Mutah in the Eyes of Ahl Al-Bayt in Ismaili and Zaydi Shia Traditions

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The Ithna `Ashari branch of the Imami sect of Shia claims that Mut’ah is permitted and that only the enemies of Ahlul-Bayt prohibit it. They also claim that the Imams of Ahlul-Bayt allowed this type of temporary marriage. However, the Twelver sect claims this although other Shia sects attribute the exact opposite to the same Imams of Ahlul-Bayt, each group claiming that they are the lovers and followers of Ahlul-Bayt. In this piece we shall show the Isma`eeli and the Zaydi view on Mut`ah marriage.

The Isma`eeli Shia view on Mut`ah marriage:

The Imami Isma`eeli Shia are explicit in their condemnation of Mut`ah marriage in their books, and they quote Rasul-Allah (saw) as well as their Imams `Ali and his son Ja`far to prove their claims.

In the Isma`eeli book “Da`a’im-ul-Islam” volume 2, pages 228 and 229 by their scholar al-Qadi al-Nu`man al-Maghribi, we list some of the narrations they inherited from their Imams.

٨٥٨ وعن رسول الله (صلع) أنه حرم نكاح المتعة، وعن علي (ع) أنه قال: لا نكاح إلا بولي وشاهدين وليس بالدرهم والدرهمين، واليوم واليومين، ذلك السفاح ولا شرط في النكاح

[From Rasul-Allah (saw) that he forbade Mut`ah marriage, and from `Ali (as) that he said: “Marriage is invalid without a custodian and two witnesses, it is not for one or two Dirhams, nor is it for (the period of) a day or two, because that would be unlawful sexual intercourse and there are no conditions in marriage.”]

٨٥٩ وعن جعفر بن محمد (ع) أن رجلا سأله عن نكاح المتعة قال: صفه لي، قال: يلقى الرجل المرأة، فيقول: أتزوجك بهذا الدرهم والدرهمين، وقعة أو يوما أو يومين. قال: هذا زنا، وما يفعل هذا إلا فاجر

[From Ja`far bin Muhammad (as) that a man asked him concerning the Mut`ah marriage, Ja`far said: “Describe it for me.” He said: “A man meets a woman and tells her: I marry you with one or two Dirhams for a period of one or two days.” Ja`far said: “That is fornication, no one does this except the wicked.”]

Al-Shareef al-Murtada wrote in his book “Al-Fusoul al-Mukhtarah” pg.158, that the Twelver Shia scholar al-Mufid debated the Isma`eeli Shia scholar ibn Lu’lu’ about the permissibility of Mut`ah. Ibn Lu’lu’ tells al-Mufid:

فحظر الله تعالى النكاح إلا لزوجة أو ملك يمين, وإذا لم تكن المتعة زوجة ولا كانت ملك يمين فقد سقط قول من أحلها

[Thus Allah most high has forbidden all Nikah except with the permanent wife or what the right hand possesses (In Surat Mu’minoun verse 6). If the woman of Mut`ah is neither a permanent wife nor from what the right hand possesses, then the argument of those who permit it is invalid.]

The Zaydi Shia view on Mut`ah marriage:

The Zaydiyyah stick to the prohibition of the Mut`ah marriage and also quote Rasul-Allah (saw) and their Imams `Ali and his son Zayd and his progeny.

In their main book “Musnad al-Imam Zayd” volume 1 page 271, we read:

عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ جَدِّهِ، عَنْ عَلِيٍّ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ، قَالَ: لَا نِكَاحَ إِلَّا بِوَلِيٍّ وَشَاهِدَيْنِ، لَيْسَ بِالدِّرْهَمِ وَلَا بِالدِّرْهَمَيْنِ، وَلَا الْيَوْمِ، وَلَا الْيَوْمَيْنِ شِبْهِ السِّفَاحِ، وَلَا شَرْطَ فِي نِكَاحٍ

[From his father, from his grandfather, from `Ali may Allah be pleased with them: “There can be no marriage without a custodian and two witnesses, it cannot be for one or two Dirhams, nor for one or two days such as the unlawful sexual intercourse, and there are no conditions in marriage.”]

عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ جَدِّهِ، عَنْ عَلِيٍّ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ، قَالَ: نَهَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ عَنْ نِكَاحِ الْمُتْعَةِ عَامَ خَيْبَرَ

[From his father, from his grandfather, from `Ali may Allah be pleased with them: “Rasul-Allah (saw) has forbidden the Mut`ah marriage on the year of Khaybar.”]

They also write in one of their four main Fiqhi books “Majmou` al-Fiqh al-Kabeer” written by their scholar al-Sayyaghi, in volume 4 page 26:

وأما الباقر وولده الصادق فنقل في الجامع الكافي عن الحسن بن يحي بن زيد فقيه العراق أنه قال اجمع آل رسول الله صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم على كراهية المتعة والنهي عنها وقال أيضا أجمع آل رسول الله صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم على أنه لا نكاح إلا بولي وشاهدين وصداق بلا شرط في النكاح وقال محمد يعني ابن منصور سمعنا عن النبي صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم وعن علي وابن عباس وأبي جعفر يعني الباقر وزيد بن علي وعبد الله بن حسن وجعفر بن محمد عليهم السلام أنهم قالوا لا نكاح إلا بولي وشاهدين

[As for al-Baqir and his son al-Sadiq, it was reported in “al-Jami` al-Kafi” from al-Hasan bin Yahya bin Zayd the jurist of `Iraq, that he said: “The family of Rasul-Allah (saw) have agreed to dislike Mut`ah and that it is forbidden.” He also said: “The family of Rasul-Allah (saw) have agreed that marriage is not valid except with a custodian and two witnesses and a dowry, without any conditions in it.” And Muhammad ibn Mansour said: “We heard from the Prophet (saw) and `Ali and ibn `Abbas and abu Ja`far al-Baqir and Zayd bin `Ali and `Abdullah bin al-Hasan and Ja`far bin Muhammad peace be upon them, that they said: “No marriage without a custodian and two witnesses.”]

As for their great Imam Yahya bin al-Husayn bin al-Qasim (d.298 AH) he narrates from his fathers who were also Imams from Ahlul-Bayt in his book “Al-Ahkam fil-Halal wal-Haram” pg.351:

حدثني أبي عن أبيه أنه سئل عن نكاح المتعة؟، فقال: لا يحل نكاح المتعة لان المتعة إنما كانت في سفر سافره النبي صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم، ثم حرم الله ذلك على لسان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم، وقد روي لنا عن أمير المؤمنين علي بن أبي طالب عليه السلام بما قد صح أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم نهى عنه. وأما من أحتج بهذه الآية ممن استحل الفاحشة من الفرقة المارقة في قول الله عزوجل: (فما استمتعتم به منهن فآتوهن أجورهن) فالاستمتاع هو الدخول بهن على وجه النكاح الصحيح، وإيتاؤهن أجورهن فهو إعطاؤهن مهورهن

[My father told me, from his father, that he was asked about Mut`ah marriage, he said: Mut`ah marriage is not permissible for it was only during an expedition of the Prophet (saw) then Allah forbade it through his Prophet (saw). It was authentically narrated to us from Ameer-ul-Mu’mineen `Ali ibn abi Talib (as) that Rasul-Allah (saw) had forbidden it. As for those who left Islam and permitted fornication (meaning Rafidah) through that verse (Al-Nisa’ verse 24) {So for whatever you enjoy from them, give them their due compensation} The enjoyment here is to have intercourse through lawful permanent marriage and the compensation is the dowry.]

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