Question Summary:
Envelope as mahr

Question Detail:

As Salaamu Alaykum 
Respected Mufti Saheb 
I would like to know if a person says the following is he in nikaah :
I suppose to have a ring but all I have is the envelope. I'm giving you this envelope as mahr, do you accept?
She replied: I have accepted 
There were two women and one man present. The entire purpose of this gathering was so that those involved could be married. There was a substantial amount of money in the envelope. 
Was Salaam 

Answer :

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, The Most Merciful.
As-salaamu `alaykum wa-ramatullahi wa-barakatuh.
A Nikaah is established through a proposal (Iijaab) from one party, either the boy or the girl and acceptance (Qubool) from the other party with the express words of Nikaah in the past tense or present tense. For example, the boy says, I have made Nikaah with you or I am making Nikaah with you and the girl says, I have accepted the nikaah with you or I am accepting the Nikaah with you. This proposal (Iejaab) and acceptance (Qabool) must also be in the presence of two adult muslim males or one adult muslim male and two adult muslim females, who understand that a Nikaah is taking place. In the enquired situation, the condition for the validity of Nikaah is not fulfilled. There is no mention of Nikaah at all. The mere exchanging of Mahr does not constitute a Nikaah.[1]
 
And Allah Ta`ala Knows Best.
Hussein Muhammad.
Student Darul Iftaa
Tanzania
Checked and Approved by:
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.