Article 12 of Jaafari Personal Status Law

The offer and acceptance must: 1- Be expressed using the word marriage or wedlock; they are not valid using other words. 2- Be in the past tense and with the intention of creating the contract, such as the expression “I married you” or “I wedded you.” If, however, the intention is to report the past, it is not valid and is not concluded. 3- Be in Arabic where possible and within one's ability, even through authorization of an agent. 4 There must be succession and continuity between them. If there is delay and a lengthy interruption between them such as to prevent communication from being realized according to custom, or to prevent its being regarded as a contract according to custom, the contract is void.