How to Do Mutah

Co-authored by Hunter Rising

Last Updated: December 5, 2022 References

Mutah, or Nikah Mut'ah, is a temporary marriage in Shia Islam that ends after a fixed period of time.^{[1]
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Research source} It is important to note that it is completely unaccepted in Islam according to most Scholars including many Shia Scholars. While in Sunni Islam, which represents a larger portion of Muslims all over the world, the practice of Mutah is strictly prohibited and Haram. A Mutah marriage is used so you can speak to a potential spouse or hang out before a permanent marriage. It can also be used if you're divorced so you can have a relationship before deciding if you want to remarry.^{[2]
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Research source} After you agree to the terms of marriage and recite the necessary phrases, you can legally be together in a Mutah!

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Agreeing on the Terms

1
Discuss the option of Mutah with your potential spouse. Make sure the person you want to go into a Mutah marriage with is comfortable with it. If you are a young woman, discuss Mutah with your guardian to see if they agree to it before speaking with your potential spouse.
- You must be unmarried if you’re a woman and want a Mutah marriage. You should either be a Muslim, Christian, or Jewish.
2
Settle on a time period for the marriage. Talk with your potential spouse about how long you want the temporary marriage to last. Unlike a Nikah, or permanent marriage, a Mutah marriage needs to have a set time frame. There is no minimum or maximum time that the marriage needs to last, though many say that it should last at least 3 days.^{[3]
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3
Agree upon the set dowry, or Mahr. The Mahr is a gift the man will give to his wife and can be anything you and your potential spouse agree on. Work together with your potential spouse, as well as a guardian if needed, to see what a good gift for the dowry would be. It doesn’t have to be a wedding ring or an extravagant gift.
- The Mahr is not a paid price for the marriage.^{[4]
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- Some reports say that the dowry could be as little as a handful of dates or wheat.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Fulfilling the Contract

1
State the conditions of the contract verbally. When you have agreed to the time period and dowry of the Mutah, say them out loud to one another when you want to start the marriage. This will make it clear on what is obligatory once the marriage is completed. Once the conditions are completely agreed upon, you and your spouse should abide by them.
- You can put the dowry, time period, and conditions of the Mutah marriage in writing if you want, but it is not necessary for the marriage to be legal.
2
Recite the seegha in Arabic. The seegha is the Arabic formula of words that make the Mutah legal. First, if you’re the woman, you would say, “I married myself to you for the known period and the agreed upon dowry” (Zawajtuka nafsi fil muddatil ma'loomati 'alal mahril ma'loom). Then, if you’re the man, say, “I accepted” (Qabiltu). Once you both say the phrases to one another, the Mutah marriage is legal for the amount of time you agreed on.
- You do not need any officials or witnesses present when you agree upon a temporary marriage.
- You must say the phrases in Arabic for them to be considered legal.
3
Live together under the conditions you agreed upon. Spend time together for the length of the marriage and get to know each other. Follow any and all of the conditions that you stated in your verbal contract throughout the duration of the marriage.^{[5]
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- You do not need to provide any subsistence if you’re the man in a Mutah relationship. Vice versa, you are not entitled to any form of subsistence if you’re the woman in the marriage unless it was an agreed-upon condition.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Ending a Mutah Marriage

1
Terminate the Mutah if you want to leave before the time period ends. If you’re a man, you are allowed to end the temporary marriage before the contracted time is complete. A woman in a Mutah marriage cannot terminate the marriage. Say, “I donate you the time period” ('ana 'atabarae lak alfatrat alzamania) in Arabic to separate and terminate the contract.^{[6]
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- If you terminate the marriage early, it is obligatory for you to still provide the dowry you agreed upon.^{[7]
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2
Separate once the time specified in your contract is over. Once the temporary marriage is finished, you do not need to get a divorce. After the marriage terms are complete, you can exit the relationship immediately.^{[8]
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3
Renew the Mutah contract if you want to be remarried. If you want to continue your relationship, you can either renew the Mutah contract again or start a permanent marriage. If the Mutah was consummated, renew the contract before the Iddat, or a woman’s waiting period, is completed. Otherwise, you can renew the marriage at any point when your Mutah is finished.^{[9]
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- If you’re a woman, you cannot enter a permanent marriage with a non-Muslim man. If you’re a man, you cannot marry a non-Muslim woman, unless she is Christian or Jewish.^{[10]
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4
Finish your Iddat before you remarry if you consummated the marriage. If you’re a woman, wait through at least 2 menstrual cycles in case you are pregnant from the Mutah. During this period, you cannot remarry or have a sexual relationship with another man.^{[11]
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- If the marriage was not consummated, you do not need to go through a waiting period and can enter another contract immediately.

Community Q&A

Question

Where in the Quran, Sunnah or Hadith is this found?

Community Answer

In the Quran, in the 24th verse of Suraton Nissae, Allah is clearly is mentioning mutah. For further information, you may refer to the book "al-Mizan" from Allame Tabtabaee.
Question

We did consummate our marriage. Could we add terms to the contract before it ends?

Community Answer

Once the contract is set, it can't be modified.
Question

Can I do Mutah with a Christian woman?

Community Answer

Mutah is just like normal marriage, and since the Muslim religion allows the marriage to a Christian woman, then Mutah to a Christian woman is accepted as well.