It was narrated from 'Abdullah that some people came to him and said:

"A man among us married a woman, but he did not name a dowry for her, and he did not have intercourse with her before he died." 'Abdullah said: 'Since I left the Messenger of Allah I have never been asked a more difficult question than this. Go to someone else.' They kept coming to him for a month, then at the end of that they said: 'Who shall we ask if we do not ask you? You are one of the most prominent Companions of Muhammad in this land and we cannot find anyone else.' He said: 'I will say what I think, and if it is correct then it is from Allah alone, with no partner, and if it is wrong then it is from me and from the Shaitan, and Allah and His Messenger have nothing to do with it. I think she should be given a dowry like that of her peers and no less, with no injustice, and she may inherit from him, and she has to observe the 'Iddah, four months and ten days.'" He said: "And that was heard by some people from Ashja', who stood up and said: 'We bear witness that you have passed the same judgment as the Messenger of Allah did concerning a woman from among us who was called Birwa' bint Washiq.'" He said: "Abdullah was never seen looking so happy as he did on that day, except with having accepted Islam."

أَخْبَرَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ حُجْرٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُسْهِرٍ، عَنْ دَاوُدَ بْنِ أَبِي هِنْدٍ، عَنِ الشَّعْبِيِّ، عَنْ عَلْقَمَةَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، أَنَّهُ أَتَاهُ قَوْمٌ فَقَالُوا إِنَّ رَجُلاً مِنَّا تَزَوَّجَ امْرَأَةً وَلَمْ يَفْرِضْ لَهَا صَدَاقًا وَلَمْ يَجْمَعْهَا إِلَيْهِ حَتَّى مَاتَ . فَقَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ مَا سُئِلْتُ مُنْذُ فَارَقْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَشَدَّ عَلَىَّ مِنْ هَذِهِ فَأْتُوا غَيْرِي . فَاخْتَلَفُوا إِلَيْهِ فِيهَا شَهْرًا ثُمَّ قَالُوا لَهُ فِي آخِرِ ذَلِكَ مَنْ نَسْأَلُ إِنْ لَمْ نَسْأَلْكَ وَأَنْتَ مِنْ جِلَّةِ أَصْحَابِ مُحَمَّدٍ ﷺ بِهَذَا الْبَلَدِ وَلاَ نَجِدُ غَيْرَكَ . قَالَ سَأَقُولُ فِيهَا بِجَهْدِ رَأْيِي فَإِنْ كَانَ صَوَابًا فَمِنَ اللَّهِ وَحْدَهُ لاَ شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَإِنْ كَانَ خَطَأً فَمِنِّي وَمِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ وَاللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ مِنْهُ بُرَآءُ أُرَى أَنْ أَجْعَلَ لَهَا صَدَاقَ نِسَائِهَا لاَ وَكْسَ وَلاَ شَطَطَ وَلَهَا الْمِيرَاثُ وَعَلَيْهَا الْعِدَّةُ أَرْبَعَةَ أَشْهُرٍ وَعَشْرًا . قَالَ وَذَلِكَ بِسَمْعِ أُنَاسٍ مِنْ أَشْجَعَ فَقَامُوا فَقَالُوا نَشْهَدُ أَنَّكَ قَضَيْتَ بِمَا قَضَى بِهِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فِي امْرَأَةٍ مِنَّا يُقَالُ لَهَا بِرْوَعُ بِنْتُ وَاشِقٍ . قَالَ فَمَا رُئِيَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ فَرِحَ فَرْحَةً يَوْمَئِذٍ إِلاَّ بِإِسْلاَمِهِ .