Our home is rented, I cannot afford it, or I do not feel safe there alone. Can I move during my iddah?

However, there are many other acts that the general masses believe or have fabricated concerning a mourning woman. For example, they say that she cannot talk to anyone, she may not talk on the phone, she can only take a shower once a week, she cannot walk barefoot in her house, she cannot go out under the light of the moon, and other superstitions that are simply false. There is no basis for any of these. She may walk barefoot or with shoes in her house. She fulfills her needs in the house, such as cooking her food and the food of her guests. She may go out in the light of the moon on her roof or in her garden. She may wash herself whenever she wishes. She may speak to anyone she wishes as long as it is not suspicious speech. ... She must wear clothing which is not beautiful or attractive, regardless of whether it be black, green or otherwise.

(أَوْ لِعُذْرٍ) أَيْ كَانْتِقَالِ بَدْوِيَّةٍ وَكَانْتِقَالٍ لِعُذْرٍ فَالْمَعْطُوفُ مَحْذُوفٌ أَيْ يَجُوزُ لِلْمُعْتَدَّةِ أَنْ تَنْتَقِلَ لِعُذْرٍ (لَا يُمْكِنُ الْمُقَامُ مَعَهُ بِمَسْكَنِهَا) (كَسُقُوطِهِ أَوْ خَوْفِ جَارِ سُوءٍ) أَوْ لُصُوصٍ (وَ) إذَا انْتَقَلَتْ (لَزِمَتْ الثَّانِيَ) إلَّا لِعُذْرٍ (وَ) إذَا انْتَقَلَتْ لَزِمَتْ (الثَّالِثَ) وَهَكَذَا، فَإِذَا انْتَقَلَتْ لِغَيْرِ عُذْرٍ رُدَّتْ بِالْقَضَاءِ قَهْرًا عَنْهَا.

A woman in iddah may move for an excuse that makes staying in her home impossible, such as its falling down or fear of a bad neighbor or thieves; she then keeps to the second home (and the third, and so on) unless there is an excuse. If she moves without an excuse she is returned by the court.

(لَا) تَخْرُجُ (لِضَرَرِ جِوَارٍ) بِالنِّسْبَةِ (لِحَاضِرَةٍ) إذْ ضَرَرُ الْجِيرَانِ فِي حَقِّهَا لَيْسَ بِعُذْرٍ يُبِيحُ لَهَا الِانْتِقَالَ بِخِلَافِ الْبَدْوِيَّةِ (وَرَفَعَتْ) أَمْرَهَا (لِلْحَاكِمِ) لِيَكُفَّهُمْ عَنْهَا … (قَوْلُهُ: لَا تَخْرُجُ لِضَرَرٍ) أَيْ كَمُشَاوَرَةٍ بَيْنَهُمْ، وَقَوْلُهُ: فِيمَا مَرَّ أَوْ خَوْفِ جَارِ سُوءٍ أَيْ عَلَى نَفْسِهَا أَوْ أَنَّهُ فِيمَنْ لَا يُمْكِنُهَا الرَّفْعُ وَهَذَا فِيمَنْ يُمْكِنُهَا … فَالْمَدَارُ إذَنْ عَلَى وُجُودِ الْحَاكِمِ وَعَدَمِ وُجُودِهِ فِي الْحَاضِرَةِ وَالْبَادِيَةِ فَمَتَى وُجِدَ الْحَاكِمُ الَّذِي يُزِيلُ الضَّرَرَ إذَا رُفِعَ إلَيْهِ فَلَا تَنْتَقِلُ كَانَتْ حَضَرِيَّةً أَوْ بَدْوِيَّةً وَإِنْ لَمْ يُوجَدْ جَازَ الِانْتِقَالُ كَانَتْ حَضَرِيَّةً أَوْ بَدْوِيَّةً

(Matn) A woman in a town does not move because of harm from neighbors, since for her that is not an excuse that permits moving, unlike the countrywoman; she raises her matter to the ruler (ḥākim) so that he stops them. (Al-Dasūqī) This harm means things like quarrels between them; the earlier excuse of fearing a bad neighbor (2:486, which allows moving) means fear for her own safety, or it concerns a woman who cannot raise the matter to the ruler, while this one concerns a woman who can. On harm from neighbors, the deciding point is whether there is a ruler who will remove the harm when the matter is raised to him: if there is, she does not move, whether in a town or the countryside; if there is not, moving is allowed.

(وَلِلْمُتَوَفَّى عَنْهَا) السُّكْنَى مُدَّةَ عِدَّتِهَا بِشَرْطَيْنِ أَشَارَ لَهُمَا بِقَوْلِهِ (إنْ دَخَلَ بِهَا) وَلَوْ صَغِيرَةً مُطِيقَةً (وَالْمَسْكَنُ) الَّذِي هِيَ سَاكِنَةٌ فِيهِ وَقْتَ الْمَوْتِ (لَهُ) بِمِلْكٍ (أَوْ) إجَارَةٍ وَ (نَقَدَ كِرَاءَهُ) كُلَّهُ قَبْلَ مَوْتِهِ فَلَوْ نَقَدَ الْبَعْضَ فَلَهَا السُّكْنَى بِقَدْرِهِ فَقَطْ، وَهَذَا كُلُّهُ إذَا مَاتَ، وَهِيَ فِي عِصْمَتِهِ، وَلَوْ حُكْمًا وَأَمَّا إنْ مَاتَ، وَهِيَ مُطَلَّقَةٌ بَائِنًا فَالسُّكْنَى ثَابِتَةٌ لَهَا مُطْلَقًا كَانَ الْمَسْكَنُ لَهُ أَمْ لَا، نَقَدَ الْكِرَاءَ أَمْ لَا؛ إذْ هِيَ مُطَلَّقَةٌ فَالسُّكْنَى لَهَا بِلَا شَرْطٍ كَمَا سَيُنَبِّهُ عَلَيْهِ (لَا بِلَا نَقْدٍ) لِلْكِرَاءِ فَلَا سُكْنَى لَهَا (وَهَلْ مُطْلَقًا) كَانَ الْكِرَاءُ وَجِيبَةً أَوْ مُشَاهَرَةً وَهُوَ الرَّاجِحُ؛ لِأَنَّ الْمَالَ صَارَ لِلْوَرَثَةِ جَمِيعًا فَتَدْفَعُ الْأُجْرَةَ مِنْ مَالِهَا

The widow has housing for her iddah on two conditions: the marriage was consummated, and the home she lived in at his death was his, by ownership or by a lease whose rent he had paid in advance (if part was paid, she has housing for that part). If the rent was not paid she has no housing right, on the stronger view, because the estate now belongs to all the heirs, and she pays the rent from her own money.

(وَتَنْتَقِلُ) الْمُعْتَدَّةُ (مِنْ الْمَسْكَنِ) الَّذِي كَانَتْ فِيهِ عِنْدَ الْفُرْقَةِ لِعُذْرٍ، وَذَلِكَ (لِخَوْفٍ مِنْ هَدْمٍ أَوْ غَرَقٍ) عَلَى مَالِهَا أَوْ وَلَدِهَا (أَوْ) لِخَوْفٍ (عَلَى نَفْسِهَا) تَلَفًا أَوْ فَاحِشَةً لِلضَّرُورَةِ الدَّاعِيَةِ إلَى ذَلِكَ

The woman in iddah moves from the home she was in at the separation for an excuse: fear of collapse or flooding (for her property or child), or fear for herself, of being harmed or of indecency, because of the necessity.

(وَكَذَا مُسْتَأْجَرٌ انْقَضَتْ مُدَّتُهُ) وَلَمْ يَرْضَ مَالِكُهُ بِتَجْدِيدِ أُجْرَةِ مِثْلٍ تُنْقَلُ مِنْهُ

Likewise a rented home whose term has ended, if the owner does not agree to renew at the going rent: she is moved from it.

بَلْ قَالَ الرَّافِعِيُّ: الَّذِي أَوْرَدَهُ الْجُمْهُورُ انْتِقَالُهَا إلَى أَقْرَبِ الْمَوَاضِعِ إلَى ذَلِكَ الْمَسْكَنِ

Al-Rāfiʿī says what the majority set out is that she moves to the nearest place to that home (not wherever she wishes).