Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (12/46)

Al-Sharḥ al-MumtiʿIbn al-'Uthaymin

Question: When is acceptance dispensed with—that is, when is a marriage contracted by the offer alone?

Answer: If the guardian is, for example, her paternal cousin and wishes to marry her, he should bring two witnesses and say, “I call you both to witness that I have married my ward, my paternal cousin, so-and-so daughter of so-and-so.” The marriage is then contracted, and there is no need for him to say, “I accept,” because his words, “I have married her,” while he is her guardian, are sufficient.

“And if it is delayed after the offer, it is valid so long as they remain in the same sitting and do not engage in something that interrupts it, …”

His statement, “And if it is delayed after the offer, it is valid so long as they remain in the same sitting,” means that if the acceptance is delayed after the offer—for example, if the guardian says, “I marry my daughter to you,” and after some time the other says, “I accept”—it is valid so long as they remain in the same sitting.

His statement, “and do not engage in something that interrupts it,” means likewise that it is valid provided they do not occupy themselves with something that interrupts it. But if they do engage in something that interrupts it, it is not valid—for example, if he says, “I marry my daughter to you,” then says, “Bring the food,” and, after they have finished eating, the other says, “I accept.”

Likewise, if he makes the offer by saying, “I marry my daughter to you,” then says, “I heard in the news today that such-and-such happened,” and begins discussing the news, then, once he has finished, the man says, “I accept the marriage,” it is not valid, because they occupied themselves with something that interrupts it. Thus, the offer must not be separated from the acceptance by an unrelated interval.

However, if they engage in something that interrupts it involuntarily—for instance, if he says, “I marry my daughter to you,” and, overcome with joy, the other rises and weeps, remaining so for a long time before saying, “I accept”—then it is valid, because this was beyond his control. Likewise, if he is seized by a coughing fit and then says, “I accept,” there is no harm in this, because the interruption occurred for a valid excuse.

مسألة: متى يسقط القبول، أي: متى ينعقد النكاح بالإيجاب فقط؟ الجواب: إذا كان الولي هو ابن العم مثلاً، وأراد أن يتزوجها فليحضر شاهدين، ويقول: أشهدكما أني تزوجت موليتي بنت عمي، فلانة بنت فلان، وينعقد النكاح، ولا حاجة أن يقول: وقبلت؛ لأن كلمة «تزوجتها» وهو وليها كافية. وَإِنْ تَأَخَّرَ عَنِ الإِيجَابِ صَحَّ مَا دَامَا فِي المَجْلِسِ، وَلَمْ يَتَشَاغَلَا بِمَا يَقْطَعُهُ، ........ قوله: «وإن تأخر عن الإيجاب صح ما داما في المجلس»، أي: إن تأخر القبول عن الإيجاب، بأن قال الولي: زوجتك بنتي، وبعد مدة قال: قبلت، يصح ما داما في المجلس. قوله: «ولم يتشاغلا بما يقطعه»، كذلك ـ أيضاً ـ لو لم يتشاغلا بما يقطعه، فإن تشاغلا بما يقطعه ما صح، كأن يقول: زوجتك بنتي، ثم قال: أحضروا الطعام، وحين انتهوا من الأكل قال: قبلت. كذلك ـ أيضاً ـ لو أنه أوجب العقد، بأن قال: زوجتك ابنتي، ثم قال: سمعت في الأخبار اليوم أنه حصل كذا وكذا، وصار يتكلم عن الأخبار، ثم لما انتهى قال الرجل: قبلت النكاح، فلا يصح؛ لأنهما تشاغلا بما يقطعه، فلا بد أن يكون الإيجاب غير مفصول بينه وبين القبول بفاصل أجنبي. فإن تشاغلا بما يقطعه بغير اختيار، مثل أن قال له: زوجتك بنتي، فمن شدة الفرح قام يبكي وأطال البقاء حتى قال: قبلت، فإنه يصح؛ لأن هذا بغير اختياره، أو أصابته سعلة ثم قال: قبلت، فهذا لا بأس به؛ لأن هذا الانفصال كان لعذر.