: January 15, 2026 End date: January 15 + 130 = May 25, 2026 During this time she observes hidad (mourning) She should remain primarily in the marital home
Result:Iddah ends approximately May 25, 2026 (130 days from date of death)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is iddah and why is it prescribed in Islam?
Iddah (also spelled iddat or iddat) is the mandatory waiting period that a Muslim woman must observe after the dissolution of her marriage through divorce or the death of her husband. The primary purposes of iddah include establishing whether the woman is pregnant to clarify lineage and parentage, providing a cooling-off period during which reconciliation may occur in the case of revocable divorce, showing respect for the marital bond and the deceased husband, and protecting the rights of both parties. Iddah is established through multiple verses in the Quran, including Surah Al-Baqarah (2:228, 2:234) and Surah At-Talaq (65:4). During iddah, the woman generally remains in her marital home and observes certain restrictions.
What are the different types and durations of iddah?
The duration of iddah varies based on the circumstances. For a divorced woman who menstruates, the iddah is three complete menstrual cycles (three quru), typically around 90 days. For a divorced woman who does not menstruate (post-menopausal), the iddah is three lunar months, approximately 89 days. For a widow who is not pregnant, the iddah is four months and ten days (approximately 130 days). For a pregnant woman, regardless of divorce or widowhood, the iddah extends until delivery of the child. For khula (wife-initiated dissolution), scholars differ between one menstrual cycle and three cycles. The iddah begins from the date of divorce pronouncement or the husband's death.
What are the rules and restrictions during the iddah period?
During iddah, Islamic jurisprudence prescribes several guidelines. In revocable divorce (talaq raj'i), the woman should remain in the marital home, and the husband has the right to take her back. She should not leave the house unnecessarily, though scholars permit leaving for genuine needs like medical appointments, work, or essential errands. A widow observing iddah should avoid adornment, perfume, and wearing bright or festive clothing. She should not accept marriage proposals, though indirect expressions of interest to a widow are permissible. After iddah ends, the woman is free to remarry. These rules may vary between different schools of Islamic jurisprudence (Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i, Hanbali).
How does pregnancy affect the iddah period in Islamic law?
Pregnancy has a unique effect on the iddah calculation. Regardless of whether the marriage ended through divorce or the death of the husband, if the woman is pregnant, her iddah continues until she gives birth. This ruling is based on Quran 65:4 which states 'And for those who are pregnant, their term is until they give birth.' This means the iddah could be shorter or longer than the standard period. If a woman gives birth one day after divorce, her iddah is effectively one day. If she is in early pregnancy at the time of divorce, her iddah could extend to nine months. After delivery, she is immediately free to remarry if she chooses, though scholars recommend a brief recovery period.
What is the difference between iddah for divorce and iddah for the death of a husband?
The key differences between iddah for divorce and widowhood are significant. For divorce, the iddah is three menstrual cycles (or three lunar months for non-menstruating women), while for widowhood it is four months and ten days. During divorce iddah, the husband is financially responsible for the wife's maintenance including housing, food, and clothing. During widow's iddah, the maintenance obligation falls on the deceased's estate or her own resources. In revocable divorce, the husband can take his wife back during iddah, but this is obviously not possible in widowhood. The mourning obligations differ as well. A widow must observe hidad (mourning), which includes avoiding adornment and staying primarily at home, while a divorced woman has fewer mourning restrictions.
What does quru mean, and why do scholars disagree about it?
Quru is the Arabic term used in Quran 2:228 for the three units a divorced woman counts, and the word carries two opposite senses in classical usage. The Hanafi and Hanbali schools read it as hayd, the menstrual periods themselves, so the iddah ends once the third period has finished. The Shafi'i and Maliki schools read it as tuhr, the intervals of purity between periods, so the count completes when the third period begins. The same woman can therefore reach the end of her iddah several weeks apart depending on which reading her school follows.
Why does this tool use 30 days per cycle when the real iddah ends with an actual cycle?
Because a cycle-based iddah has no fixed calendar length. It ends on a biological event, not on a date, so the only way to give a planning figure in advance is to assume an average cycle. Thirty days is used here as a neutral placeholder; a woman with a 26-day cycle will finish materially sooner and one with a 35-day cycle materially later. Treat the end date as a projection for planning purposes and record the actual dates of each cycle, since those are what determine when the waiting period is genuinely over.
How does a revocable divorce differ from an irrevocable one during iddah?
In talaq raj'i, a revocable pronouncement, the marriage is suspended rather than ended: the husband may take his wife back during the iddah by word or conduct, with no new contract, witnesses or mahr required, and maintenance continues throughout. In talaq ba'in, an irrevocable divorce, the marital tie is severed immediately and any resumption requires a fresh nikah with a new contract and mahr; where the irrevocability follows a third pronouncement, even that is closed unless she has been married to another man in the interim. The waiting period is observed either way, since its pregnancy-establishing purpose applies regardless of revocability.
Is an iddah required if the marriage was never consummated?
For divorce, no. Quran 33:49 explicitly states that a woman divorced before the marriage is consummated has no waiting period to count, which follows logically since the purpose of clarifying lineage cannot arise. Widowhood is treated differently: the four months and ten days are observed by a widow whether or not the marriage was consummated, because that period also expresses mourning and respect for the marital bond rather than serving only to establish pregnancy. Financial entitlements such as mahr follow their own separate rules in each case.
Is the widow's four months and ten days counted in lunar months or in calendar days?
Classically it is counted as four Hijri months plus ten days, taken from the date of death. Because lunar months alternate between 29 and 30 days, the same prescription lands anywhere from about 126 to 130 days depending on which four months the interval happens to span, which is why day-count tools can only approximate it. Where the start falls partway through a Hijri month, most jurists complete that month by days and count the remainder as whole months. The Hijri dates shown alongside the result let you check the lunar count directly.
References
Reviewed for accuracy by Daniel Agrici, Founder & Lead Developer · Editorial policy
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