mutʿah (aka: nikah) – As practiced in Twelver Shia Islam (aka: Ithna Ashariyya), a temporary marriage that is contracted for a limited or fixed period and involves the payment of money to the female partner.
Note that Iran is the only Muslim Caliphate to have Twelver Shiism as its official religion.
(And, continue reading the entire post to find out why this might be cause for dismay.)
This practice of (to put it bluntly) “Pay to Stay” is justified by the Qurʾān in these words:
“As to [women other than married or ones you own], it is lawful for you to seek [temporary union with them] with your wealth, in wedlock, not in license. For the enjoyment you have had from them thereby, give them their dowries, by way of settlement, and there is no sin upon you in what you may agree upon after the settlement. Indeed Allah is all-knowing, all-wise.”
- Qu’ran 4:24
The woman must be single and not engaged to be married, both parties must be believers of Islam, and both must be chaste (although this last condition is apparently subject to debate within Islam). In rare circumstances the man can engage in mutah with a Jewish or Christian woman.
| Feature | Mutah Marriage | Permanent Marriage | Duration | Temporary (agreed upon duration) | Lifelong, with no fixed end date |
|
|
Contract Type | Written contract specifying terms | Typically a lifelong, verbal or written contract |
|
|
Dissolution | Can be ended at the agreed time | Can only be ended by divorce or death |
|
|
Social & Legal Status | Practiced by some Shia Muslims; not accepted in most Sunni communities | Widely accepted and legally recognized in all Islamic sects |
|
|
Purpose | Temporary companionship or lawful sexual relation |
Long-term companionship, family building, and procreation |
|
|
Financial Responsibilities | Dowry (mahr) may be agreed upon, but no long-term financial obligations | Full financial and social responsibility, including inheritance rights |
|
|
||
| Source: “How Mutah Marriage Works: A Complete Guide for Muslims”, by sultan, November 28, 2024 | ||
And this word, and its’ practice under Islam, begs a hypothetical and rhetorical question: Could Bill Clinton, Donald Trump, and Jeffrey Epstein have all been innocent if they just practiced Islam?
| DISCLAIMER |
| This intellectual exercise is not meant to ignore, diminish, or refute any claims by any women regarding any physical, emotional, and/or intimate abuse at the hands of any person mentioned in this posting. All such claims should be considered genuine, investigated to determine validity, and if necessary alleged perpetrators should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. |
Thanks for Reading!
