Question:
My father-in-law passed away recently and his wife is spending her iddah. However, she is elderly and partially paralyzed, therefore she needs to leave home three days out of the week for physical therapy. Despite spending her iddah, can she still leave the home for physical therapy?
بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيْم
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer
If arrangements cannot be made for the physical therapy to take place at home, then based on what you mentioned, it would be permissible for your mother-in-law to leave the home for the sake of physical therapy because that is considered to be a need and valid excuse. However, as soon as she is done with the therapy she should return home immediately and not involve herself with other matters that are not considered to be a necessity, e.g. visiting friends and family, etc.
Fatawa Darul Uloom Zakariyya: v. 4, p. 318-319 (Zamzam)
Only Allah knows best
Written by Maulana Mohammad Ahsan Osmani
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham