His statement: “If a woman claims to be married to a man in order to claim maintenance, a bridal gift, or something similar, her claim is heard. But if she claims nothing other than the marriage itself, it is not accepted.” Here, “it is not accepted” means that it is not heard; that is, her claim is not heard.

There is a difference between acceptance and hearing. Hearing means that the judge entertains the claim and examines it, whereas acceptance means accepting the statement of the litigant. For example, a woman claims against a man that she is his wife, and he says, “Absolutely not; I do not know you, nor do you know me.” She replies, “Rather, you are my husband.” They then appear before the judge, who asks her: “Why do you claim that you are his wife?” She says: “So that I may claim the bridal gift from him.” The judge then hears and examines the claim, but he does not accept her statement except on the testimony of witnesses, because she is the claimant.

The same applies to maintenance. The judge asks: “Why do you claim to be married to him?” She says: “Because ever since I married him, he has not spent on me.” Her claim is therefore heard.

His statement, “or something similar,” means financial matters such as housing and the like. Thus, her claim is accepted if, for example, she says: “I claim that I am married to him so that he will rent a house for me,” or something similar. We say: This is a claim that is heard. If she produces evidence, we rule according to what she claims; otherwise, we say to the husband against whom the claim is made: “Swear an oath.” If he swears, he is released, as mentioned previously.

But if she claims nothing but the marriage itself—bringing him before the judge and claiming that she is his wife, or that he married her—and the judge asks: “Why do you make this claim against him? Do you want the bridal gift?” She says: “I do not want maintenance or a bridal gift; rather, I claim that this man is my husband.” The author says that her claim is not heard, because