The ruling on a woman whose husband dies before consummating the marriage

Question:
If a husband dies before consummating the marriage with his wife, does she inherit from him? Does she observe the waiting period, and is she entitled to the mahr?

Answer:
Yes, if the marriage contract is concluded and he dies before consummating the marriage, she inherits from him. She must observe the 'iddah, she is entitled to the inheritance, and she is entitled to the specified mahr. If he did not specify a mahr for her, she is entitled to the mahr of her peers, as established in the hadith of Ma'qil ibn Sinan al-Ashe'ari, and Ibn Mas'ud issued a ruling to this effect. If the husband dies before consummating the marriage and before specifying a mahr for her, she is entitled to the mahr of her peers, without excess or deficiency. She must observe the 'iddah, and she is entitled to the inheritance.