What is the ruling concerning a wife whose husband dies when she is obligated to perform Hajj?
General Chapter
Al-Mughni
Book of Waiting Periods ('Iddah)
Primary text
If the wife is obligated to perform the obligatory Hajj (*Hajjat al-Islam*) and her husband dies, she must observe her iddah in her husband's home even if she misses the Hajj for that year, because the iddah requirement in the home has no substitute, whereas Hajj can be performed in another year.
Supporting text
If her husband dies after she enters the state of *ihram* for obligatory Hajj or a supererogatory Hajj he permitted, the ruling depends on the time remaining. If the time for Hajj is ample and she does not fear missing it or missing her convoy, she must observe iddah in her home, as both rights can be accommodated, so neither can be dropped. If she fears missing Hajj, she must proceed with the Hajj rituals. Abu Hanifa holds that she must remain for iddah even if Hajj is missed, reasoning that she cannot initiate travel as she is in iddah, similar to one who enters *ihram* after iddah becomes obligatory. The counterargument is that both are obligatory acts whose time is constrained, requiring precedence for the earlier one. Moreover, Hajj is weightier as a Pillar of Islam, and missing it incurs great difficulty, thus requiring precedence, similar to when the husband dies after she has traveled far.