Creating Mahram Relationships Through Mutah (Temporary Marriage)
Sighah Mahramiyyat, i.e. temporary marriage for the purpose of creating a familial relationship (mahram), is a practice prevalent in some Shia Muslim communities, particularly in Iran and Iraq. It establishes a specific type of non-conjugal marital bond between an adult male and a female, often a young girl who has not yet reached puberty. The primary function of Sighah Mahramiyyat is to create a mahram relationship. In Islamic tradition, mahram relationships define categories of individuals between whom marriage is permanently prohibited, such as close blood relatives. These relationships also carry specific social implications, allowing for less restricted interaction, such as being in seclusion (khalwa), traveling together, and removing the hijab (veiling) in each other's presence. In the context of Sighah Mahramiyyat, the marriage establishes a mahram relationship between the man and the girl's mother. This means the mother becomes the man's mother-in-law, allowing her ...
