Marriage is a God-ordained covenant established between a man and a woman. This lifelong, sexually exclusive relationship brings children into the world and thus sustains the stewardship of the earth. Therefore by definition, marriage must be exclusive and be with the intent of both parties to be in this covenant for their entire lives.
The predominant word used in the Quran for marriage is “nikah” ( نِكَاح ). This word comes from the root ( ن ك ح ), which in addition to marriage, also means a contract, the age of sexual maturity, the age one can sign a contract independently, to tie a knot, as well as cement. While the other meanings may be more expected, the significance for the connection between marriage and cement is that when cement dries, the expectation is that the bond is permanent; similarly, when two individuals are married, the couple’s intention should be to want to stay permanently together.
So if the marriage is conducted with the pretense that it is only temporary, it cannot be considered marriage. This would be a redefinition of marriage not much different than individuals who have attempted to redefine marriage to include same-sex couples.
In addition to nikah ( نِكَاح ), the Quran uses some words for marriage as well. One of these words is the word صِهْرًا (ṣih’ran) found in the following verse.
[25:54] He is the One who created from water a human being, then made him reproduce through marriage and mating. Your Lord is Omnipotent.
وَهُوَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ مِنَ الْمَاءِ بَشَرًا فَجَعَلَهُ نَسَبًا وَصِهْرًا وَكَانَ رَبُّكَ قَدِيرًا
| 1 | wahuwa | وَهُوَ | And He (is) |
| 2 | alladhī | ٱلَّذِى | the One who |
| 3 | khalaqa | خَلَقَ | He created |
| 4 | mina | مِنَ | from |
| 5 | l-māi | ٱلْمَآءِ | the water |
| 6 | basharan | بَشَرًا | human being |
| 7 | fajaʿalahu | فَجَعَلَهُۥ | and He made for him |
| 8 | nasaban | نَسَبًا | relationship |
| 9 | waṣih’ran | وَصِهْرًا | and marriage. |
| 10 | wakāna | وَكَانَ | And He is |
| 11 | rabbuka | رَبُّكَ | your Lord |
| 12 | qadīran | قَدِيرًا | Omnipotent. |
The word “ṣih’ran” ( صِهْرًا ) comes from the root ( ص ه ر ), which has the derivative meaning to melt, liquefy, or fuse together, as seen in the following verse, showing again that the expectation for a couple marrying is not meant to be reversible once it is complete.
[22:20] It will cause their insides to melt, as well as their skins.
(٢٠) يُصْهَرُ بِهِۦ مَا فِى بُطُونِهِمْ وَٱلْجُلُودُ
Moreover, when a person marries, they are to make a solemn pledge to their spouse. The Quran calls out this pledge in the following verse.
[4:21] How could you take it back, after you have been intimate with each other, and they had taken from you a solemn pledge?
(٢١) وَكَيْفَ تَأْخُذُونَهُۥ وَقَدْ أَفْضَىٰ بَعْضُكُمْ إِلَىٰ بَعْضٍ وَأَخَذْنَ مِنكُم مِّيثَـٰقًا غَلِيظًا
| 8 | wa-akhadhna | وَأَخَذْنَ | and they took |
| 9 | minkum | مِنكُم | from you [all] |
| 10 | mīthāqan | مِّيثَـٰقًا | a covenant / pledge |
| 11 | ghalīẓan | غَلِيظًا | strong / solemn? |
It is worth noting that the term translated as a pledge in the above verse is mīthāqan ( مِّيثَـٰقًا ). This word in the Quran is for oaths where both sides have a responsibility, and in the case of marriage, it is to be with the intent of a lifelong sexually exclusive relationship between the parties involved.
The fact that marriage is a covenant also explains why divorce is frowned upon since divorce requires the breaking of an oath. When a couple divorces, they are breaking their commitment to each other that they made God a guarantor over and vowed to fulfill.
[16:91] You shall fulfill your covenant with GOD when you make such a covenant. You shall not violate the oaths after swearing (by God) to carry them out, for you have made GOD a guarantor for you. GOD knows everything you do.
وَأَوْفُوا بِعَهْدِ اللَّهِ إِذَا عَاهَدْتُمْ وَلَا تَنْقُضُوا الْأَيْمَانَ بَعْدَ تَوْكِيدِهَا وَقَدْ جَعَلْتُمُ اللَّهَ عَلَيْكُمْ كَفِيلًا إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَعْلَمُ مَا تَفْعَلُونَ
The Quran also states that not doing what we say we will do is one of the most abominable acts in the sight of God.
[61:2] O you who believe, why do you say what you do not do?
[61:3] Most abominable in the sight of GOD is that you say what you do not do.
(٢) يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لِمَ تَقُولُونَ مَا لَا تَفْعَلُونَ
(٣) كَبُرَ مَقْتًا عِندَ ٱللَّهِ أَن تَقُولُوا۟ مَا لَا تَفْعَلُونَ
The term for temporary marriages in Arabic is Nikah-al-Mut’a ( نكاح المتعة ), which literally translates to “pleasure marriage.” It is a contractual marriage with a fixed duration agreed upon by the parties involved. While it is openly accepted by Shia Muslims, even Sunni Muslims who claim to disavow it have a reputation for seeking such an egregious vice.
Such corruption of marriage is absolutely sacrilegious and a disgrace to the establishment of marriage put forth by God. If the intent of the parties involved is to only be in a marriage covenant temporarily, then this is just fornication, and if a payment is made, then it would constitute prostitution. Individuals who uphold such things and participate in such acts think that they are deceiving God as if they found a loophole in God’s system, but they are only deceiving themselves without perceiving.
[2:8] Then there are those who say, “We believe in GOD and the Last Day,” while they are not believers.
[2:9] In trying to deceive GOD and those who believe, they only deceive themselves without perceiving.
[2:10] In their minds there is a disease. Consequently, GOD augments their disease. They have incurred a painful retribution for their lying.
[2:11] When they are told, “Do not commit evil,” they say, “But we are righteous!”
[2:12] In fact, they are evildoers, but they do not perceive.
[2:13] When they are told, “Believe like the people who believed,” they say, “Shall we believe like the fools who believed?” In fact, it is they who are fools, but they do not know.
(٢:٨) وَمِنَ ٱلنَّاسِ مَن يَقُولُ ءَامَنَّا بِٱللَّهِ وَبِٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلْـَٔاخِرِ وَمَا هُم بِمُؤْمِنِينَ
(٢:٩) يُخَـٰدِعُونَ ٱللَّهَ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَمَا يَخْدَعُونَ إِلَّآ أَنفُسَهُمْ وَمَا يَشْعُرُونَ
(٢:١٠) فِى قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٌ فَزَادَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ مَرَضًا وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌۢ بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَكْذِبُونَ
(٢:١١) وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ لَا تُفْسِدُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّمَا نَحْنُ مُصْلِحُونَ
(٢:١٢) أَلَآ إِنَّهُمْ هُمُ ٱلْمُفْسِدُونَ وَلَـٰكِن لَّا يَشْعُرُونَ
(٢:١٣) وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ ءَامِنُوا۟ كَمَآ ءَامَنَ ٱلنَّاسُ قَالُوٓا۟ أَنُؤْمِنُ كَمَآ ءَامَنَ ٱلسُّفَهَآءُ أَلَآ إِنَّهُمْ هُمُ ٱلسُّفَهَآءُ وَلَـٰكِن لَّا يَعْلَمُونَ
Just like homosexuality did not exist before the People of Lot, this concept of temporary marriage is not found practiced by any followers of the Abrahamic faith.
[7:80] Lot said to his people, “You commit such an abomination; no one in the world has done it before!
(٨٠) وَلُوطًا إِذْ قَالَ لِقَوْمِهِۦٓ أَتَأْتُونَ ٱلْفَـٰحِشَةَ مَا سَبَقَكُم بِهَا مِنْ أَحَدٍ مِّنَ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ
Nowhere in the Bible does it describe temporary marriage or any form of contractual marriage with a fixed duration. The concept of temporary marriage does not exist in either Judaism or Christianity. The Bible teaches that marriage is a lifelong covenant between a man and a woman, and it emphasizes the importance of commitment and faithfulness in marriage.
Jewish law emphasizes the importance of commitment and fidelity in marriage and considers marriage a lifelong covenant between a man and a woman. In Jewish law, sexual relations outside of marriage are prohibited, and the idea of a temporary or contractual marriage with a fixed duration is not recognized or accepted. In Matthew 19:4-6, Jesus said, “At the beginning, the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason, a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.’ So, they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”
It was not until the proliferation of fabricated Hadith concocted by perverted agents of the devil that attributed such practices to the prophet and his companions.
[6:112] We have permitted the enemies of every prophet—human and jinn devils—to inspire in each other fancy words, in order to deceive. Had your Lord willed, they would not have done it. You shall disregard them and their fabrications.
وَكَذَٰلِكَ جَعَلْنَا لِكُلِّ نَبِىٍّ عَدُوًّا شَيَـٰطِينَ ٱلْإِنسِ وَٱلْجِنِّ يُوحِى بَعْضُهُمْ إِلَىٰ بَعْضٍ زُخْرُفَ ٱلْقَوْلِ غُرُورًا وَلَوْ شَآءَ رَبُّكَ مَا فَعَلُوهُ فَذَرْهُمْ وَمَا يَفْتَرُونَ
[6:113] This is to let the minds of those who do not believe in the Hereafter listen to such fabrications, and accept them, and thus expose their real convictions.
وَلِتَصْغَىٰٓ إِلَيْهِ أَفْـِٔدَةُ ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ وَلِيَرْضَوْهُ وَلِيَقْتَرِفُوا۟ مَا هُم مُّقْتَرِفُونَ
To think that the prophet not only participated in such acts but openly promoted them to his followers goes against any basic understanding of the role of the prophet, the purpose of his mission, and the words of God in the Quran.
[69:44] Had he uttered any other teachings.
[69:45] We would have punished him.
[69:46] We would have stopped the revelations to him.
[69:47] None of you could have helped him.
تَنزِيلٌ مِّن رَّبِّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ
وَلَوْ تَقَوَّلَ عَلَيْنَا بَعْضَ ٱلْأَقَاوِيلِ
لَأَخَذْنَا مِنْهُ بِٱلْيَمِينِ
ثُمَّ لَقَطَعْنَا مِنْهُ ٱلْوَتِينَ
فَمَا مِنكُم مِّنْ أَحَدٍ عَنْهُ حَـٰجِزِينَ
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