Payment to a divorced woman (Mut‘a)

Mut’a is what the husband must give to the wife with whom he divorced or from whom he was divorced through his fault, for example, because of his apostasy, etc.

Mut’a must be given to a woman who had sexual intimacy with her spouse before divorce, as well as to a woman who did not have sexual intimacy with her spouse before divorce, if she is not entitled to half the mahr.

The amount of mut’a is determined by both the former spouses mutually.

The minimum size is something that has a price, but it is desirable that it should be not less than 30 dirhams (100.8 grams of silver or the cost of this silver) and should not exceed half of the generally accepted mahr.

If a dispute arises between them regarding the size of a mut’a, then its size is determined by an Imam depending on the financial condition of the man, as well as the nobility of the woman’s family, etc.

Mut’a is property that a man is obligated to give to a woman with whom he had divorced prior to sexual intimacy. This is in the case if she is not supposed to have half the mahr (which is due to a woman who has been divorced before having sexual intercourse with her).

Mut’a is also given to a woman with whom her husband had sexual intimacy and whom he divorced three times, even if the deadline for `idda has not passed. If the husband did not give a final (i.e. it was just one or two) divorce, then (mut`a is given) after the expiration of the `idda period. The same decision applies regarding the dissolution of the marriage through the fault of the husband (for example, if he became an apostate, and their marriage was dissolved).

SOURCE: TUHFAT AL-MUHTAJ, VOL. 7, P. 416.