I asked Zaynab, "What does throwing the piece of dung at the end of the year mean?"Zaynab explained, "In the past, when a woman's husband died, she would withdraw into a tiny hut, put on her worst clothes, and touch no perfume until a full year had passed. Then some animal would be brought to her, a donkey, a sheep, or a bird, and she would break her seclusion by rubbing herself against it. Rarely did she use anything for this that did not die. After that she would come out and be handed a piece of dung, which she would throw. Only then could she return to whatever she wished of perfume or anything else."Malik was asked what "she would break her seclusion by rubbing herself against it" meant. He said, "She would rub her skin with it."
فقلت لزينب وما ترمي بالبعرة على رأس الحول فقالت زينب كانت المرأة إذا توفي عنها زوجها دخلت حفشا ولبست شر ثيابها ولم تمس طيبا حتى تمر بها سنة ثم تؤتى بدابة حمار أو شاة أو طائر فتفتض به فقلما تفتض بشيء إلا مات ثم تخرج فتعطى بعرة فترمي ثم تراجع بعد ما شاءت من طيب أو غيره سئل مالك ما تفتض به قال تمسح به جلدها