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Pleasure Marriages in Islam
- Thread starter Mock Turtle
- Start date
firedragon
Veteran Member
Absolutely wrong.
dybmh
דניאל יוסף בן מאיר הירש
dybmh
דניאל יוסף בן מאיר הירש
Examples, please?
The Prophet called it Muta and it was practiced during his life, and the companions of the Prophet called 4:24 the verse of Muta. There are many ahadith, are you interested in Sunni or Shiites sources? I will share some.
By the way, Shiite hadiths also say it's hated to do Muta with a virgin unless you don't have sex with her because of the bad reputation it can give to her family and shame it can bring to them. So you can see, it was permissible to do "Muta" to get to know a person as well but although not forbidden, it was discouraged to have sex with a virgin in Muta.
Also parents permission is needed. Also there is a waiting period which if a prostitute wanted to use, she can only do this 4 times a year due to the waiting period and no more. So it can't be by it's form used for prostitution.
Also parents permission is needed. Also there is a waiting period which if a prostitute wanted to use, she can only do this 4 times a year due to the waiting period and no more. So it can't be by it's form used for prostitution.
dybmh
דניאל יוסף בן מאיר הירש
Yes please. I am interested. You can post them here or send a PM.
dybmh
דניאל יוסף בן מאיר הירש
A citation for this would be helpful, and thank you.
Okay, I have midterms coming up and assignments due soon... so I will but just know Sunni view: "It was permitted in beginning of Prophet life but forbidden some time later, made permissible again, and then forbidden forever. "
Shiite View: Was made permissible and nothing abrogated it.
They both call it Muta. When I have time, I will share ahadith, but my question was which one are you interested in "Sunni" or "Shiite" hadiths?
Shiite View: Was made permissible and nothing abrogated it.
They both call it Muta. When I have time, I will share ahadith, but my question was which one are you interested in "Sunni" or "Shiite" hadiths?
Muhammad b. Yahya – Ahmad and ‘Abd Allah, sons of Muhammad b. ‘Isa – ‘Ali b. al-Hakam – Ziyad b. Abi al-Hilal:
I heard Abu ‘Abd Allah, peace be upon him, saying: “There is no problem in doing mut’ah with the virgin as long as he does not have sex with her, for fear of the disgust of the blemish upon her family.”34
Al-Majlisi declares:
صحيح
Sahih
فاما رواه أحمد بن محمد عن محمد بن إسماعيل عن أبى الحسن ظريف عن ابان عن أبي مريم عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام قال: العذراء التي لها أب لا تتزوج متعة إلا باذن أبيها.
Ahmad b. Muhammad – Muhammad b. Isma’il – Abu al-Hasan Zarif – Aban – Abu Maryam – Abu ‘Abd Allah, peace be upon him:
The virgin who has a father cannot be married in mut’ah except with the permission of her father.58
Al-Majlisi comments:
موثق كالصحيح
Muwaththaq ka al-Sahih59
Al-Ruhani also states:
صحيح
Sahih
Ahmad b. Muhammad – Muhammad b. Isma’il – Abu al-Hasan Zarif – Aban – Abu Maryam – Abu ‘Abd Allah, peace be upon him:
The virgin who has a father cannot be married in mut’ah except with the permission of her father.58
Al-Majlisi comments:
موثق كالصحيح
Muwaththaq ka al-Sahih59
Al-Ruhani also states:
صحيح
Sahih
Theoretically, mut’ah can be for as short as one second, or as long as one billion years or more. But, whatever the length, the woman may be required to observe an ‘iddah period immediately after the marital union. If they had sexual intercourse during their mut’ah, or if their private parts touch, ‘iddah becomes obligatory upon the woman. Al-Kulayni reports:
علي بن إبراهيم، عن أبيه، عن ابن أبي عمير، عن حماد، عن الحلبي، عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام في رجل دخل بامرأة قال: إذا التقى الختانان وجب المهر والعدة.
‘Ali b. Ibrahim – his father – Ibn Abi ‘Umayr – Hammad – al-Halabi:
Abu ‘Abd Allah, peace be upon him, said about a man who has sexual intercourse with a woman: “When the two circumcised parts meet, the dowry and the ‘iddah become compulsory.”107
Al-Majlisi says:
حسن
Hasan.108
Al-Ruhani also declares:
صحيح
Sahih.109
Al-Kulayni further documents:
علي، عن أبيه، عن ابن أبي عمير، عن حفص بن البختري، عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام قال: إذا التقي الختانان وجب المهر والعدة والغسل.
‘Ali – his father – Ibn Abi ‘Umayr – Hafs b. al-Bakhtari – Abu ‘Abd Allah, peace be upon him:
When the two circumcised parts meet, the dowry, the ‘iddah and the bath become obligatory.110
Al-Majlisi again states:
حسن
Hasan.111
And al-Ruhani once more submits:
صحيح
Sahih.112
So, basically, the ‘iddah is not obligatory until when the private parts of both spouses meet. Therefore, the question to ask is: did their private parts meet? If the answer is a “yes”, then she must observe the ‘iddah period immediately after their separation.
There are, however, some exceptions. For instance, al-Kulayni records:
حميد بن زياد، عن ابن سماعة، عن محمد بن زياد، عن عبد الله بن سنان، عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام قال: قضى أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام في المتوفى عنها زوجها ولم يمسها قال:لا تنكح حتى تعتد أربعة أشهر وعشرا، عدة المتوفى عنها زوجها.
Humayd b. Ziyad – Ibn Sama’ah – Muhammad b. Ziyad – ‘Abd Allah b. Sinan – Abu ‘Abd Allah, peace be upon him:
Amir al-Muminin, peace be upon him, decided concerning the woman whose husband died, leaving her, before ever having intercourse with her. He said, “She cannot re-marry until after observing the ‘iddah for four months and ten days, the ‘iddah of the woman whose husband dies.”113
Al-Majlisi comments:
موثق
Muwaththaq.114
Therefore, the widow must observe the ‘iddah, whether her private parts ever met that of her dead mut’ah husband, or not.
The other exceptions to the ‘iddah rule are given in this hadith of al-Kulayni:
أبو علي الأشعري، عن محمد بن عبد الجبار، والرزاز، عن أيوب بن نوح، وحميد بن زياد، عن ابن سماعة جميعا، عن صفوان، عن محمد بن حكيم، عن محمد بن مسلم، عن أبي جعفر عليه السلام قال: التي لا تحبل مثلها لا عدة عليها.
Abu ‘Ali al-Ash’ari – Muhammad b. ‘Abd al-Jabbar AND al-Razzaz – Ayyub b. Nuh AND Humayd b. Ziyad – Ibn Sama’ah – Safwan – Muhammad b. Hakim – Muhammad b. Muslim – Abu Ja’far, peace be upon him:
The one whose likes cannot become pregnant, there is no ‘iddah upon her.115
Al-Majlisi declares:
حسن.
Hasan.116
Al-Ruhani agrees with him:
حسن
Hasan.117
This is an obvious reference to underage girls – technically, any female below the age of nine - and women who have absolutely reached their menopause. Normally, mut’ah with an underage girl is not allowed. But, if it happens, then the girl is not required to observe any ‘iddah, even if the man had violated her. As for a woman who has reached her menopause, temporary marriage with her is halal. However, she does not count any ‘iddah after her separation from her mut’ah husband, whether he had intercourse with her or not.
Al-Ṭusi also records:
روى الحسين بن سعيد عن ابن أبي عمير عن حماد ابن عثمان قال: سألت أبا عبد الله عليه السلام عن التي قد يئست من المحيض والتي لا تحيض مثلها قال: ليس عليها عدة.
Al-Husayn b. Sa’id – Ibn Abi ‘Umayr – Hammad b. ‘Uthman:
I asked Abu ‘Abd Allah, peace be upon him, about the one who has despaired of menstruation and the one whose likes do not menstruate. He said, “There is no ‘iddah upon her.”118
Al-Ruhani says:
صحيح
Sahih.119
This reiterates the points in the hadith of Muhammad b. Muslim: the underage girl and the woman who has reached menopause do not observe any ‘iddah after the mut’ah in any circumstance. As for the underage girl, her mut’ah is also invalid, to begin with. Meanwhile, if a woman has apparently reached her menopause, but there is still some doubt about it, then she must observe the required ‘iddah if her temporary husband had intercourse with her.120
In any case, most Shi’i men would never go into mut’ah with an underage girl, due to its invalidity; and most of them would not want to do it with women above menopause either. Therefore, a typical temporary wife observes the ‘iddah after it, if the union involved sexual intercourse. If there was no consummation of the nikah, then the woman is free to re-marry immediately after it without counting any ‘iddah – except, of course, where the mut’ah husband died during the marriage, as we have already mentioned.
Let us now go into the various ‘iddah counts for mut’ah. For women whose temporary husbands die, their ‘iddah period is stipulated in this ayah:
والذين يتوفون منكم ويذرون أزواجا يتربصن بأنفسهن أربعة أشهر وعشرا
And those of you who die and leave wives behind them, they (the wives) shall wait for four months and ten days.121
The verse is universal, and applies equally to permanent and temporary marriages. It is direct and explicit. The widow in a mut’ah must observe ‘iddah for four months and ten days. It also does not matter, as discussed above, whether she had intercourse with her dead husband or not. Let us bring back al-Kulayni’s hadith once again:
حميد بن زياد، عن ابن سماعة، عن محمد بن زياد، عن عبد الله بن سنان، عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام قال: قضى أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام في المتوفى عنها زوجها ولم يمسها قال:لا تنكح حتى تعتد أربعة أشهر وعشرا، عدة المتوفى عنها زوجها.
Humayd b. Ziyad – Ibn Sama’ah – Muhammad b. Ziyad – ‘Abd Allah b. Sinan – Abu ‘Abd Allah, peace be upon him:
Amir al-Muminin, peace be upon him, decided concerning the woman whose husband died, leaving her, before ever having intercourse with her. He said, “She cannot re-marry until after observing the ‘iddah for four months and ten days, the ‘iddah of the woman whose husband dies.”122
Al-Majlisi rules:
موثق
Muwaththaq.123
Al-Ṭusi also records:
روى محمد بن أحمد بن يحيى عن علي بن إسماعيل عن صفوان عن عبد الرحمن بن الحجاج قال: سألت أبا عبد الله عليه السلام عن المرأة يتزوجها الرجل متعة ثم يتوفى عنها زوجها هل عليها العدة؟ فقال: تعتد أربعة أشهر وعشرا فإذا انقضت أيامها وهو حي فحيضة ونصف مثل ما يجب على الأمة
Muhammad b. Ahmad b. Yahya – ‘Ali b. Isma’il – Safwan – ‘Abd al-Rahman b. al-Hajjaj:
I asked Abu ‘Abd Allah, peace be upon him, about the woman who is married by her husband in mut’ah, then her husband died and left her: “Must she observe the ‘iddah?” So, he said, “She observes the ‘iddah for four months and ten days. But, if its days expire and he is alive, then it is one and a half month, the like of that which is obligatory upon the slave woman”124
Al-Ruhani says:
صحيح
Sahih.125
Therefore, where the temporary husband dies, the wife observes an ‘iddah of four months and ten days. But, as the hadith also indicates, where both parties are alive at the expiration of the mut’ah, the woman only observes an ‘iddah of one and a half month – forty-five days. Al-Kulayni reports this further confirmation:
محمد بن يحيى، عن أحمد بن محمد، عن ابن فضال، عن ابن بكير، عن زرارة قال: عدة المتعة خمسة وأربعون يوما كأني أنظر إلى أبي جعفر عليه السلام يعقد بيده خمسة وأربعين فإذا جاز الاجل كانت فرقة بغير طلاق.
Muhammad b. Yahya – Ahmad b. Muhammad – Ibn Faḍḍal – Ibn Bukayr – Zurarah:
The ‘iddah of mut’ah is forty-five days. It is as though I am looking at Abu Ja’far, peace be upon him, forming “forty-five” with his hand. When the term (of the mut’ah) expires, there is separation (between the spouses) without divorce.126
And al-Majlisi states:
موثق
Muwaththaq.127
علي بن إبراهيم، عن أبيه، عن ابن أبي عمير، عن حماد، عن الحلبي، عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام في رجل دخل بامرأة قال: إذا التقى الختانان وجب المهر والعدة.
‘Ali b. Ibrahim – his father – Ibn Abi ‘Umayr – Hammad – al-Halabi:
Abu ‘Abd Allah, peace be upon him, said about a man who has sexual intercourse with a woman: “When the two circumcised parts meet, the dowry and the ‘iddah become compulsory.”107
Al-Majlisi says:
حسن
Hasan.108
Al-Ruhani also declares:
صحيح
Sahih.109
Al-Kulayni further documents:
علي، عن أبيه، عن ابن أبي عمير، عن حفص بن البختري، عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام قال: إذا التقي الختانان وجب المهر والعدة والغسل.
‘Ali – his father – Ibn Abi ‘Umayr – Hafs b. al-Bakhtari – Abu ‘Abd Allah, peace be upon him:
When the two circumcised parts meet, the dowry, the ‘iddah and the bath become obligatory.110
Al-Majlisi again states:
حسن
Hasan.111
And al-Ruhani once more submits:
صحيح
Sahih.112
So, basically, the ‘iddah is not obligatory until when the private parts of both spouses meet. Therefore, the question to ask is: did their private parts meet? If the answer is a “yes”, then she must observe the ‘iddah period immediately after their separation.
There are, however, some exceptions. For instance, al-Kulayni records:
حميد بن زياد، عن ابن سماعة، عن محمد بن زياد، عن عبد الله بن سنان، عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام قال: قضى أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام في المتوفى عنها زوجها ولم يمسها قال:لا تنكح حتى تعتد أربعة أشهر وعشرا، عدة المتوفى عنها زوجها.
Humayd b. Ziyad – Ibn Sama’ah – Muhammad b. Ziyad – ‘Abd Allah b. Sinan – Abu ‘Abd Allah, peace be upon him:
Amir al-Muminin, peace be upon him, decided concerning the woman whose husband died, leaving her, before ever having intercourse with her. He said, “She cannot re-marry until after observing the ‘iddah for four months and ten days, the ‘iddah of the woman whose husband dies.”113
Al-Majlisi comments:
موثق
Muwaththaq.114
Therefore, the widow must observe the ‘iddah, whether her private parts ever met that of her dead mut’ah husband, or not.
The other exceptions to the ‘iddah rule are given in this hadith of al-Kulayni:
أبو علي الأشعري، عن محمد بن عبد الجبار، والرزاز، عن أيوب بن نوح، وحميد بن زياد، عن ابن سماعة جميعا، عن صفوان، عن محمد بن حكيم، عن محمد بن مسلم، عن أبي جعفر عليه السلام قال: التي لا تحبل مثلها لا عدة عليها.
Abu ‘Ali al-Ash’ari – Muhammad b. ‘Abd al-Jabbar AND al-Razzaz – Ayyub b. Nuh AND Humayd b. Ziyad – Ibn Sama’ah – Safwan – Muhammad b. Hakim – Muhammad b. Muslim – Abu Ja’far, peace be upon him:
The one whose likes cannot become pregnant, there is no ‘iddah upon her.115
Al-Majlisi declares:
حسن.
Hasan.116
Al-Ruhani agrees with him:
حسن
Hasan.117
This is an obvious reference to underage girls – technically, any female below the age of nine - and women who have absolutely reached their menopause. Normally, mut’ah with an underage girl is not allowed. But, if it happens, then the girl is not required to observe any ‘iddah, even if the man had violated her. As for a woman who has reached her menopause, temporary marriage with her is halal. However, she does not count any ‘iddah after her separation from her mut’ah husband, whether he had intercourse with her or not.
Al-Ṭusi also records:
روى الحسين بن سعيد عن ابن أبي عمير عن حماد ابن عثمان قال: سألت أبا عبد الله عليه السلام عن التي قد يئست من المحيض والتي لا تحيض مثلها قال: ليس عليها عدة.
Al-Husayn b. Sa’id – Ibn Abi ‘Umayr – Hammad b. ‘Uthman:
I asked Abu ‘Abd Allah, peace be upon him, about the one who has despaired of menstruation and the one whose likes do not menstruate. He said, “There is no ‘iddah upon her.”118
Al-Ruhani says:
صحيح
Sahih.119
This reiterates the points in the hadith of Muhammad b. Muslim: the underage girl and the woman who has reached menopause do not observe any ‘iddah after the mut’ah in any circumstance. As for the underage girl, her mut’ah is also invalid, to begin with. Meanwhile, if a woman has apparently reached her menopause, but there is still some doubt about it, then she must observe the required ‘iddah if her temporary husband had intercourse with her.120
In any case, most Shi’i men would never go into mut’ah with an underage girl, due to its invalidity; and most of them would not want to do it with women above menopause either. Therefore, a typical temporary wife observes the ‘iddah after it, if the union involved sexual intercourse. If there was no consummation of the nikah, then the woman is free to re-marry immediately after it without counting any ‘iddah – except, of course, where the mut’ah husband died during the marriage, as we have already mentioned.
Let us now go into the various ‘iddah counts for mut’ah. For women whose temporary husbands die, their ‘iddah period is stipulated in this ayah:
والذين يتوفون منكم ويذرون أزواجا يتربصن بأنفسهن أربعة أشهر وعشرا
And those of you who die and leave wives behind them, they (the wives) shall wait for four months and ten days.121
The verse is universal, and applies equally to permanent and temporary marriages. It is direct and explicit. The widow in a mut’ah must observe ‘iddah for four months and ten days. It also does not matter, as discussed above, whether she had intercourse with her dead husband or not. Let us bring back al-Kulayni’s hadith once again:
حميد بن زياد، عن ابن سماعة، عن محمد بن زياد، عن عبد الله بن سنان، عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام قال: قضى أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام في المتوفى عنها زوجها ولم يمسها قال:لا تنكح حتى تعتد أربعة أشهر وعشرا، عدة المتوفى عنها زوجها.
Humayd b. Ziyad – Ibn Sama’ah – Muhammad b. Ziyad – ‘Abd Allah b. Sinan – Abu ‘Abd Allah, peace be upon him:
Amir al-Muminin, peace be upon him, decided concerning the woman whose husband died, leaving her, before ever having intercourse with her. He said, “She cannot re-marry until after observing the ‘iddah for four months and ten days, the ‘iddah of the woman whose husband dies.”122
Al-Majlisi rules:
موثق
Muwaththaq.123
Al-Ṭusi also records:
روى محمد بن أحمد بن يحيى عن علي بن إسماعيل عن صفوان عن عبد الرحمن بن الحجاج قال: سألت أبا عبد الله عليه السلام عن المرأة يتزوجها الرجل متعة ثم يتوفى عنها زوجها هل عليها العدة؟ فقال: تعتد أربعة أشهر وعشرا فإذا انقضت أيامها وهو حي فحيضة ونصف مثل ما يجب على الأمة
Muhammad b. Ahmad b. Yahya – ‘Ali b. Isma’il – Safwan – ‘Abd al-Rahman b. al-Hajjaj:
I asked Abu ‘Abd Allah, peace be upon him, about the woman who is married by her husband in mut’ah, then her husband died and left her: “Must she observe the ‘iddah?” So, he said, “She observes the ‘iddah for four months and ten days. But, if its days expire and he is alive, then it is one and a half month, the like of that which is obligatory upon the slave woman”124
Al-Ruhani says:
صحيح
Sahih.125
Therefore, where the temporary husband dies, the wife observes an ‘iddah of four months and ten days. But, as the hadith also indicates, where both parties are alive at the expiration of the mut’ah, the woman only observes an ‘iddah of one and a half month – forty-five days. Al-Kulayni reports this further confirmation:
محمد بن يحيى، عن أحمد بن محمد، عن ابن فضال، عن ابن بكير، عن زرارة قال: عدة المتعة خمسة وأربعون يوما كأني أنظر إلى أبي جعفر عليه السلام يعقد بيده خمسة وأربعين فإذا جاز الاجل كانت فرقة بغير طلاق.
Muhammad b. Yahya – Ahmad b. Muhammad – Ibn Faḍḍal – Ibn Bukayr – Zurarah:
The ‘iddah of mut’ah is forty-five days. It is as though I am looking at Abu Ja’far, peace be upon him, forming “forty-five” with his hand. When the term (of the mut’ah) expires, there is separation (between the spouses) without divorce.126
And al-Majlisi states:
موثق
Muwaththaq.127
However, there is some further explanation, which al-Ṭusi has recorded:
محمد بن يعقوب عن علي بن إبراهيم عن أبيه عن ابن أبي عمير عن ابن أذينة عن زرارة عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام أنه قال: عدة المتعة ان كانت تحيض فحيضة وإن كانت لا تحيض فشهر ونصف.
Muhammad b. Ya’qub – ‘Ali b. Ibrahim – his father – Ibn Abi ‘Umayr – Ibn Uzaynah – Zurarah – Abu ‘Abd Allah, peace be upon him:
The ‘iddah of mut’ah, IF SHE MENSTRUATES, is one menstruation. But, if she does not menstruate, then it is one and a half month.128
Al-Ruhani comments:
صحيح
Sahih.129
The Sunni Imam, ‘Abd al-Razzaq (d. 211 H), has a similar hadith:
عبد الرزاق عن ابن جريج قال: أخبرني أبو الزبير قال: سمعت جابر بن عبد الله يقول: استمتعنا أصحاب النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم، حتى نهي عمرو بن حريث، قال: وقال جابر: إذا انقضى الأجل فبدا لهما أن يتعاودا، فليمهرها مهرا آخر، قال: وسأله بعضنا كم تعتد؟ قال: حيضة واحدة
‘Abd al-Razzaq – Ibn Jurayj – Abu al-Zubayr – Jabir b. ‘Abd Allah:
“We, the Sahabah of the Prophet, peace be upon him, did mut’ah until ‘Amr b. Hurayth was forbidden.”
Jabir also said, “When the time expires, and both (spouses) wish to repeat (the mut’ah), then he must give her another dowry”. One of us asked him, “How long is her ‘iddah?” He said, “A single menstruation.”130
This riwayah is hasan, as we have established in the Preface.
Thus, the ‘iddah of forty-five days is only for women who do not menstruate. This obviously refers to women whose likes menstruate, and whose likes get pregnant. However, they do not menstruate, perhaps due to certain medical conditions or situations. For a woman who menstruates, her ‘iddah lasts till the end of a menstrual period.
Then, there is this hadith of al-Kulayni:
علي بن إبراهيم، عن أبيه، عن ابن أبي عمير، عن عمر بن أذينة، عن إسماعيل ابن الفضل الهاشمي قال: سألت أبا عبد الله عليه السلام عن المتعة فقال: الق عبد الملك بن جريج فسله عنها فإن عنده منها علما فلقيته فأملى علي منها شيئا كثيرا في استحلالها فكان فيما روى لي ابن جريج قال: ليس فيها وقت ولا عدد إنما هي بمنزلة الإماء يتزوج منهن كم شاء وصاحب الأربع نسوة يتزوج منهن ما شاء بغير ولي ولا شهود فإذا انقضى الاجل بانت منه بغير طلاق ويعطيها الشئ اليسير وعدتها حيضتان وإن كانت لا تحيض فخمسة وأربعون يوما فأتيت بالكتاب أبا عبد الله عليه السلام فعرضت عليه فقال: صدق وأقر به قال: ابن أذينة و كان زرارة بن أعين يقول هذا ويحلف أنه الحق إلا أنه كان يقول: إن كانت تحيض فحيضة وإن كانت لا تحيض فشهر ونصف.
‘Ali b. Ibrahim – his father – Ibn Abi ‘Umayr – ‘Umar b. Uzaynah – Isma’il b. al-Faḍl al-Hashimi:
I asked Abu ‘Abd Allah, peace be upon him, concerning mut’ah, and he said, “Meet ‘Abd al-Malik b. Jurayj and ask him about it, for he has knowledge of it.” So, I met him, and he dictated to me of it a lot of things concerning its legitimacy. And part of what Ibn Jurayj narrated to me, he said: “There is no specific length or any (maximum) number (of the wives) in it. They are only of the status of slave women: he marries any number of them as he wishes, and the husband of four women (also) marries from them whatever he wishes, with no wali or witnesses. When the (agreed) term expires, she separates from him without divorce, and he gives her the small thing; and her ‘iddah is two menstruations, and if she does not menstruate, then forty-five days.”
Then, I brought the document to Abu ‘Abd Allah, peace be upon him, and I presented to him. So, he said, “He spoke the truth”, and he confirmed it.
Ibn Uzaynah said: Zurarah b. A’yan used to say, “This”, and he would swear, “is the truth”, except that he used to say: “If she menstruates, then it is a menstruation; and if she does not menstruate, then a month and a half”.131
Al-Majlisi declares:
حسن
Hasan.132
Ayatullah al-Ruhani also states:
صحيح أو حسن
Sahih or Hasan.133
‘Abd al-Malik b. Jurayj (d. 150 H) was a giant Sunni scholar of that era. He was apparently one of the few Salaf who still believed in mut’ah. Imam al-Dhahabi (d. 748 H) documents about him:
قال أبو غسان زنيج: سمعت جريرا الضبي يقول: كان ابن جريج يرى المتعة، تزوج بستين امرأة. وقيل: إنه عهد إلى أولاده في أسمائهن لئلا يغلط أحد منهم ويتزوج واحدة مما نكح أبوه بالمتعة.
Abu Ghassan Zunayj said: I heard Jarir al-Ḍabi saying: “Ibn Jurayj believed in the legitimacy of mut’ah. He married sixty women. And it is said that he informed his children of their names, in case one of them made a mistake and married one of those whom his father had married in mut’ah.”134
He also records:
وقال محمد بن عبد الله بن عبد الحكم، سمعت الشافعي يقول: استمتع ابن جريج بتسعين امرأة
Muhammad b. ‘Abd Allah b. ‘Abd al-Hakam said: I heard al-Shafi’i saying: “Ibn Jurayj did mut’ah with ninety women.”135
The practice of Ibn Jurayj is interesting. Mut’ah is technically a tool of necessity. But, was he really pushed by necessity into marrying sixty or ninety women?! Or, was he only abusing it? Well, perhaps, one may say that he was forced by the needs of those women, rather than his own. He only wanted to help them – to keep them company, privately discuss their problems with them, do his best to help them, and maybe also satisfy their sexual needs. So, he would be making a lot of personal sacrifices to help women of Islam (or those of Judaism and Christianity) who had no one by their side.
Anyway, Ibn Jurayj stated that the ‘iddah of a woman who menstruated was two menstruations, and Imam al-Sadiq, ‘alaihi al-salam, confirmed his statement. This then establishes that the ‘iddah for a woman in mut’ah who menstruates is of two types: (i) a menstruation or (ii) two menstruations. Both types are proved in the authentic ahadith of the Ahl al-Bayt. It then depends upon the choice of the two parties, whichever type they agreed upon in their mut’ah contract. Al-Majlisi submits in this regard:
وحمل الزائدة على الحيضة على الاستحباب لا يخلو من قوة
The classification of the addition upon the (single) menstruation as mustahab (recommended) is not devoid of strength.136
So, the two-menstruation type could be classified as the mustahab, and the one-menstruation type as the standard. Nonetheless, what matters most to our research is that both types are correct; and that either of them is validly available to the mut’ah spouses. Meanwhile, if the woman does not menstruate – and her likes do – then, her ‘iddah is immutably fixed at forty-five days. No options are given in such a case.
What then happens if the woman in a concluded mut’ah is pregnant from it? How long is her ‘iddah? Shaykh al-Kulayni reports:
حميد بن زياد، عن ابن سماعة، عن محمد بن زياد، عن عبد الله بن سنان، عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام قال: الحبلى المتوفى عنها زوجها عدتها آخر الأجلين.
Humayd b. Ziyad – Ibn Sama’ah – Muhammad b. Ziyad – ‘Abd Allah b. Sinan – Abu ‘Abd Allah, peace be upon him:
The pregnant wife whose husband dies and leaves her, her ‘iddah is the longer of the two periods.137
Al-Majlisi comments:
موثق
Muwaththaq.138
The two periods are her standard ‘iddah - had she not been pregnant - and her expected delivery date. For a widow, the ‘iddah is four months and ten days. If she is pregnant, however, and her expected delivery date is more than four months and ten days, then her ‘iddah shall be until she delivers. However, if her expected delivery date is shorter than four months and ten days, then the standard ‘iddah of the widow shall apply. In the same manner, if she prematurely delivers, or she has a miscarriage, before four months and ten days, in that case, her ‘iddah shall be only four months and ten days.
Al-Kulayni also documents:
عدة من أصحابنا، عن أحمد بن محمد بن خالد، وعلي بن إبراهيم، عن أبيه، عن عثمان بن عيسى، عن سماعة قال: قال: المتوفى عنها زوجها الحامل أجلها آخر الأجلين إذا كانت حبلى فتمت لها أربعة أشهر وعشر ولم تضع فإن عدتها إلى أن تضع وإن كانت تضع حملها قبل أن يتم لها أربعة أشهر وعشرا تعتد بعدما تضع تمام أربعة أشهر و عشرا وذلك أبعد الأجلين.
A number of our companions – Ahmad b. Muhammad b. Khalid AND ‘Ali b. Ibrahim – his father – ‘Uthman b. ‘Isa – Sama’ah:
The pregnant wife whose husband dies and leaves her, her period shall be the longer of the two periods. If she is pregnant, and four months and ten days pass while she still has not delivered, then her ‘iddah shall be until she delivers. But, if she delivers her pregnancy before the completion of four months and ten days, she observes the ‘iddah after her delivery until the completion of four months and ten days. And that is the longer of the two periods.139
Al-Majlisi says:
موثق وعليه الفتوى
Muwaththaq, and upon it is the fatwa.140
Al-Ruhani concurs too:
موثق
Muwaththaq.141
This, however, is for a pregnant widow – whether in a permanent marriage or in a mut’ah. What then about the temporary wife who is pregnant and her husband is alive, at the time of their separation? The Qur’an gives the answer very clearly:
وأولات الأحمال أجلهن أن يضعن حملهن
And for those who are pregnant, their (waiting) period is until they deliver their pregnancies.142
Al-Kulayni also documents:
علي بن إبراهيم، عن أبيه، عن ابن أبي نجران، عن عاصم بن حميد، عن محمد ابن قيس، عن أبي جعفر عليه السلام قال: الحامل أجلها أن تضع حملها وعليه نفقتها بالمعروف حتى تضع حملها.
‘Ali b. Ibrahim – his father – Ibn Abi Najran – ‘Asim b. Humayd – Muhammad b. Qays – Abu Ja’far, peace be upon him:
The (waiting) period of the pregnant woman is until she delivers her pregnancy; and upon him (i.e. the husband) is her good maintenance until she delivers her pregnancy.143
Al-Majlisi says:
حسن
Hasan.144
And al-Ruhani also declares:
صحيح أو حسن
Sahih or Hasan.145
This obviously raises the possibility that the ‘iddah of the mut’ah wife could be as long as nine months.
محمد بن يعقوب عن علي بن إبراهيم عن أبيه عن ابن أبي عمير عن ابن أذينة عن زرارة عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام أنه قال: عدة المتعة ان كانت تحيض فحيضة وإن كانت لا تحيض فشهر ونصف.
Muhammad b. Ya’qub – ‘Ali b. Ibrahim – his father – Ibn Abi ‘Umayr – Ibn Uzaynah – Zurarah – Abu ‘Abd Allah, peace be upon him:
The ‘iddah of mut’ah, IF SHE MENSTRUATES, is one menstruation. But, if she does not menstruate, then it is one and a half month.128
Al-Ruhani comments:
صحيح
Sahih.129
The Sunni Imam, ‘Abd al-Razzaq (d. 211 H), has a similar hadith:
عبد الرزاق عن ابن جريج قال: أخبرني أبو الزبير قال: سمعت جابر بن عبد الله يقول: استمتعنا أصحاب النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم، حتى نهي عمرو بن حريث، قال: وقال جابر: إذا انقضى الأجل فبدا لهما أن يتعاودا، فليمهرها مهرا آخر، قال: وسأله بعضنا كم تعتد؟ قال: حيضة واحدة
‘Abd al-Razzaq – Ibn Jurayj – Abu al-Zubayr – Jabir b. ‘Abd Allah:
“We, the Sahabah of the Prophet, peace be upon him, did mut’ah until ‘Amr b. Hurayth was forbidden.”
Jabir also said, “When the time expires, and both (spouses) wish to repeat (the mut’ah), then he must give her another dowry”. One of us asked him, “How long is her ‘iddah?” He said, “A single menstruation.”130
This riwayah is hasan, as we have established in the Preface.
Thus, the ‘iddah of forty-five days is only for women who do not menstruate. This obviously refers to women whose likes menstruate, and whose likes get pregnant. However, they do not menstruate, perhaps due to certain medical conditions or situations. For a woman who menstruates, her ‘iddah lasts till the end of a menstrual period.
Then, there is this hadith of al-Kulayni:
علي بن إبراهيم، عن أبيه، عن ابن أبي عمير، عن عمر بن أذينة، عن إسماعيل ابن الفضل الهاشمي قال: سألت أبا عبد الله عليه السلام عن المتعة فقال: الق عبد الملك بن جريج فسله عنها فإن عنده منها علما فلقيته فأملى علي منها شيئا كثيرا في استحلالها فكان فيما روى لي ابن جريج قال: ليس فيها وقت ولا عدد إنما هي بمنزلة الإماء يتزوج منهن كم شاء وصاحب الأربع نسوة يتزوج منهن ما شاء بغير ولي ولا شهود فإذا انقضى الاجل بانت منه بغير طلاق ويعطيها الشئ اليسير وعدتها حيضتان وإن كانت لا تحيض فخمسة وأربعون يوما فأتيت بالكتاب أبا عبد الله عليه السلام فعرضت عليه فقال: صدق وأقر به قال: ابن أذينة و كان زرارة بن أعين يقول هذا ويحلف أنه الحق إلا أنه كان يقول: إن كانت تحيض فحيضة وإن كانت لا تحيض فشهر ونصف.
‘Ali b. Ibrahim – his father – Ibn Abi ‘Umayr – ‘Umar b. Uzaynah – Isma’il b. al-Faḍl al-Hashimi:
I asked Abu ‘Abd Allah, peace be upon him, concerning mut’ah, and he said, “Meet ‘Abd al-Malik b. Jurayj and ask him about it, for he has knowledge of it.” So, I met him, and he dictated to me of it a lot of things concerning its legitimacy. And part of what Ibn Jurayj narrated to me, he said: “There is no specific length or any (maximum) number (of the wives) in it. They are only of the status of slave women: he marries any number of them as he wishes, and the husband of four women (also) marries from them whatever he wishes, with no wali or witnesses. When the (agreed) term expires, she separates from him without divorce, and he gives her the small thing; and her ‘iddah is two menstruations, and if she does not menstruate, then forty-five days.”
Then, I brought the document to Abu ‘Abd Allah, peace be upon him, and I presented to him. So, he said, “He spoke the truth”, and he confirmed it.
Ibn Uzaynah said: Zurarah b. A’yan used to say, “This”, and he would swear, “is the truth”, except that he used to say: “If she menstruates, then it is a menstruation; and if she does not menstruate, then a month and a half”.131
Al-Majlisi declares:
حسن
Hasan.132
Ayatullah al-Ruhani also states:
صحيح أو حسن
Sahih or Hasan.133
‘Abd al-Malik b. Jurayj (d. 150 H) was a giant Sunni scholar of that era. He was apparently one of the few Salaf who still believed in mut’ah. Imam al-Dhahabi (d. 748 H) documents about him:
قال أبو غسان زنيج: سمعت جريرا الضبي يقول: كان ابن جريج يرى المتعة، تزوج بستين امرأة. وقيل: إنه عهد إلى أولاده في أسمائهن لئلا يغلط أحد منهم ويتزوج واحدة مما نكح أبوه بالمتعة.
Abu Ghassan Zunayj said: I heard Jarir al-Ḍabi saying: “Ibn Jurayj believed in the legitimacy of mut’ah. He married sixty women. And it is said that he informed his children of their names, in case one of them made a mistake and married one of those whom his father had married in mut’ah.”134
He also records:
وقال محمد بن عبد الله بن عبد الحكم، سمعت الشافعي يقول: استمتع ابن جريج بتسعين امرأة
Muhammad b. ‘Abd Allah b. ‘Abd al-Hakam said: I heard al-Shafi’i saying: “Ibn Jurayj did mut’ah with ninety women.”135
The practice of Ibn Jurayj is interesting. Mut’ah is technically a tool of necessity. But, was he really pushed by necessity into marrying sixty or ninety women?! Or, was he only abusing it? Well, perhaps, one may say that he was forced by the needs of those women, rather than his own. He only wanted to help them – to keep them company, privately discuss their problems with them, do his best to help them, and maybe also satisfy their sexual needs. So, he would be making a lot of personal sacrifices to help women of Islam (or those of Judaism and Christianity) who had no one by their side.
Anyway, Ibn Jurayj stated that the ‘iddah of a woman who menstruated was two menstruations, and Imam al-Sadiq, ‘alaihi al-salam, confirmed his statement. This then establishes that the ‘iddah for a woman in mut’ah who menstruates is of two types: (i) a menstruation or (ii) two menstruations. Both types are proved in the authentic ahadith of the Ahl al-Bayt. It then depends upon the choice of the two parties, whichever type they agreed upon in their mut’ah contract. Al-Majlisi submits in this regard:
وحمل الزائدة على الحيضة على الاستحباب لا يخلو من قوة
The classification of the addition upon the (single) menstruation as mustahab (recommended) is not devoid of strength.136
So, the two-menstruation type could be classified as the mustahab, and the one-menstruation type as the standard. Nonetheless, what matters most to our research is that both types are correct; and that either of them is validly available to the mut’ah spouses. Meanwhile, if the woman does not menstruate – and her likes do – then, her ‘iddah is immutably fixed at forty-five days. No options are given in such a case.
What then happens if the woman in a concluded mut’ah is pregnant from it? How long is her ‘iddah? Shaykh al-Kulayni reports:
حميد بن زياد، عن ابن سماعة، عن محمد بن زياد، عن عبد الله بن سنان، عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام قال: الحبلى المتوفى عنها زوجها عدتها آخر الأجلين.
Humayd b. Ziyad – Ibn Sama’ah – Muhammad b. Ziyad – ‘Abd Allah b. Sinan – Abu ‘Abd Allah, peace be upon him:
The pregnant wife whose husband dies and leaves her, her ‘iddah is the longer of the two periods.137
Al-Majlisi comments:
موثق
Muwaththaq.138
The two periods are her standard ‘iddah - had she not been pregnant - and her expected delivery date. For a widow, the ‘iddah is four months and ten days. If she is pregnant, however, and her expected delivery date is more than four months and ten days, then her ‘iddah shall be until she delivers. However, if her expected delivery date is shorter than four months and ten days, then the standard ‘iddah of the widow shall apply. In the same manner, if she prematurely delivers, or she has a miscarriage, before four months and ten days, in that case, her ‘iddah shall be only four months and ten days.
Al-Kulayni also documents:
عدة من أصحابنا، عن أحمد بن محمد بن خالد، وعلي بن إبراهيم، عن أبيه، عن عثمان بن عيسى، عن سماعة قال: قال: المتوفى عنها زوجها الحامل أجلها آخر الأجلين إذا كانت حبلى فتمت لها أربعة أشهر وعشر ولم تضع فإن عدتها إلى أن تضع وإن كانت تضع حملها قبل أن يتم لها أربعة أشهر وعشرا تعتد بعدما تضع تمام أربعة أشهر و عشرا وذلك أبعد الأجلين.
A number of our companions – Ahmad b. Muhammad b. Khalid AND ‘Ali b. Ibrahim – his father – ‘Uthman b. ‘Isa – Sama’ah:
The pregnant wife whose husband dies and leaves her, her period shall be the longer of the two periods. If she is pregnant, and four months and ten days pass while she still has not delivered, then her ‘iddah shall be until she delivers. But, if she delivers her pregnancy before the completion of four months and ten days, she observes the ‘iddah after her delivery until the completion of four months and ten days. And that is the longer of the two periods.139
Al-Majlisi says:
موثق وعليه الفتوى
Muwaththaq, and upon it is the fatwa.140
Al-Ruhani concurs too:
موثق
Muwaththaq.141
This, however, is for a pregnant widow – whether in a permanent marriage or in a mut’ah. What then about the temporary wife who is pregnant and her husband is alive, at the time of their separation? The Qur’an gives the answer very clearly:
وأولات الأحمال أجلهن أن يضعن حملهن
And for those who are pregnant, their (waiting) period is until they deliver their pregnancies.142
Al-Kulayni also documents:
علي بن إبراهيم، عن أبيه، عن ابن أبي نجران، عن عاصم بن حميد، عن محمد ابن قيس، عن أبي جعفر عليه السلام قال: الحامل أجلها أن تضع حملها وعليه نفقتها بالمعروف حتى تضع حملها.
‘Ali b. Ibrahim – his father – Ibn Abi Najran – ‘Asim b. Humayd – Muhammad b. Qays – Abu Ja’far, peace be upon him:
The (waiting) period of the pregnant woman is until she delivers her pregnancy; and upon him (i.e. the husband) is her good maintenance until she delivers her pregnancy.143
Al-Majlisi says:
حسن
Hasan.144
And al-Ruhani also declares:
صحيح أو حسن
Sahih or Hasan.145
This obviously raises the possibility that the ‘iddah of the mut’ah wife could be as long as nine months.
Children Of Mut’ah
And, whatever pregnancy the woman has from mut’ah is legitimate, and so are all children from it. Al-Ṭusi reports:
أحمد بن محمد بن أبي نصر عن عاصم بن حميد عن محمد بن مسلم عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام قال قلت له: أرأيت إن حبلت؟ قال: هو ولده.
Ahmad b. Muhammad b. Abi Nasr – ‘Asim b. Humayd – Muhammad b. Muslim:
I said to Abu ‘Abd Allah, peace be upon him, “Tell me: what if she gets pregnant?” He said, “It is his child.”146
Al-Majlisi says:
صحيح
Sahih.147
Al-Ruhani agrees:
صحيح
Sahih.148
Al-Ṭusi again records:
الحسين بن سعيد عن النضر عن عاصم بن حميد عن عن محمد مسلم قال: سألت أبا عبد الله عليه السلام كم المهر - يعني في المتعة -؟ فقال: ما تراضيا عليه إلى ما شاء من الأجل، قلت: أرأيت ان حملت فقال: هو ولده فان أراد ان يستقبل أمرا جديدا فعل وليس عليها العدة منه وعليها من غيره خمسة وأربعون ليلة وان اشترطت الميراث فهما على شرطهما.
Al-Husayn b. Sa’id – al-Naḍr – ‘Asim b. Humayd – Muhammad b. Muslim:
I asked Abu ‘Abd Allah, peace be upon him, “How much is the dowry, that is in mut’ah?” So, he said, “Whatsoever they both mutually agree upon, up to whatsoever length of time he wishes.”
I said, “Tell me: what if she gets pregnant?” He said, “It is his child. And if he wishes to renew the union, he can do (that). In such a case, she would not be required to observe the ‘iddah in his case. However, for anyone else, she must observe forty-five nights. Meanwhile, if inheritance is stipulated as a condition (of the mut’ah), then they both must comply with their condition.”149
Al-Majlisi comments:
صحيح
Sahih.150
Al-Ruhani also states:
حسن
Hasan.151
Al-Ṭusi further documents:
أحمد بن محمد بن عيسى عن محمد بن إسماعيل بن بزيع قال: سأل رجل الرضا عليه السلام وانا اسمع عن الرجل يتزوج المرأة متعة ويشترط عليها ان لا يطلب ولدها فتأتي بعد ذلك بولد فينكر الولد فشدد في ذلك وقال يجحد؟ وكيف يجحد اعظاما لذلك؟ قال الرجل فان اتهمها قال: لا ينبغي لك ان تتزوج إلا مأمونة ان الله يقول: الزاني لا ينكح إلا زانية أو مشركة والزانية لا ينكحها إلا زان أو مشرك وحرم ذلك على المؤمنين
Ahmad b. Muhammad b. ‘Isa – Muhammad b. Isma’il b. Bazi’:
A man asked al-Riḍa, peace be upon him, while I was listening, about the man who marries the woman in mut’ah and he imposes a condition upon her that he will not seek her child. But, she later comes with a child and he severely denies the child. So, he (al-Riḍa) said, “Does he deny? How can he deny primarily because of that?” Then, the man said, “What if he accuses her (of fornication)?” He (al-Riḍa) said, “It is not appropriate for you to marry except a faithful woman. Verily, Allah the Almighty says: {The fornicator shall not marry any but a fornicatress or an idolatress; and the fornicatress, none shall marry her but a fornicator or an idolater: and that is made HARAM for the believers}.152
Al-Majlisi declares:
صحيح
Sahih.153
And al-Ruhani concurs:
صحيح
Sahih.154
Then, he explains:
)ويشترط عليها أن لا يطلب ولدها (أي يعزل عنها
(and he imposes a condition upon her that he will not seek her child) meaning, he will use (the contraceptive method of) coitus interruptus with her.
Here is a Sunni source:
Ibn Abbas was asked: "Is Mut’a fornication or marriage?”He answered: ‘Neither the one nor the other.’ The questioner then asked: "Well then, what is it?”Ibn Abbas replied: "It is Mut’a’, just as God has said.”The questioner continued: "Is there a waiting period in Mut’a?”He replied: "Yes, a menstrual period.”He was also asked: "Do the husband and wife inherit from each other?”He answered: "No."
Reference: Tafsir al-Kabir, by Fakhr al-Razi, v3, p286
Ibn Abbas was asked: "Is Mut’a fornication or marriage?”He answered: ‘Neither the one nor the other.’ The questioner then asked: "Well then, what is it?”Ibn Abbas replied: "It is Mut’a’, just as God has said.”The questioner continued: "Is there a waiting period in Mut’a?”He replied: "Yes, a menstrual period.”He was also asked: "Do the husband and wife inherit from each other?”He answered: "No."
Reference: Tafsir al-Kabir, by Fakhr al-Razi, v3, p286
Thank you all for discussing the various aspects of this issue. I just wonder if the clerics involved do actually believe what they are saying or are just corrupt in a country in desperate troubles at the moment.
firedragon
Veteran Member
Clerics, majority of them are unanimous that this Muta marriage thing is a corruption in disguise. Some Shia clerics who are very small in number believe in its practice as a lawful one but yet their rules and regulations in this matter simply inhibits corruption. She can't be a young virgin, she has to be proven as chaste, etc etc.
There are some corrupt individuals, not recognised clerics who are involved in prostitution in disguise. Thats a fact. And this happens in war torn, corrupt and desperate societies. If you travel and explore this matter, you will know.
In most of the world if you even discuss a Muta Marriage, people get angry because they consider it some dirty matter. And frankly, a lot of Muslims have never in their lives heard about this.
Most Muslims heard of Muta marriage matters from anti-islamic apologetics. If you go to a conservative seminary institute you will have a study called al kadhaya al thayifia and you will learn about the schism on this subject fleetingly. Though this is a big issue for non-muslims, honestly muslims dont consider this or discuss this much. Its in fact insignificant and rarely thought about and looked at with a smirk if and when it comes up.
be specific where is it happening now? not legal in any of the Sunni Islam countries any more since prohibited by Muhammed (peace be upon him and all noble messengers from Adam to Muhammed)
Sistani has replied to this BBC report and explains how it's not allowed these practices.
Ayatollah Sistani’s Office Answers to BBC on Some Inappropriate Practices
Ayatollah Sistani’s Office Answers to BBC on Some Inappropriate Practices
Marriage of the young – of a male who has not reached puberty to a female who has not reached puberty – was until recently very common in many Eastern societies, and hence the book of religious rulings included some of its rules in its previous versions, but it was observed that it had receded at current times, and that was removed in the latest versions. What we wish to emphasise is that the parent of a girl cannot give permission for her marriage unless it is in her interest, and most often there is no interest in her marriage until she reaches physical maturity and mental preparedness for sexual activity, as it is also not in her interest to marry in contravention to law which would make her liable for unnecessary repercussions and problems.
This still sounds a bit wobbly, and where the rights of a child still have a long way to go in Islam. And I think this should be posted too:
Islamophobic BBC Documentary Denounced by Shia Clerics