The temporary marriage, or nikah mut’ah also termed a misyar marriage, is a marriage which the contract stipulates will last for a fixed period of time.
Young British Muslims are increasingly turning towards Mut’ah or temporary marriage for better understanding with each other and to assess if the couples are compatible and can last long but also to balance their religious beliefs with their modern Western lifestyle.
Historically it was used so that a man could have a wife for a short while when travelling long distances. In the Muslim world, the concept is more well-known in the Shia sect, as they believe it is lawful and allowed.
But temporary marriage concept is been distorted and misused throughout the years. A research by the BBC has shown that temporary marriage, is being adopted by young people from all Muslim backgrounds including those of Pakistani heritage.
In Britain there are many Shias from the Pakistani community who have done temporary marriage but are reluctant to admit that they have had or are in a temporary marriage.
Sara, 30, is a pharmacist from Birmingham and is of Pakistani heritage. She is a Shia Muslim and had a temporary marriage for six months before committing to a full marriage to her partner.
In temporary marriage both partners agree the length of time and conditions for the marriage in verbal or written contract. The contract can last for a few hours, days, months or years and when the contract ends so does the marriage.
Sara explained that she entered into a ‘temporary marriage’ because she didn’t want to break the bounds of Sharia
“We stipulated the duration, my father’s conditions, and I requested what you would call a dowry where the guy gives a gift to the girl. It’s simple, straightforward and doesn’t take long at all,” Sara said.
We just did it to, go out, shop together, to celebrate birthdays, especially to interact each other, to know the person whom you are engaged to is the one you want to marry. That was the best and authorized way if found to know my partner well, she added.
She tells how her partner asked her father’s permission before going in contract in which a girl can ask any thing a gift, money or any thing and and man can also put certain conditions.
She tells, while living in UK in a western life style, it was good idea and it worked for her and now they are happily married.
British Muslim girls turning towards temporary marriage just trying to find the right person to spend their life with. They get engaged and will perform Mutah first so they can speak to each other, hang out and get to know each other with conditions set by the woman and her family.
They think the contract marriage essentially allows for consensual relationships between genders who want to get to know each other and/or become mahram (lawful) to one another.
A showbiz celebrity revealed that she has had three ‘Nikah Mut’ahs’ because she didn’t want to rush into a full marriage to find that the man was not of her liking.
Many scholars form sunni sect believe it is wrong practice and many people are using as an “Islamic cover” to fullfill their own gratifiction by jumping from partner to partner.
