From the rulings on the mourning period
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Question: Is it permissible for a widow to apply adornment to her face, such as kohl, for example? Please inform us about this, may Allah reward you.
Answer: If her intention by "widow" is one who is in the mourning period following death, during the waiting period that Allah mentioned in His saying: [al-Baqarah: 234], this is the mourning period for death. It is forbidden for the woman to adorn herself during it, whether with jewelry, dyes, or anything else. The woman should not adorn herself or wear adornment during this period. Likewise, she should not use perfume, and she should not apply kohl that is used for beauty. She is permitted to treat her eyes with medicine that does not contain adornment.
As for applying kohl, dyeing the hair, and the types of newly invented adornment that women use to beautify themselves, such as powders and others, as well as perfume in its various forms, jewelry in its various forms, and clothes of adornment in their various forms, the woman is prohibited from these things during the mourning period. This is called the mourning period (iḥdād), which is leaving off adornment and abandoning adornment, by avoiding everything that encourages looking at her, such as types of adornment, perfume, beautification, and the like.
She must also remain in the house where her husband died until the time is fulfilled, and she should not leave it except for a legitimate religious excuse.
However, if she means by "widow" one who is not in the mourning period, having completed the mourning period, but who does not have a husband, then she is permitted to adorn and beautify herself, but she should not display this to non-mahram men. Rather, she should beautify and adorn herself in situations where there is no fitnah (temptation) and no
exposure to non-mahram men. As for being with non-mahram men, she must hide her adornment and cover herself.
Answer: If her intention by "widow" is one who is in the mourning period following death, during the waiting period that Allah mentioned in His saying:
And those who are taken in death among you and leave wives behind - they, [the wives, shall] wait four months and ten [days]
وَالَّذِينَ يُتَوَفَّوْنَ مِنْكُمْ وَيَذَرُونَ أَزْوَاجًا يَتَرَبَّصْنَ بِأَنْفُسِهِنَّ أَرْبَعَةَ أَشْهُرٍ وَعَشْرًاAs for applying kohl, dyeing the hair, and the types of newly invented adornment that women use to beautify themselves, such as powders and others, as well as perfume in its various forms, jewelry in its various forms, and clothes of adornment in their various forms, the woman is prohibited from these things during the mourning period. This is called the mourning period (iḥdād), which is leaving off adornment and abandoning adornment, by avoiding everything that encourages looking at her, such as types of adornment, perfume, beautification, and the like.
She must also remain in the house where her husband died until the time is fulfilled, and she should not leave it except for a legitimate religious excuse.
However, if she means by "widow" one who is not in the mourning period, having completed the mourning period, but who does not have a husband, then she is permitted to adorn and beautify herself, but she should not display this to non-mahram men. Rather, she should beautify and adorn herself in situations where there is no fitnah (temptation) and no
exposure to non-mahram men. As for being with non-mahram men, she must hide her adornment and cover herself.