Ruling on postponing the marriage contract to an unspecified time: Is this permissible?

The questioner : We have heard regarding marriage that one who wishes to propose is not permitted to postpone the marriage contract to a later time. Is this correct, meaning a distant time, such as for a year or a year and a half?

The Shaykh : That is, if a man proposes, it is not permissible to delay the contract to a distant time. This is not something that exists in Islam. Furthermore, its existence would require a text to define what constitutes a long or short period. These are new opinions. It appears that you should speak.