The Ruling on Holding a Condolence Gathering and the Woman in Iddah Going Out at Night

Question:
Abdullah is with us. Peace be upon you. And upon you be peace. May I speak to the Shaykh? Please, Shaykh, I have three questions. The first question: My father passed away some time ago, and we had to hold the condolence gathering at my grandmother’s house, the mother of the deceased, because she is suffering from a chronic illness and it is difficult for her to move from one house to another. So my mother, the wife of the deceased, attended the condolence gathering for the first three days, from six in the evening until approximately nine. The question, Shaykh, is: Is this action correct? The Shaykh will answer. She is in the waiting period (iddah), and if it is not correct, is she required to make up the days she left her house to attend the condolence gathering? That is the first question.

Answer:
Holding gatherings for condolences has no basis in the religion, and there is no place for such gatherings, my brother. You console the bereaved by phone, by mobile, or by writing to him. If you meet him in the mosque, on the street, or anywhere else, you console him and make du'a for him and for the deceased. There is no need to gather, suspend work, or burden the deceased's family with receiving people, organizing them, serving them coffee, and attending to their needs. All of this has no basis, and it is among the burdens that . Yes.