Women's Issues

Getting married after the iddat period

Q: My husband and I have been separated for a year now. In May this year, he sent me an sms stating "I am giving you 1 talaaq in writing so you cannot deny it". We have not had any intimate or sexual contact in the last year.

My question is: Is my nikah over and am I allowed to re-marry? I understand that my iddah started from the point where he gave me this one talaaq and lasts for 3 menstrual cycles. The 3 menstrual cycles are over now but I did not observe iddah in the correct manner as I did not know at that time that I was in iddah.

Non-mahrams visiting a widow and seeing to her needs

Q:

1. My mother in law is presently observing her iddat. Owing to the fact that her son and husband have passed on and her brothers live far off, I take the responsibility of taking her out of the house for necessary needs e.g. hospital visits., etc. Am i allowed?

2. The second query would be regarding other ghair mahram men. Are they allowed to visit her at home? Is she allowed to go with them to any place that is deemed unnecessary? I think that she is not allowed to. She has recently left the house with an uncle of hers (not related by blood) for a few hours. Her reasoning is that he is an elder. Please clarify for me. Does my deceased father in law incur any azaab as well? 

Leaving the home during iddat

Q: A lady is sitting in iddat at her mothers house in Durban (the couple were not living together since few months. Now her only place where she can stay is by her mom). Her mother needs to go Cape Town for 1 or 2 weeks. Her mother is her only family in Durban, the rest of the family and her (ex) in laws as well are all in Cape Town. The query is that, can she go along with her mother and stay in iddat in one house (her brothers house) for the duration and when her mother returns to Durban she returns with her and complete the remaining iddat?

Spotting after haidh

Q: If a married woman has her periods (less than the normal flow) for 7 days. Then again after 2 to 3 days there is thin line of pinkish or sometimes red with whitish discharge, not like periods just, but once in a day for 5 to 6 days. Is it haidh or istihaza? Should she continue her prayers and can she do intercourse?

Using a tampon

Q: I suffer with continuous slightly coloured discharge but it is not a large amount. I make fresh wudhu for every salaah as my discharge is ongoing. I sometimes due to circumstances am unable to make fresh wudhu and require to keep wudhu (i.e. due to travel or due to work etc). Please let me know if one can use a Tampon to keep wudhu across 2 salaah times, if the tampon remains dry on the bottom end and no discharge exists the outer area onto to under garments?

Marrying one's foster niece

Q: There are two sisters (Amna and Zulaika) and their mother died. After the death of their mother their father got married to Nasreen. The step mother of Amna and Zulaika (Nasreen) breastfed Amna's son Taimoor her milk. Can Taimoor perform nikah with his cousin who is the daughter of Zulaika?