Is she required to observe the waiting period if she did not learn of her husband's death until after a period of time?

The questioner : A woman's husband died, and she did not learn that he had died until four and a half months had passed. Is she required to observe the waiting period? Or has her waiting period already ended? May Allah increase you in His bounty.

The Shaykh : Yes. The waiting period for death and the waiting period for divorce both begin from the moment of separation, from the moment of separation. So, suppose a woman did not learn of her husband's death until four and a half months later, as the questioner stated. Is she required to observe a waiting period after that? No, because the waiting period begins from when? From the day of separation, from the day he died. All right, she learned that he had died after two months had passed. How much is left? Two months and ten days. All right, a woman's husband divorced her while he was absent from her, and she did not learn of the divorce until after she had menstruated three times. What is the situation? Hmm? Her waiting period has ended. Her waiting period has ended. She is now permissible for other husbands immediately, because the criterion is that the waiting period begins from the separation, whether by death or otherwise. Yes.