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Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Nikah Al-Mut’ah, Zina or Sunnah? Mut’ah In The Qur’an ======================= Nikah al-Mut’ah , or simply mut’ah , is marriage between two consenting adults for a specified period of time. It is a form of marriage, which is why it is called a nikah . Since its duration is fixed, it is also often called “temporary marriage”. The woman, before the mut’ah , must NOT be in a pending marriage with anyone else.

Moreover, both parties must be adult believers; and both must be chaste. In exceptional, emergency cases, the man is permitted to enter into a temporary marriage with a chaste Jewish or Christian woman. However, the woman can only marry a chaste Muslim man – whether in mut’ah or in a permanent marriage. In addition, both parties must mutually agree on the dowry and the length of the union. In the case of a woman who has never married, the consent of her father is obligatory for the mut’ah .

Also, the man cannot have sex with her (i.e. the woman who has never married) throughout the agreed duration of their nikah . After the expiration of the marriage, the woman enters into a period of ‘iddah in temporary unions that involved intercourse. The children of such a marriage are legitimate, and belong to the husband; and they inherit him. The spouses in mut’ah too may also inherit each other if their marriage contract explicitly provides for it.

Meanwhile, unlike in permanent marriages, there is no restriction to the number of temporary marriages a man may contract, simultaneously or consecutively. Also, mut’ah is available to single men and woman, as well as to married men, including those who already have four permanent wives. During the life of , sallallahu ‘alaihi wa alihi , temporary marriage was legislated and practiced within the Ummah .

Allah Himself decreed it in His Book, in the Verse of al-Mut’ah : فما استمتعتم به منهن فآتوهن أجورهن فريضة ولا جناح عليكم فيما تراضيتم به من بعد الفريضة إن الله كان عليما حكيما Those of them with whom you contract mut’ah **, give them their prescribed dowries**; and there is no blame on you about what you mutually agree after what is prescribed. Verily, Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise.[^1] This ayah was not revealed like this.

Rather, its original version included extra phrases that leave no doubt about its import. For instance, Imam al-Hakim (d.