Mut‘ah, or nikāh al-mutʻah, refers to an agreement established in the early period of Islam to form a temporary marital relationship. A dispute exists between Ahl al-Sunnah and the Jaʻfarīyah (al-Imāmīyah/al-Ithnā ʻasharīyah) branch of Shīʻah regarding whether this practice was abrogated. While the ʻulamāʼ al-Sunnah argue that mut‘ah was later abrogated, the Jaʻfarī scholars accept that it remains a valid form of marriage until the Day of Judgment. Both sects support their views with narrative literature. Sunnī narrations emphasize that temporary permission was granted to the companions during jihād, whereas Shīʻī-Imāmī narrations portray mutʻah as encouraged, with various concessions provided for those wishing to engage in it. A central point of debate is whether verse 24 of sūrat al-Nisāʼ indicates mutʻah. This study aims to analyze and evaluate the interpretations of this verse by the Sunnī commentator Ibn Jarīr al-Tabarī (d. 310/923) and the Shīʻī-Imāmī commentator Amīn al-Dīn al-Tabarsī (d. 548/1154). In addition, it aims to highlight an aspect of the verse that has been largely overlooked in previous studies. Some of the previously overlooked issues this study addresses include a thorough examination—within the framework of the Qurʼān’s textual integrity—of the terms in this verse that warrant emphasis, with respect to their etymological and iʻjāz dimensions, as well as the argument that the subsequently appended phrase does not constitute a variant reading but rather reflects the text’s internal coherence. The study is limited to Tabarī’s Jāmiʻ al-bayān and Tabarsī’s Majmaʻ al-bayān. In the evaluation, it was emphasized that in order to determine whether the verse refers to permanent marriage or mutʻah, the verse should be examined in detail in the context of the issue of al-mahr in the Qurʼān. Particular emphasis is placed on considering the semantic nuances and contextual sensitivities of the words used in the verse, in accordance with the Qurʼān’s iʻjāz. Based on these considerations, the analysis concludes that the verse clearly signifies a permanent marriage. The Qurʼān consistently refers to al-mahr as both a requisite for the marital bond and a legitimate right of the wife. This is demonstrated in various passages, including verses 229, 236, and 237 of sūrat al-Baqarah; verses 4, 20, and 25 of sūrat al-Nisāʼ; verse 5 of sūrat al-Māʼidah; and verse 10 of sūrat al-Mumtaḥinah. Given the Qurʼān’s distinctive narrative style, marked by the repetition of meanings, it is more consistent to view the verse in question as belonging to the same category as these passages on al-mahr and marital bonds rather than as evidence for mutʻah. In the syntax of the Qur'ān, words are placed in the most appropriate way for the context, and this feature is a distinctive characteristic of its iʻjāz aspect. For example, the verb اسْتَمْتَعْتُمْ in verse 24 of sūrat al-Nisāʼ refers to a long-term benefit derived through marriage, while the term أُجور indicates that al-mahr should naturally be provided. Similarly, the use of فَرِيضَة in verses 236–237 of sūrat al-Baqarah and the term صَدُقات in verse 4 of sūrat al-Nisāʼ emphasise that al-mahr is required. The contextual selection of these words shows that the issue of al-mahr is dealt with in a coherent system. The etymological analysis provides evidence that the linguistic details of the Qur'an support the verse's reference to permanent marriage. In this regard, it is concluded that the phrase إلى أجل مسمى, which was added to the verse, was added to the personal muṣḥafs of some of the Companions for the purpose of tafsīr, but later generations considered it as a difference of qirāʼat.
S. Gumus (Sun,) studied this question.