Is the waiting period (iddah) counted for a woman whose husband took her to her family without pronouncing a divorce, saying, "We will see the situation with my mother," and then communication ceased between them?

A woman is not considered divorced merely because her husband sends her to her family and abandons her. Rather, the 'iddah (waiting period) is calculated from the moment he pronounces the divorce. If the divorce is revocable (raj'i), the husband has the right to take her back during the 'iddah without her consent, and she must remain in his home until the 'iddah expires, as Allah Almighty says: ﴿Do not expel them from their homes, nor should they leave﴾ (At-Talaq: 1). This applies even if the husband permits her to leave, because the 'iddah is a right belonging to Allah Almighty.