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Fatwa CenterNo difference between seriousness and joking in marriage
Question
If a woman said to a man: "I have married myself off to you", would she be regarded his wife just by that word, given that he said: "I have accepted"? There is a Hadeeth narrated on the authority of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, in which he said: "There are three things in connection with which both joking and seriousness are considered serious." Those include the statement "I have married myself off to you." I have a dire need to know the answer. May Allaah Reward you.
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.
The marriage contract should fulfill the following four conditions: the spouses, the guardian, the witnesses, and the formulation, and once any of those does not exist, the contract will be invalid.
The Hadeeth in question is intended to indicate that there is no difference in the effectiveness of a marriage contract between joking and seriousness if its pillars and conditions are fulfilled. That is clear-cut.
Allaah Knows best.
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