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What is the ruling of Islamic law regarding the death of a man two hours after the marriage contract and before consummating the marriage with his wife?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

A woman whose husband dies before consummation of the marriage must observe an idda (waiting period) of four months and ten days. This is because, upon the marriage contract being concluded, she is considered a wife and falls under the generality of Allah's saying: "And those of you who die and leave wives behind them, they (the wives) shall wait (as regards their marriage) for four months and ten days" (Quran 2:234). And the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "It is not lawful for a woman who believes in Allah and the Last Day to mourn for a deceased person for more than three days, except for her husband, for whom she should mourn for four months and ten days." She is also entitled to the full mahr (dowry) and inheritance.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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