Before we move on from describing what the Qur’an does with women, we should return back to Surah 4:24, where earlier we noted that it permitted men to have as many women ‘as their right hand possess’ (i.e. slaves of war, or concubines). We now read further in Surah 4:24 and find yet another difficult reference to women, this time a reference to something which sounds clearly like prostitution. About halfway through verse 24 it says, “…so with those of whom you have enjoyed sexual relations, give them their Mahr as prescribed; but if after a Mahr is prescribed, you agree mutually, there is no sin on you”. This clearly says that you can have sex with women, provided you give them their ‘Mahr’, which is the bridal money given by the husband to his wife, or in this case her wage. But this is not referring to a husband’s married wife, but another, with whom he is liaising sexually.
This practice is known as ‘Mutah’ marriages (Nikah Mutah for the Shi’ites, Nikah Misyar for the Sunnis), or temporary marriages permitted to men who were traveling in battle and were thus away from their wives. It was commonly employed by Muhammad for his men during his initial periods of raiding other towns and villages, from 627 AD – 630 AD in the central parts of Arabia. This provision permitted his warriors to temporarily marry another woman for either 3 days, or 90 years, providing he paid a ‘bridal price’ (Mahr), or a wage agreed upon between the man and the woman. The only stipulation was that the woman must be a Muslim or a Jew or Christian and could not be married at the time (i.e. she must be either divorced, or widowed).
To any discerning eye, this practice is akin to prostitution, though Muslims today vehemently argue that it is no longer applicable, because Muhammad had this practice stopped. Nonetheless, it is still found in the Qur’an, and was certainly practiced by Muhammad in his lifetime.
Whether it was practiced and then annulled, or whether it was for 3 days or 90 years, or whether the woman was adequately paid or not; what is quite evident is that this practice of temporary marriages, where a woman is paid for sexual favors is really nothing more than prostitution, and should not be a practice permitted for married religious men, today, or any day, here or anywhere, proving once again just how inappropriate the Qur’an is as a book to follow, for us, or for anyone.
© Pfander Centre for Apologetics - US, 2019
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