An Istihsan Perspective on Career Women Working as Educators During the Widow’s Waiting Period (Iddah Wafat) in Air Putih Urban Village

Abstract

This study examines the challenges faced by career women working as educators in Air Putih Urban Village in observing ihdad (mourning restrictions) during the iddah period following their husbands’ deaths, particularly when occupational demands require them to leave their homes and maintain a professional appearance. It aims to identify the challenges these women encounter and analyze how their welfare can be protected during the mourning period from the perspective of istihsan (juristic preference) in Islamic law. This study employed a qualitative descriptive method using a normative-empirical approach. The research participants were career women working as educators in Air Putih Urban Village. Data were analyzed descriptively by interpreting the research findings through the framework of istihsan. The findings reveal four major challenges: economic hardship, moral burdens, institutional obligations, and professional appearance requirements. Based on the principle of istihsan istithna'i, which permits exceptions to general legal provisions on the basis of public interest (maslahah), the study concludes that exemptions from certain ihdad restrictions and permission to leave the home may be justified under conditions of necessity or significant need, provided that Islamic legal principles are observed. Such permissions include leaving home for legitimate purposes, maintaining a modest appearance, and avoiding situations that may lead to sinful conduct or fitnah (moral temptation or social suspicion). However, remarriage remains prohibited until the completion of the prescribed iddah period of four months and ten days. This study highlights the importance of balancing Islamic legal principles with the practical needs and welfare of working women experiencing widowhood