Are a man and a woman considered a married couple Islamically merely by their mutual agreement to marry and each saying to the other: "You are my wife/husband before Allah/for the rest of my life," prior to the completion of the Islamic marriage contract?

A man and a woman are not considered spouses merely by uttering phrases; rather, a legally valid contract that fulfills the conditions must be concluded. Marriage in Islam holds immense significance; it is a ritual and one of His signs, and its legal stipulations and boundaries must be observed. The Quran describes it as a solemn covenant.