A woman whose husband died, and she did not observe the waiting period due to her ignorance; what do you advise her to do, given that more than a year has passed since his death?

Question:
She says: My mother’s father passed away seventeen years ago, but she did not observe the waiting period due to her ignorance. She is now over seventy years old. Do you advise her to do anything? May Allah reward you with good.

Answer:
The waiting period was fulfilled by the passage of time. If four months and ten days have passed since the death, and she did not marry during that time, then she has completed the waiting period, even if she did not intend to. The only thing prohibited is marrying during this period. Yes. Or proposing marriage explicitly during this period. It was also obligatory for her to avoid adornment, avoid perfume, and avoid leaving the house except out of necessity. However, the mourning rites are dropped when their time limit passes. Once the time limit has passed, they are dropped, and the waiting period is valid. Yes. May Allah reward you with good, and may Allah reward you.