Does a woman whose husband died thirty years after divorcing her, and who discovered upon his death that the divorce was not administratively documented, have to observe the 'iddah?

The official registration of a divorce has no bearing on its validity. Therefore:

- Your mother's iddah (waiting period) begins from the moment the husband pronounces the divorce.

- The iddah ends after three menstrual cycles, or upon delivering the baby (if pregnant), or after three months for those who do not menstruate or have reached menopause.

- If the husband dies after the iddah has ended and he had not taken her back (revoked the divorce), then she does not observe an iddah for his death because she was not his wife at the time of his passing.