What is the ruling on marriage if suggestive phrases such as "I take you as the lord of the house," or "I accept you as my man," or "I make an alliance with you" are used during its ceremony?

For a marriage to be valid, it must be contracted by the woman's guardian (wali) or his proxy. This includes the offer from the guardian and the acceptance from the suitor, in the presence of two Muslim witnesses who understand the language.

The preponderant opinion is that a marriage is validly contracted by any wording that people consider to be a marriage, regardless of the language or specific terms used. This is the choice of Sheikh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, while others believe that it is only valid with specific phrases such as "I give in marriage" (ankaḥtu) or "I marry" (zawwajtu).

The wording must be clear and explicit in indicating marriage, not through insinuation or suggestion.

It is not permissible for a woman to marry herself due to the Prophet Muhammad's (peace be upon him) saying: "There is no marriage except with a guardian." If a woman does not have a Muslim guardian, the Shariah judge performs the marriage, or the head of the Islamic center/imam of the mosque in non-Islamic countries.