Hadith of Ibn al-Zubayr and Mut'ah

Several recorded oral tradition among Muslims (Arabic: Hadith) are about comment certain arguementations between the Islamic prophet Muhammad companions, after the latters death. Although those narration are often quoted and referred to, they are not given any formal name, in contrast to other hadith such as the Hadith of the pond of Khumm or the Hadith of Qur'an and Sunnah

Introduction

Nikah Mut'ah

In the Qur'an, two forms of marriage are described. One being permanent in nature (Arabic: Nikah), and the other being a time-fixed marriage, named in Arabic as Mut'ah, or more distincly as Nikah Mut'ah.

There are multiple narrations that state that Nikah Mut'ah was used by Muhammad's companions, several of those narrations considered as authentic by all Muslims.

Nikah Mut'ah's current day legality is a controversial issue among Shi'a and Sunnis, something that can be traced back to the generations of Muhammad.

Asma bint Abu Bakr

Asma was one of the daughters of Abu Bakr, the other daugheter being A'isha. Asma was had a son with Zubayr ibn al-Awwam: Ibn Zubair.

All the people named were prominent members of the first Muslim community.

Ibn Abbas and Ibn Zubair

Both where famous and very prominent contemporaries of Muhammad (Arabic: Sahaba), and both where very young when Muhammad died, Ibn abbas being 13 years old, and Ibn Zubair being even younger.

Overview

Most of this narrations are about Ibn Abbas and Ibn Zubair arguing heavily regarding the legality of Nikah Mut'ah, and several of the sources state that Ibn Zubair mother, Asma bint Abu Bakr, engaged in Nik'ah Mut'ah. Some of them state that she did so with Zubair, with whom she got her children .

Narration

Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj, a 9th century Sunni Islamic scholar writes: A hadith attributed to Abd Nadra reports:

While I was in the company of Jabir, a person came and said: There is difference of opinion amomg Ibn Abbas and Ibn Zubair about two Mut'as (Mut'ah of Hajj and Nikah Mut'ah), whereupon Jabir said: We have been doing this during the lifetime of Allah's Messenger (way peace be upon him), and then 'Umar forbade us to do so, and we never resorted to them.

Sunnis tend to view this as Sahih and have included it in Sahih Muslim .

A hadith attributed to Urwa ibn al-Zubayr reports:

Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr (Allah be pleased with him) stood up (and delivered an address) in Mecca saying: Allah has made blind the hearts of some people as He has deprived them of eyesight that they give religious verdict in favour of temporary marriage, while he was alluding to a person (Ibn Abbas). Ibn Abbas called him and said: You are an uncouth person, devoid of sense. By my life, Mut'a was practised during the lifetime of the leader of the pious (he meant Allah's Messenger, may peace be upon him), and Ibn Zubair said to him: just do it yourselves, and by Allah, if you do that I will stone you with your stones.

Sunnis tend to view this as Sahih and have included it in Sahih Muslim .

Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya, a 10th century Sunni Hanafi Islamic scholar writes : A hadith reports:

Abdullah Ibn Zubayr said to Ibn Abbas "don't you fear Allah be authorising people to practise Mut'ah? Ibn Abbas replied "Ask your mother about this matter" Ibn Zubayr then replied "Abu Bakr and Umar did not practise Mut'ah". Ibn Abbas replied, "You won't rest, your incorrect words until God reap destruction on you. I am telling you the order of Rasulullah(s) and your tell me about the words of Abu Bakr and Umar".

• Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Tahaawee, an 8th century Sunni Hanbali Islamic scholar writes

A hadith attributed to Sa'id ibn Jubayr reports:

I heard Abdullah ibn Zubayr reading a sermon wherein he condemned Abdullah ibn Abbas for believing in the permissibility of Mut'ah. Ibn Abbas said "You should ask your mother about this if you are truthful. His mother said "Ibn 'Abbas spoke the truth Mut'ah did indeed exist'. Ibn Abbas then said; "If you like I can cite the names of the men from Quraysh who were born from Mut'ah."

In Maudhoorath : A hadith reports:

Abdullah Ibn Zubayr mocked Ibn Abbad for believing that Mut'ah wa halaal, we said go and ask your mother on how she and your father first used this practise.

• Ibn Hajr Asqalani, a 15th century Sunni Shafi'i Islamic scholar narrates as follows :

A hadith reports:

A large group amongst the pious Salaf deemed Mut'ah halaal after the death of Rasulullah (s), Imam Nasai narrated from Muslim Qarai that we went before Asma bint Abu Bakr and we asked her about Mut'ah with women, she said I performed this Mut'ah during the lifetime of Rasulullah (s)

• Al-Raghib al-Isfahani reported :

A hadith reports:

Ibn Zubair denounced Ibn Abbas for his opinion on Mut'ah. Thus Ibn Abbas told him: "Go and ask your mother what she did with your father." When Ibn Zubair asked her, she said: "By God, I did not conceive you except through Mut'ah".

Muslim view

Muslims view this hadith as notable partly since they relate to important topics and personalities of the early Islamic society.

Sunni view

Sunnis considered at least some of the hadith to be Sahih, ending up in Sahih Muslim, their second most trusted hadith collection. Muhammad ash-Shawkani, a 19th century Sunni Islamic scholar writes :Template:QuoteScholar

Muhammad al-Zurqani, an 18th century Sunni Maliki Islamic scholar writes :Template:QuoteScholar

Shi'a view

Shi'a Muslim prominently use this hadith in when they engage in arguementations regarding the validity of Nikah Mut'ah. Among the sources using this hadith are Al-Islam.org's Shi'a encyclopedia and answering-ansar.org's article regarding Mut'ah , as well as most Mut'ah related articles.The poinst that they try to make include:

• Ibn Abbas, a prominent and knowledgable Sahaba gave fatwas in favor of Nik'ah Mut'ah long after Muhammads death, causing people to get confused over the issue.
• Ibn Zubair, a notable sahaba, being born in a Nikah Mut'ah.
• Abu Bakr's daughter entering a Nikah Mut'ah
• Zubayr ibn al-Awwam entering a Nikah Mut'ah
• Not only male Sahaba entering Nikah Mut'ah, something that is implied by some Sunnis through stating that it was only allowed since male Sahaba could not control their urges.

See also

• List of Muslim reports