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The question

Is the marriage considered valid if the bride did not hear her guardian (Wali) accept the marriage on her behalf, and does her belief that the marriage is invalid affect the validity of the contract?

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Source: FtawySummarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 20261 min readAlso available in العربية
The answer

Offer and acceptance are two fundamental pillars of marriage (nikah). The offer is the statement of the guardian (wali), and the acceptance is the statement of the husband. The marriage is valid even if the husband's statement precedes the guardian's statement, provided it is confirmed by the testimony of two just witnesses. If the husband asks the bride's agent to marry him to her, and he does not hear a response of acceptance from him, then the contract has not been concluded unless it is proven by the testimony of witnesses that they heard him explicitly declare acceptance while the husband's mind was wandering. However, if the agent himself performs the contract or delegates a jurist to perform it on his behalf, and the husband explicitly states acceptance, then the marriage is valid. What comes to mind regarding the invalidity of the marriage has no effect, and it is advised to stay away from obsessive thoughts (waswasah).

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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