What are the rulings regarding a man being alone with his wife before consummation, and what are the conditions for this seclusion to be considered valid?

Scholars have agreed that a wife is entitled to the full mahr (dowry) if the husband has consummated the marriage with her, and she is then required to observe the iddah (waiting period), and he retains the right of rajah (revocation of divorce). If he divorces her before consummation or khalwah (seclusion), she is only entitled to half the mahr, and there is no iddah upon her, nor does he have the right of rajah. They differed regarding valid khalwah where intercourse did not occur: does it take the place of consummation in terms of rulings or not? Ahmad held that it takes the place of consummation in establishing the mahr, iddah, and rajah. Abu Hanifah and the old qaul (opinion) of Ash-Shafii held that it takes the place of consummation in establishing the mahr and iddah, but not rajah. As for the new qaul of Ash-Shafii, he held that khalwah does not take the place of consummation in any of the rulings, and he based this on the apparent meaning of the Qur’an which linked the ruling to al-masis (intercourse). As for Malik, multiple opinions have been reported from him. The most preponderant view in this matter is the establishment of the mahr and the obligation of iddah by khalwah. This is what has been narrated from the Companions like Umar, Ali, and Zayd ibn Thabit, and some scholars considered it a consensus. They justified this by stating that it is the presumed occasion for intercourse, or to comfort the wife, or because she enabled him. For khalwah to take the place of consummation, it is stipulated that there should not be a discerning person with them, that she does not prevent herself from him, that they are safe from anyone seeing them, and that the husband is aware of her and capable of intercourse.