Al-Mut‘ah (Advantageous Marriage)

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ ع عَنِ الْمُتْعَةِ فَقَالَ نَزَلَتْ فِي الْقُرْآنِ- فَمَا اسْتَمْتَعْتُمْ بِهِ مِنْهُنَّ فَآتُوهُنَّ أُجُورَهُنَّ فَرِيضَةً وَ لا جُناحَ عَلَيْكُمْ فِيما تَراضَيْتُمْ بِهِ مِنْ بَعْدِ الْفَرِيضَةِ[2].

“In response to my question before abu Ja’far (a.s.), about al-Mut‘ah (advantageous marriage), he (the Imam) said, ‘It is mentioned in al-Quran, “If you marry them for al-Mut‘ah (advantageous marriage) you must pay their dowries. There is no harm if you reach an understanding among yourselves about mahr (the dowry). Al

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ ع يَقُولُ‌ كَانَ عَلِيٌّ ع يَقُولُ لَوْ لَا مَا سَبَقَنِي بِهِ بَنِي الْخَطَّابِ مَا زَنَى إِلَّا شَقِيٌ‌[3].

“I once heard Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), saying that Ali (a.s.), would say, ‘Had Banu al-Khattab not prohibited al-Mut‘ah (advantageous marriage) before (the beginning of my administration) no one would commit fornication except the wicked ones.’”

إِنَّمَا نَزَلَتْ‌ فَمَا اسْتَمْتَعْتُمْ بِهِ مِنْهُنَ‌ إِلَى أَجَلٍ مُسَمًّى‌ فَآتُوهُنَّ أُجُورَهُنَ‌ فَرِيضَةً[1].

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘It was revealed as “If you marry them [for an appointed time] for al-Mut‘ah (advantageous marriage) you must pay their dowries.” (4:24)’”

جَاءَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عُمَيْرٍ اللَّيْثِيُّ إِلَى أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع فَقَالَ لَهُ مَا تَقُولُ فِي مُتْعَةِ النِّسَاءِ فَقَالَ أَحَلَّهَا اللَّهُ فِي كِتَابِهِ وَ عَلَى لِسَانِ نَبِيِّهِ ص فَهِيَ حَلَالٌ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ فَقَالَ يَا أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ مِثْلُكَ يَقُولُ هَذَا وَ قَدْ حَرَّمَهَا عُمَرُ وَ نَهَى عَنْهَا فَقَالَ وَ إِنْ كَانَ فَعَلَ قَالَ إِنِّي أُعِيذُكَ بِاللَّهِ مِنْ ذَلِكَ أَنْ تُحِلَّ شَيْئاً ح

“Once ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Umayr al-Laythiy came to abu Ja‘far (a.s.), and asked, ‘What do you say about al-Mut‘ah (advantageous marriage) of women?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Allah has made it lawful in His book by the tongue of His Holy prophet, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to

الْمُتْعَةُ نَزَلَ بِهَا الْقُرْآنُ وَ جَرَتْ بِهَا السُّنَّةُ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ص.

‘Al-Mut‘ah (advantageous marriage) is mentioned in al- Quran and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has followed it.’”

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا حَنِيفَةَ يَسْأَلُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع- عَنِ الْمُتْعَةِ فَقَالَ أَيَّ الْمُتْعَتَيْنِ تَسْأَلُ قَالَ سَأَلْتُكَ عَنْ مُتْعَةِ الْحَجِّ فَأَنْبِئْنِي عَنْ مُتْعَةِ النِّسَاءِ أَ حَقٌّ هِيَ‌ فَقَالَ سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ أَ مَا قَرَأْتَ- كِتَابَ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ- فَمَا اسْتَمْتَعْتُمْ بِهِ مِنْهُنَّ فَآتُوهُنَّ أُجُورَهُنَّ فَرِيضَةً[1] فَقَالَ أَبُو حَنِيفَةَ وَ اللَّهِ فَكَأَنَّهَا آيَةٌ لَمْ أَق

“I heard abu Hanifah ask abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about al-Mut‘ah (advantageous matters). He (the Imam) asked, ‘Are you asking about the two al-Mut‘ah (advantageous matters)? 5 He said, ‘I asked you about al-Mut‘ah (advantageous matters of al-Hajj) and you inform me about al-Mut‘ah (advantageous marriage) is it true?’ He

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي الْحَسَنِ ع جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ إِنِّي كُنْتُ أَتَزَوَّجُ الْمُتْعَةَ فَكَرِهْتُهَا وَ تَشَأَّمْتُ بِهَا فَأَعْطَيْتُ اللَّهَ عَهْداً بَيْنَ الرُّكْنِ وَ الْمَقَامِ وَ جَعَلْتُ عَلَيَّ فِي ذَلِكَ نَذْراً وَ صِيَاماً أَلَّا أَتَزَوَّجَهَا ثُمَّ إِنَّ ذَلِكَ شَقَّ عَلَيَّ وَ نَدِمْتُ عَلَى يَمِينِي وَ لَمْ يَكُنْ بِيَدِي مِنَ الْقُوَّةِ مَا أَتَزَوَّجُ فِي الْعَلَانِيَةِ قَالَ فَقَالَ لِي عَاهَدْتَ اللَّهَ

“I once said to abu al-Hassan (a.s.), ‘I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause, I would marry in the manner of al-Mut‘ah (advantageous marriage), I then disliked it and had bad omens about it; then I promised before Allah between the corner of al-Ka 5 bah and the Station of Ibrahim (a.s.), kept a vow

سَأَلَ أَبُو حَنِيفَةَ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ النُّعْمَانِ صَاحِبَ الطَّاقِ فَقَالَ لَهُ يَا أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ مَا تَقُولُ فِي الْمُتْعَةِ أَ تَزْعُمُ أَنَّهَا حَلَالٌ قَالَ نَعَمْ قَالَ فَمَا يَمْنَعُكَ أَنْ تَأْمُرَ نِسَاءَكَ أَنْ يُسْتَمْتَعْنَ وَ يَكْتَسِبْنَ عَلَيْكَ فَقَالَ لَهُ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ لَيْسَ كُلُّ الصِّنَاعَاتِ يُرْغَبُ فِيهَا وَ إِنْ كَانَتْ حَلَالًا وَ لِلنَّاسِ أَقْدَارٌ وَ مَرَاتِبُ يَرْفَعُونَ

8. Ali has narrated from in a marfu’ manner saying: “Abu Hanifah once asked abu Ja‘far, Muhammad ibn al-Nu 5 man Sahib al-Taq saying, ‘O abu Ja‘far, what do you say about al-Mut‘ah (advantageous marriage)? Do you think it is lawful? 5 He replied, ‘Yes, it is lawful. 5 He then said, ‘Why then do you not ask your women t