قُلْتُ كَمْ تَحِلُّ مِنَ الْمُتْعَةِ قَالَ فَقَالَ هُنَّ بِمَنْزِلَةِ الْإِمَاءِ.
“This is concerning my question before abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), about how many are lawful for al-Mut‘ah (advantageous marriage). He (the Imam) said, ‘Their case is similar to slave-girls.’”
سَأَلْتُ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ ع عَنِ الْمُتْعَةِ أَ هِيَ مِنَ الْأَرْبَعِ فَقَالَ لَا.
“In response to my question before abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about al-Mut‘ah (advantageous marriage) if it is one of the four, he (the Imam) said, ‘No, it is not one of the four.’”
قُلْتُ مَا يَحِلُّ مِنَ الْمُتْعَةِ قَالَ كَمْ شِئْتَ.
‘It is as many as you wish.’”
سُئِلَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع- عَنِ الْمُتْعَةِ أَ هِيَ مِنَ الْأَرْبَعِ فَقَالَ لَا وَ لَا مِنَ السَّبْعِينَ.
“This is concerning my question before abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), if al-Mut‘ah (advantageous marriage) is of four. He (the Imam) said, ‘No, even seventy is not unlawful.’”
لَيْسَتْ مِنَ الْأَرْبَعِ لِأَنَّهَا لَا تُطَلَّقُ وَ لَا تَرِثُ وَ إِنَّمَا هِيَ مُسْتَأْجَرَةٌ.
“Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), has said, ‘Al-Mut‘ah (advantageous marriage) is not of four because it has no divorce or inheritance; she is only hired.’”
سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنِ الْمُتْعَةِ فَقَالَ الْقَ عَبْدَ الْمَلِكِ بْنَ جُرَيْجٍ[1] فَسَلْهُ عَنْهَا فَإِنَّ عِنْدَهُ مِنْهَا عِلْماً فَلَقِيتُهُ فَأَمْلَى عَلَيَّ مِنْهَا شَيْئاً كَثِيراً فِي اسْتِحْلَالِهَا فَكَانَ فِيمَا رَوَى لِيَ ابْنُ جُرَيْجٍ قَالَ لَيْسَ فِيهَا وَقْتٌ وَ لَا عَدَدٌ إِنَّمَا هِيَ بِمَنْزِلَةِ الْإِمَاءِ يَتَزَوَّجُ مِنْهُنَّ كَمْ شَاءَ وَ صَاحِبُ الْأَرْبَعِ نِسْوَةٍ يَتَزَوَّجُ
“This is concerning my question before abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about al-Mut‘ah (advantageous marriage). He (the Imam) said, ‘Meet ‘Abd al-Malik ibn Jurayh and ask him about it; he has information about it.’ I met him and he dictated a great deal of issues about its lawfulness. Among the matters that Ibn Jurayj narrated
ذَكَرْتُ لَهُ الْمُتْعَةَ أَ هِيَ مِنَ الْأَرْبَعِ فَقَالَ تَزَوَّجْ مِنْهُنَّ أَلْفاً فَإِنَّهُنَّ مُسْتَأْجَرَاتٌ.
“I once mentioned al-Mut‘ah (advantageous marriage) before abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), and asked if it is one of four (wives). He (the Imam) said, ’You may marry a thousand of them; they are on hire. 5 ”