No woman wished to be a widow. Living with husband in her side is definitely easier. But sometime life isn’t going as we wished it would be. A woman could lose her husband in many unfortunate situations and left her as a widow. A widow herself is in a deep grieve upon losing her husband, and her life after that would not be the same again. Therefore here are the rights of a widow in Islam.
1. Rights to Inherit Her Husband Wealth
After the death of husband, of course all the husband’s wealth and fortune goes to her. She needs them after all to raise her children. Especially when the children are still young, she will need a lot of money to covers their everyday life and their education. Also read Importance of 15 Shaban in Islam
2. Rights to Get Remarried
When a widow feels unable to carry the weight of life alone, she has the right to got remarried. As long as the man holds the same beliefs and making her a better Muslim. The marriage of course should be done under the intention of pleasing Allah SWT and in order to share the difficulties of life, so both of them could live a better life. Also read Importance of Respect in Islam
3. Rights to Raise Her Children
A widow has the full right to raise her children without any interference from her family or her late husband family. The best educator is indeed a mother, and it is best for the children to leave them under the care of the mother. The mother is also has to make sure she can raise her children properly. Also read Importance of Gaining Knowledge In Islam
4. Rights to be Protected by the Law
A widow is in a vulnerable state, because she no longer has her husband to protect her. Thus, she has to make sure that the law is on her side, to protect all her rights and her children rights. A widow should be assured by the law and live a comfortable life so she could raise her children well. Also read Importance of Etiquette in Islam
5. Rights to Mix with the Society
After passing the period of Iddah, a widow should not estranged herself from the society. She has to mixed with the society once again and continue her life normally. It’s not good to grieve for a long period of time. A widow should be strong for her children, and meeting a lot of people could also lessen her sadness. Tightening the bond with her sisters is good for a widow, and they could help her whenever she is in need. Also read Importance of Sincerity in Islam
6. Rights to Work Publicly
There will come an unfortunate periode where the fortune left by the widow’s husband. Then she should do some work to keep her life going. It is only possible when a widow decide not to get remarried and living alone the whole time. Her willingness to work has to be appreciated, thus she should be given equal opportunity to get a job as another women. She should not be underestimated only by her status as a widow.
Also read: Importance of Gathering in Islam
7. Rights to be Protected by the Government
The government is indeed responsible for the welfare of a widow and her children. Thus, the government should assure every widow that their life and children is part of the government responsibilities. It lighten the burden of life a widow should carry. The government should assist the education of the children and complying all their basic needs. Also read Importance of Brotherhood in Islam
[AdSense-B]
8. Rights to Receive Supports from the Society
In the middle of loss and grievance, a widow needs a big support from the society. The society should not estranged any widow, but encourage them instead. All she needs is support and assurance that everything is going to be alright, and life must go on. Only a little support means a lot for her. Let’s all hugs the widows close with us, as they really needs the support.
Also read: Importance of Daughter in Islam
9. Rights to Fight the Stigma Against Her
Many women tend to worry about a widow in the society. They are afraid that their husband would somehow meet and fall in love with the widow. A widow should not be seen as a thread for other people’s household, and she has the right to stand for herself. She must fight all the negative stigma, if one does exist.
Also read: Importance of Friendship in Islam
10. Rights to Adapt with Her New Life
To move on to next step of life, everyone needs time. Including this widow, she should be given time to adapt to her new status and new life. As everything will not be the same, she needs support and encouragement from her families and friends.
Also read: Importance of Commitment in Islam
Obligations of A Widow
- A widow should lowered her gaze, especially when men are around.
- A widow should work if the fortune her husband left is insufficient for daily life.
- A widow should protect herself from the negative stigma from the society.
- A widow should no estranged herself from the society.
- A widow should seek the protection from the government to her and her children.
[AdSense-C]
How a Widow Should be Treated by Society
- A widow needs time for grieving the loss of her husband.
- A widow should be taken care of by her closest neighbor during the grievance.
- A widow should not push herself to do too hard work.
- A widow may needs sometime alone to cope with her loss.
- A widow needs to be encourage by her closest family and relatives.
- A widow should be treated equally as the member of society.
- A widow has to be given similar opportunity as other women.
- A widow should not be seen as a weak, just because she no longer has a husband.
- A widow should be supported by her friends.
- A widow should not be seen negatively when she is working in public.
So those are the rights of a widow in Islam that should be fulfilled. After knowing all of it may we treat every widow better from now, because she bears pain that beyond our imagination.