Question: What makes a marriage contract valid in Islam?
﷽
A valid contract consists of three pillars, while the consummation is permitted only after two pre-conditions are met. Consummation is the entrance of the husband and wife into any space in which they can be intimate.
The three pillars of the contract are:
1) the wali, the male guardian of the bride (be it her first marriage or not)
2) the mahal, which is the husband and wife themselves
3) the sigha, or the utterance of obligation and consent
Each of these three have their own conditions to be discussed elsewhere. After these three pillars are met, the couple is married, but they may not consummate their marriage until two pre-conditions are met.
The two pre-conditions of consummation are:
1) the sadaq, which is the dowry paid from husband to wife
2) the shuhud, two upright, male, Muslim witnesses besides the wali.
(Each of these three have their own conditions to be discussed elsewhere.)
Source: Al-Dardir, Al-Sharh al-Saghir
الْأَوَّلُ: (وَلِيٌّ) يَحْصُلُ مِنْهُ وَمِنْ غَيْرِهِ كَزَوْجٍ أَوْ وَكِيلِهِ الْعَقْدُ.
(وَ) الثَّانِي: (مَحَلٌّ) زَوْجٌ وَزَوْجَةٌ.
(وَ) الثَّالِثُ: (صِيغَةٌ) بِإِيجَابٍ وَقَبُولٍ.
وَأَمَّا الصَّدَاقُ فَلَا يَتَوَقَّفُ عَلَيْهِ الْعَقْدُ بِدَلِيلِ صِحَّةِ نِكَاحِ التَّفْوِيضِ بِالْإِجْمَاعِ وَإِنْ كَانَ لَا بُدَّ مِنْهُ فَيَكُونُ شَرْطًا فِي صِحَّتِهِ وَكَذَا الشُّهُودُ، فَلِذَا جَعَلَهُمَا مِنْ شُرُوطِ الصِّحَّةِ فَقَالَ:
(وَصِحَّتُهُ): أَيْ وَشُرُوطُ صِحَّةِ النِّكَاحِ: أَنْ يَكُونَ (بِصَدَاقٍ) وَلَوْ لَمْ يُذْكَرْ حَالَ الْعَقْدِ فَلَا بُدَّ مِنْ ذِكْرِهِ عِنْدَ الدُّخُولِ، أَوْ تَقَرَّرَ صَدَاقُ الْمِثْلِ بِالدُّخُولِ عَلَى مَا سَيَأْتِي بَيَانُهُ.
(وَ) صِحَّتُهُ أَيْضًا: (بِشَهَادَةِ) رَجُلَيْنِ (عَدْلَيْنِ غَيْرِ الْوَلِيِّ) فَلَا يَصِحُّ بِلَا شَهَادَةٍ، أَوْ شَهَادَةِ رَجُلٍ وَامْرَأَتَيْنِ، وَلَا بِشَهَادَةِ فَاسِقَيْنِ، وَلَا بِعَدْلَيْنِ أَحَدُهُمَا الْوَلِيُّ، (وَإِنْ) حَصَلَتْ الشَّهَادَةُ بِهِمَا (بَعْدَ الْعَقْدِ) وَقَبْلَ الدُّخُولِ. وَبَعْضُهُمْ عَدَّهُمَا مِنْ الْأَرْكَانِ نَظَرًا إلَى التَّوَقُّفِ عَلَيْهِمَا، وَإِنْ صَحَّ الْعَقْدُ فِي نَفْسِهِ بِدُونِ ذِكْرِ صَدَاقٍ وَإِحْضَارِ شَاهِدَيْنِ.
Written by Dr. Shadee Elmasry