Temporary marriage in Islam

One of the Islamic rules regarding the women is the temporary marriage. In this kind of marriage two persons get married with each other for a specific time. Some People criticize Islam because of having this rule and say that it is a way for fulfilling the lustful desires. So let’s talk about it.

The main reason of the permanent marriage is to establish a foundation of family and create the generation and raise righteous children. But one of the most important reasons of getting temporary marriage is to fulfill the sexual needs, and in this kind of marriage the creation of generation is not the main reason of that.

A question might arise here. What was the necessity of decreeing this kind of marriage in Islam if the fulfilling the sexual needs can be done through permanent marriage? Isn’t the permanent marriage enough for that?

The answer of this can be obtained through studying the quality of the instinct of the sex. There are different levels of fulfilling this need. This instinct is normal in some individuals, and it can be fulfilled just through the normal marriage i.e. permanent one. But in some cases this need is so much high to the extent that cannot be controlled by the permanent wife or in some cases because of deep dispute or the lack of tranquility the wife does not expose herself for the sexual relation. As it is so clear this need is so dangerous to the extent that if it is not fulfilled properly it might lead to different illnesses and even to the madness, and imagine that if such a need in not controlled properly what a corrupted society will form. The statistics of the illegitimate babies or the rape in the western countries is a clear witness for that. So what is the solution here? Should the individuals of the society be free and allowed to do whatever they wish, or there should be an easier rule that the heavy responsibilities that the normal and permanent marriage has, is not needed? In this case Islam has decreed a rule of temporary marriage and protected the Muslims from the adultery or other sexual deviances. We see that it is narrated from Imam Ali peace be upon him that he mentioned: If some of the caliphs had not opposed and banned the temporary marriage, no one except the very little individuals would commit the adultery.

Another important situation for the temporary marriage is when the single individuals cannot afford getting marriage for different barriers like the economic problems of finding the appropriate spouse, so in such cases controlling this very strong need of sexual matters might be so hard, in such cases some young individuals refuge to some forbidden ways for fulfilling their needs like adultery, masturbation, homosexuality etc. which all of them are the very great sins and disobedience of the Lord of the world, so the best way here is the temporary marriage.

The other important philosophy of the temporary marriage is that it can be a means through which some women who are widow and have some children can be helped financially and emotionally.

Of course this marriage must not be a way for the people of lust. There is a Narration in which one of the companions of Imam Kazim peace be upon asked the Imam about the temporary marriage. The Imam replied him: What is your need to that (meaning you do not need it), while Allah has made you out of need to it?

We know that the main mission of the divine Prophets was to oppose the selfish evil desires, so how is it possible that the religion of Islam which is the most comprehensive religion issues a rule in which the people of lust can do whatever they want? In Islamic teachings the one who sexually tastes different women is known as a cursed person and hated by Allah.