What is the ruling on a man's proposal of marriage to a woman, without having paid her dowry, then he dies? And does the woman inherit from him and observe the 'iddah (waiting period) for him?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
If a valid Islamic marriage contract ( shar'i) has not been concluded between a man and a woman—meaning there was no offer from the guardian and acceptance from the husband, despite the fulfillment of conditions and absence of impediments—then the woman does not inherit from the man, nor is she required to observe an ' (waiting period) or mourning, because she is not his wife but a stranger to him. If the family of the fiancée had received money from him, they must return it to his heirs.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/6515
Where this answer came from
- Source platform
- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 6515
- Added here
- . This is when the answer was added to El Fatwa, not the fatwa's date.
- Text
- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
- Read the full ruling
- Read the full answer on Ftawy