Debate over the Sermon of Umar In a famous sermons the...

Debate over the Sermon of Umar In a famous sermons the second caliph Umar banned Mut'a with the following words: "Two Mut'a were practiced during the time of the Prophet: Mut'a of women and Mut'a of Hajj, but I forbid both of them and will punish anyone who practices either." References: Tafsir al-Kabir, by Fakhr al-Razi, v3, commentary of verse 4:24 Musnad Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, v1, p52 Al-Razi summarizes the Sunni interpretation of Umar's words by saying that they were pronounced in a gathering of and no one protested.

Therefore, the situation must have been as follows: either (1) everyone knew that Mut'a was forbidden, so they remained silent; or (2) they all knew that it was permitted, yet they remained silent out of negligence and in order to placate Umar; or (3) they did not know whether it was forbidden or permitted, so they remained silent since the matter had just then…