Nikah mut'ah

What the contract says

The agreement can be spoken or written, and it is made privately between the two people. As in any Islamic marriage, one side declares the wish to marry and the other accepts the terms. What makes it different is the clock. The length is named at the outset and may be as short as an hour or as long as ninety-nine years. The mahr, the gift owed to the bride, must also be fixed beforehand. Witnesses and registration are not traditionally needed, although having witnesses is recommended. The Zaidi branch of Shia Islam does not accept this form of marriage.

Conditions and ending

Twelver Shia jurisprudence sets conditions. The woman must be unmarried, and she must be Muslim or belong to the People of the Book, a term for followers of earlier scriptures. She should be chaste. If she has never been married and has a wali, a legal guardian, his permission is needed; a woman who is not a virgin in the legal sense, or who has no guardian, can act alone. When the term runs out, the marriage ends by itself. The wife then observes iddah, a waiting period before she can marry again, which makes the paternity of any child clear.

Origins and the dispute

Sunni and Shia sources agree that the practice comes from Arab custom before Islam and that the Quran does not forbid it. They split on what followed. Shia scholars say the Prophet Muhammad approved it and that Caliph Umar later banned it. Sunni scholars say Muhammad himself withdrew his approval, citing reports from the day of Khaibar, and the four Sunni legal schools prohibit it. Quran 4:24 is argued over by both sides. The article also records a link to travel: a merchant staying some months in a town might wed a widow or divorced woman, then part when he moved on.

Law, stigma and critics

In Iran the practice is legal and religiously accepted, yet many Iranians look down on it and it carries stigma. In Sunni Jordan, a court would treat a contract of this kind as an ordinary permanent marriage and cancel the time limit. Some Sunnis arranged informal temporary unions by leaving the term out of the written paper and agreeing it aloud. Several writers, both Muslim and Western, say it is prostitution given religious cover, and some say it has hidden child abuse. Defenders answer that the iddah rule and the marriage terms set it apart from prostitution.

How Nikah mut'ah is kept

The man and woman agree between themselves on the term and the mahr. One of them states the intent to marry and the other accepts, either aloud or on paper, with witnesses advised but not required. If the woman is a first-time bride with a guardian, his permission is sought. The couple then live as married for the agreed time. When it ends, the marriage lapses and the wife keeps the waiting period of iddah before another marriage.

When and where

There is no wedding day or season. The contract takes effect once the two sides agree, and it lapses on the date written into the terms. Scholars quoted in the sources disagree about how short the term may be: suggestions include three days, three months or a year.

The sources place it mainly in Iran and in Shia communities, with resurgence mentioned among Iraqi and Iranian Shia. Mali, Yemen and India also appear in the article. Iran is where it is best described, under the name sigheh.

What Nikah mut'ah means

Supporters see it as a lawful way for people who cannot enter a full marriage to be together without breaking Islamic rules. Some compare it to a trial marriage. Critics reject both views and call it a disguise for paid sex. Both camps treat the iddah and the mahr as the points where the argument turns.

Who takes part

• The couple: agree the term and the mahr and exchange the declaration and acceptance
• The bride's guardian (wali): gives permission when she is a first-time bride
• Witnesses: may be present, which is advised but not required
• The wife after the term: observes iddah before she can marry again

Then and now

The sources say the old travelling-merchant reason is now seen as outdated because travel is fast, and that today it exists mainly in Iran and Shia regions, sometimes described as a way to date within religious rules. Iranians often dismiss it with contempt, so it remains socially marginal.

Questions people ask about Nikah mut'ah

See also

Common-law marriage in the United StatesA legal marriage formed without a licence or ceremony, in a few US jurisdictionsIhiThe Newar rite in which a girl is married to Vishnu, shown by a golden figure

Good reading and sources

• Encyclopaedia BritannicaArticle
• In Iraq, religious ‘pleasure marriages’ are a front for child prostitutionThe Guardian, Article
• Undercover With The ClericsBBC, Article
• I do... for now. UK Muslims revive temporary marriagesBBC, Article
• In Iraq, religious ‘pleasure marriages’ are a front for child prostitutionThe Guardian, Article
• Undercover With The ClericsBBC, Article
• I do... for now. UK Muslims revive temporary marriagesBBC, Article

• Nikah mut'ah on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• Wikidata recordOpen data

It may contain mistakes. Wedding customs differ from one family, village and community to the next, and the people who keep them know them best. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-05.