Dr. Marawan Shahin, Professor of Hadith and its Sciences, Faculty of Usul Ad-Din (Theology), Al-Azhar Univ. states: “A Muslim should receive the news of the death of any relative including son, daughter, father, mother, brother, sister, husband, etc with forbearance and accepting Allah’s Destiny. Mourning the dead is restricted practically to not wearing adornment and showing joyness. The elapse of the period of mourning the dead does not mean remembering the dead relative or the prohibition of shedding tears when remembering him. There is absolutely nothing wrong with such feelings. Rather, they are encouraged as a sign of showing love towards our dead and in order to let us remember death and take lessons from it.
The period of mourning the dead (represented in not applying adornment) is restricted to three days in case of the death of any relative other than husband in order not to deprive the husband from his rights.
In case of the death of the husband, it is extended in order not to let the widow be exposed to proposals of people seeking her hand in marriage in this period.
However, the two periods do not mean at all not remembering the dead and shedding tears for him.