Umm Athiyah reported the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم as saying“A woman must not observe mourning for more than three (days) except for four months and ten days in the case of a husband and she must not wear a dyed garment except one of the types made of dyed yarn or apply collyrium or touch perfume except for a little costus or azfar when she has been purified after her menstrual courses. The narrator Ya’qub mentioned the words“except washed clothes”instead of the words“one of the types made of dyed yarn”. Ya’qub also added“She must not apply Henna”

Humaid ibn Nafi reported the following three traditions on the authority of Zaynab, daughter of Abu Salamah: Zainab said: I visited Umm Habibah when her father Abu Sufyan, died. She asked for some yellow perfume containing saffron (khaluq) or something else. Then she applied it to a girl and touched her cheeks. She said: I have no need of perfume, but I heard the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم say: It is not lawful for a woman who believes in Allah and the Last Day to observe mourning for one who has died, more than three nights, except for four months and ten days in the case of a husband. Zaynab said: I also visited Zaynab, daughter of Jahsh, when her brother died. She asked for some perfume and used it upon herself. She then said: I have no need of perfume, but I heard the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم say when he was on the pulpit: It is not lawful for a woman who believes in Allah and the Last Day to observe mourning for one who has died, more than three nights, except for four months and ten days in the case of a husband. Zaynab said: I heard my mother, Umm Salamah, say: A woman came to the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم and said: Messenger of Allah, the husband of my daughter has died, and she is suffering from sore eyes; may we put antimony in her eyes? The Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said: No. He said this twice or thrice. Each time he said: No. The Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said: The waiting period is now four months and ten days. In pre-Islamic days one of you used to throw away a piece of dung at the end of a year. Humayd said: I asked Zaynab: What do you mean by throwing away a piece of dung at the end of a year. Zaynab replied: When the husband of a woman died, she entered a small cell and put on shabby clothes, not touching perfume or any other thing until a year passed. Then an animal such as donkey or sheep or bird was provided for her. She rubbed herself with it. The animal with which she rubbed herself rarely survived. She then came out and was given a piece of dung which she threw away. She then used perfume or something else which she desired. Abu Dawud said: The Arabic word "hafsh" means a small cell.

Narrated Umm Salamah, Ummul Muminin: The Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said: A woman whose husband has died must not wear clothes dyed with safflower (usfur) or with red ochre (mishq) and ornaments. She must not apply henna and collyrium.