Marriage formula: Difference between revisions

'''Marriage formula''' or '''Sīgha''' (Arabic: {{ia|صیغة النکاح}}) refers to phrases, by saying which a man and a woman enter the marriage contract. According to many [[Shi'a]] [[jurist]]s, the marriage formula should be recited in correct Arabic.

Marriage formula refers to phrases by which a man and a woman enter the marriage contract.<ref>Imām Khomeinī, ''Tawḍīh al-masāʾil'', vol. 2, p. 578.</ref> Marriage formula can only be established by verbal proposition and acceptance and mere consent by the heart is not sufficient.<ref>Ṭabāṭabāʾī Yazdī, ''al-ʿUrwat al-wuthqā'', vol. 2, p. 851.</ref> By proposition, a proposal for the marriage contract offered to another is meant; and acceptance is expressing consent about the proposal given for that contract.

Words of proposition to be recited by the woman<ref>Imām Khomeinī, ''Tawḍīh al-masāʾil'', vol. 2, p. 581.</ref> are: "zawwajtuk-a" (Arabic: {{ia|زَوّجتُک}}) or "ankahtuk-a" (Arabic: {{ia|أنکَحتُکَ}}); <ref>Shūshtarī, ''al-Najʿa fī sharḥ al-Lumʿa'', vol. 8, p. 336.</ref>. Some fiqh scholars have also considered "matta'tuka" (Arabic: {{ia|مَتَّعتُکَ}}) acceptable.<ref>Shūshtarī, ''al-Najʿa fī sharḥ al-Lumʿa'', vol. 8, p. 336.</ref> Words of acceptance to be recited by the man<ref>Imām Khomeinī, ''Tawḍīh al-masāʾil'', vol. 2, p. 581.</ref> are: "qabilt-u al-tazwij" (Arabic: {{ia|قَبِلتُ التَزویج}}), "qabilt-u al-nikah" (Arabic: {{ia|قَبِلتُ النِّکاح}}), "qabilt-u al-tazwij-a wa l-nikah" (Arabic: {{ia|قَبِلتُ التَّزویجَ وَ النَّکاح}}) or "tazawwajt-u" (Arabic: {{ia|تَزَوَّجتُ}}).<ref>Shūshtarī, ''al-Najʿa fī sharḥ al-Lumʿa'', vol. 8, p. 336.</ref>.

Formula for marriage contract has two types: permanent and temporary.<ref>Imām Khomeinī, ''Tawḍīh al-masāʾil'', vol. 2, p. 578.</ref> In the formula for permanent marriage, only the [[mahr]] should be mentioned, but in the formula for temporary marriage, the duration of the marriage should be mentioned in addition to the mahr.<ref>Imām Khomeinī, ''Tawḍīh al-masāʾil'', vol. 2, p. 578.</ref>

{{Main|Permanent marriage}}

In the permanent marriage, if the man and woman are to recite the formula, first the woman should say, "Zawwajtuk-a nafsi ala l-sidaq al-ma'lum" (Arabic: {{ia|زَوَّجتُکَ نَفسی علی الصِداق المَعلوم}}), meaning "I married myself to you upon the known (specified) mahr". Then, the man should say, "qabilt-u al-tazwij ala l-sidaq al-ma'lum" (Arabic: {{ia|قَبِلتُ التَزویج علی الصِداق المَعلوم}}), meaning "I accepted the marriage upon the known (specified) [[mahr]]." He might also only say, "qabilt-u al-tazwij" with the intention of [[marriage]] with the known (specified) mahr.<ref>Imām Khomeinī, ''Tawḍīh al-masāʾil'', vol. 2, p. 581.</ref>

If the man and the woman choose two others as their advocates to recite the Marriage formula, and for example the name of the man is "Ahmad" and the name of the woman is "Fatima", the woman's advocate should say, "Zawwajt-u muwakkilat-i Fatima muwakkiluk-a Ahmad ala l-sidaq al-ma'lum" <ref>{{ia|زَوَّجتُ مُوَکِّلَتی فاطمة مُوَکِّلُکَ أحمَد}}</ref>, meaning, "I made my client Fatima married to your client Ahmad upon the known (specified) mahr". Then, the man's advocate should say, "Qabilt-u al-tazwij li muwakkil-i Ahmad ala l-sidaq al-ma'lum"<ref>{{ia|قَبِلتُ التَّزویج لمُوَکِّلی أحمد علی الصِّداق المَعلوم}}</ref> meaning, "I accepted the marriage for my client Ahmad upon the known (specified) mahr."<ref>Imām Khomeinī, ''Tawḍīh al-masāʾil'', vol. 2, p. 581.</ref>

{{Main|Temporary marriage}}

About the formula for temporary marriage, if the man and the woman recite it themselves, after they specify the duration of marriage and mahr, the woman should say, "Zawwajtuk-a nafsi fi l-muddat-i l-ma'luma ala l-mahr-i l-ma'lum"<ref>زَوَّجتُک نَفسی فی المُدَة المَعلومة علی المَهر المَعلوم</ref>, meaning, "I married myself to you for a specified duration upon the known (specified) mahr"; then, the man should say, "qabilt-u" (Arabic: {{ia|قَبِلتُ}}), meaning "I accepted".<ref>Imām Khomeinī, ''Tawḍīh al-masāʾil'', vol. 2, p. 583.</ref>

If the man and the woman choose two others as their advocates to recite the Marriage formula, first, the woman's advocate should tell the man's advocate, "zawwajt-u muwakkilat-i muwakkiluk-a fi l-muddat-i l-ma'luma ala l-mahr-i l-ma'lum"<ref>{{ia|زَوَّجتُکَ مُوَکِّلَتی مُوَکِّلُکَ فی المُدَة المَعلومة علی المَهرِ المَعلوم}}</ref>, meaning "I made my client married to your client for a specified duration upon the known (specified) mahr". Then, the man's advocate should say, "Qabilt-u al-tazwij li muwakkil-i ha kadha",<ref>"Ha kadha" means "in accordance with the terms and conditions asserted orally by the two parties.</ref>, meaning "I accepted the marriage for my client as such."<ref>Imām Khomeinī, ''Tawḍīh al-masāʾil'', vol. 2, p. 583.</ref>

'''1-''' It has to be recited in Arabic.<ref>Ṭabāṭabāʾī Yazdī, ''al-ʿUrwat al-wuthqā'', vol. 2, p. 851.</ref> However, some jurists have considered non-Arabic formula valid as well, provided that such words are used which convey the meanings of "zawwajt-u" and "qabilt-u".<ref>Imām Khomeinī, ''Tawḍīh al-masāʾil'', vol. 2, p. 585.</ref>

'''7-''' The Marriage formula should be recited in correct manner.<ref>Imām Khomeinī, ''Tawḍīh al-masāʾil'', vol. 2, p. 587.</ref> If even one letter is changed in the formula which changes the meaning, the contract will be void.<ref>Imām Khomeinī, ''Tawḍīh al-masāʾil'', vol. 2, p. 587.</ref>

* Anṣārī, Murtaḍā. ''Sirat al-najat''. Edited by Muḥammad Ḥusayn Fallāḥzāda. Qom: Intishārāt-i Kungira-yi Buzurgdāsht-i Duwistumīn Sālgard-i Tawallud-i Shaykh Anṣārī, 1373 Sh.

* Baḥrānī, Yūsuf b. Aḥmad al-. ''Al-Durar al-najafīyya min al-multaqṭāt al-yūsufīyya''. Beirut: Dār al-Muṣṭafā li-Ihyāʾ al-Turāth, 1423 AH.

* Imām Khomeinī, Sayyid Rūḥ Allāh. ''Tawḍīh al-masāʾil''. Edited by Sayyid Muhammad Husayn Bani Hashimi Khumayni. Qom: Daftar-i Intishārāt-i Islāmī, 1392 Sh.

* Narāqī, Aḥmad b. Muḥammad Mahdī. ''Rasāʾil wa masāʾil''. Qom: Kungira-yi Buzurgdāsht-i Mullā Mahdī and Mullā Aḥmad Narāqī, 1380 Sh.

* Qummī, Abu l-Qāsim b. Muḥammad Ḥasan al-. ''Jāmiʿ al-shatāt''. Tehran: Muʾassisat Kayhān, 1371 Sh.

* Ṣaymarī, Mufliḥ b. Ḥasan al-. ''Ghāyat al-marām fī sharḥ Sharāʾiʿ al-Islām''. Edited by Jaʿfar al-Kawtharāni al-ʿĀmilī. Beirut: 1420 AH.

* Shūshtarī, Muḥammad Taqī. ''Al-Najʿa fī sharḥ al-Lumʿa''. Edited by ʿAlī Akbar Ghaffārī. Tehran: Maktaba al-Ṣadūq, 1369 Sh.

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