How important is it for the boy and girl to be present at the same place at the time of the marriage? And what happens these days is that the girl is made to sign the marriage papers a day before and the boy a day after. Is this correct?
It should be clear that for a marriage to be valid, it is necessary for the boy and girl or their appointed representatives to make “offer and acceptance” in the marriage ceremony, and for witnesses to be present in the ceremony and hear the “offer and acceptance”. Therefore, in the case of a marriage, if the girl signs the marriage papers a day in advance and appoints someone as her representative, and a day later, the representative accepts the offer on her behalf in the marriage ceremony, then this marriage will be valid.
کما فی الدر المختار: ومن شرائط الایجاب والقبول اتحاد المجلس لو حاضرین، وان طال الخ(ج3،ص14،ط:سعید)۔
وفیہ ایضاً: (و) شرط (حضور شاہدین (حرین) او حر وحرتین (مکلفین سامعین قولہما معا) الخ (ج3،ص31،ط:سعید)۔
وفی الہندیۃ: ویصح التوکیل بالنکاح وان لم یحضرہ الشہود الخ (ج1،ص292،ط:ماجدیہ)۔