Prohibition of Two Lawful Pleasures: a Critical Assessment of Prohibition of Mut'a of Hajj and Mut'a Marriage

Author’s Preface

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the worlds and may prayer and peace be upon our master and Prophet, Muhammad, and his pure progeny, and may Allah’s curse be upon all their enemies from the first to the last one.

In Islamic rulings, we have two Mut'as, Mut'a of hajj and Mut'a (temporary) marriage. Muslim scholars have from long time ago seriously discussed these two issues from different angles. They have always paid attention to them. Scholars of past and present have written many books in this regard, with each one looking from a particular angle at them.

Some scholars of tradition have narrated a tradition from the Holy Prophet (s) which prohibits temporary marriage. The present work studies and analyses these issues in a critical manner. Most of these traditions are narrated by Bukhari and Muslim from Imam Ali (a.s), commander of the faithful. As an instance, in his Sahih, Muslim Nayshaburi narrates: When Imam Ali (a.s) learns that Ibn Abbas is of the view that Mut'a is permissible, he, addressing him, says: You are a forgetful person. The Holy Prophet (s) prohibited us from temporary marriage in the battle of Khaibar.

These traditions are forged and fabricated. Anyone who studies impartially the chains and significations of them agrees that they are so (forged and fabricated).

The present work studies the chains of these traditions on the basis of the opinions expressed by great and reliable Sunni scholars. It also evaluates the main parts of these traditions comparing their texts with each other with the aim to make the truth plain in regard with these traditions. These assessments are made within two sections. The first section is on Mut'a of hajj and the second on temporary marriage.

We ask Allah the Exalted to make this discussion a useful one for scholars and researchers. It is Allah in whose hand lies success.

Ali Husaini Milani