Remembrance 5 from Chapter 227
What to say when making the marriage contract
Al-ḥamdu li-llāh, wa-ṣ-ṣalātu ‘alā Rasūli-llāh ṣalla-llāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam.
If [the bridegroom] says: ‘Praise be to Allah and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah. I accept,’ the marriage is valid and these [extra] words between the offer and acceptance will not affect it because it is but little, and it is associated with the contract. However, some of our [Shāfi‘ī] colleagues have said that it invalidates the contract, while others have said that it does not invalidate it and that on the contrary it is mustaḥabb for [the bridegroom] to say it. The correct position, as stated above, is that he should not say that but that if he goes against [that], the marriage contract is not invalidated. And Allah knows best.