# Is mut'ah a matter of belief that divides Sunnis and Shia? *Mut'ah is a question of fiqh, not iman: Sunnis are unfair to the Shia* - URL: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/o3so0hmtatc/s/1/ - Date: 2018-07-21 · Kind: lesson · Transcript tier: machine · Recording: Sunni & Shia differences on Mutah, theological or political? - Mufti Abu Layth (0:00–3:15) - Status: general teaching - Watch from the start of the segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3SO0Hmtatc&t=0s - Recording page: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/o3so0hmtatc/ **Topics:** Polygamy and mut'ah; Sunni-Shia dialogue **Summary (not a quotation; machine-made, unchecked):** No: accepting temporary marriage or not is a question of fiqh, not belief, so Sunnis are unfair to attack the Shia over mut'ah. **Checked position (checked by two independent reviews, not by the channel):** Mufti Abu Layth says that whether one accepts temporary marriage or not is a matter of fiqh, not a matter of iman. **Evidence, his words at 0:39:** “now whether you accept it or don't accept it is a matter of fit it's not actually a matter of Eman” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3SO0Hmtatc&t=39s) ## Longer summary Mufti Abu Layth says he does not feel the differences between Sunnis and Shia are so huge, being largely historical and about politics and leadership. Recalling a Speakers' Corner debate a Shia friend sent him, in which mut'ah kept coming up, he says that, to be objective, Sunnis are unfair in slating the Shia over temporary marriage, since whether one accepts it is a matter of fiqh, not of iman. He says many companions allowed mut'ah, as did scholars down to the great Maliki Ibn Ashur [?], and that Sunnis today have their own low-commitment equivalent, misyar [?], which he likens to Erik Erikson's stage of low commitment and high exploration. He adds jokingly that if Sunni scholars were not so critical of mut'ah, Sunnis would be madly on it, then mentions his book shopping before moving on. ## Sources and names cited - mut'ah (temporary marriage) - Shia - Sunni - fiqh - iman - Ibn Ashur [?] - nikah misyar [?] - Erik Erikson ## Transcript (machine tier, 0:00–3:15) [0:00] yeah I don't I don't actually feel that the difference is honestly between Sunni and Shia are so huge I think it's just a historical perspective that's all on politics on leadership and stuff like that that's see because you know all these other things like I watch this debate a Shia friend he sent me a link to a discussion of his with a Suniya speakers corner speakers whatever they call it speaker's corner Hyde Park whatever so they were I watched not all of it but watch some of it and they were speaking and in between they were talking about Sunni Shia kind of different season and they kept bringing [0:39] up muta matara you know this temporary marriage and and obviously in all honesty if we're gonna be fair the Sunnis are unfair on this matter if we're gonna be if we're gonna be objective that they unfair in slating the Shia on Mataura temporary marriage because really what eyes to do with thick is to do with how we practice like the laws of Islam which is nothing to do with beliefs so motorize simply having a temporary marriage now whether you accept it or don't accept it is a matter [1:16] of fit it's not actually a matter of Eman and for some reason we've made it a matter of Iman and what the hell has it got to do with Iman and there's been many Sahaba who allowed maja coming right down to the likes of scholars like even our shul from you know the great Maliki legend people like this they allowed what I wasn't and today the Sunnis have this equivalent which in slang terms is called Nakia Nakia Messiah which is like a low commitment kind of marriage where it's just a what [1:54] I call one of Erik Erikson's stages in psychology in development which he says low commitment high exploration so these are like and Sunnis I think really to be honest with you if they open if if the Sunni scholars weren't that critical of muta let's be honest they would be on it like they would be madly on muta if we're just gonna be honest because all the Muslim circles seem to be discussing all the time he just marriage marriage marriage marriage marriage like massively Despres [2:34] deprived and depraved so let's just face it that you know so why are you bashing the Shiar muta that's sister I just find is it just a point of jealousy anyway let's move on let's move on all right so what's going on right I've done a bit of sharpening peoples and book shopping you can't really see my books yeah but loads all right you know I spoke last week about salable party and this research that I've been doing for a little while now somebody said muta is fun though I kind of wish Sony's believed in it too you believe [3:14] believe of course of course we are people of belief on that note there is a people who are interesting research on the topic of Mataura there is a recent Maliki scholar from Morocco who's published a whole book after his research which I think it was his thesis but his research is called The Watcher Matara Kara attended either fulfill a Sunni which means that ## Cite Mufti Abu Layth Archive, segment O3SO0Hmtatc/s/1. https://muftiabulayth.org/r/o3so0hmtatc/s/1/ Not a fatwa: these answers were given to specific people at specific times. Ask a qualified scholar about your own situation.