Must a woman recover the money for Umrah/Hajj if her husband dies before she performs the rituals, and does the obligation of Hajj/Umrah fall away from her if she is unable to recover the paid amount? And what should a woman do if she paid money for Umrah/Hajj, not knowing that a woman observing iddah is not permitted to leave her home, with mention of the evidence?

A woman observing the 'iddah (waiting period) after her husband's death must remain in the marital home where she resided before his passing. It is not permissible for her to leave for Hajj, based on the hadith of Furay'ah bint Malik and the hadith of Umar ibn al-Khattab, which prohibit women in 'iddah from performing Hajj. This is the opinion of the majority of jurists, and restricted obligations take precedence over expansive ones.

However, if it is impossible to recover the Hajj funds paid before the death, and these funds are substantial, causing significant loss, then she is permitted to go for Hajj to avert harm. This is the fatwa given by some scholars in cases of extreme hardship and is considered a matter of necessity, especially if the woman in 'iddah had already initiated the Hajj procedures before her husband's death or was ignorant of the religious ruling.