Nikah mut'ah Arabic: نكاح المتعة, romanized: nikāḥ al-mutʿah, "pleasure marriage"; temporary marriage or Sigheh (Persian: صیغه ، ازدواج موقت) is a private and verbal temporary marriage contract that is practiced in Twelver Shia Islam in which the duration of the marriage and the mahr must be specified and agreed upon in advance. It is a private contract made in a verbal or written format. A declaration of the intent to marry and an acceptance of the terms are required as in other forms of marriage in Islam. The Zaidi Shia reject Mutah marriage.
The length of a temporary marriage varies and can be as brief as an hour or stipulated to be as long as ninety-nine years. Traditionally, a temporary marriage does not require witnesses or registration, though taking witnesses is recommended. The Oxford Dictionary of Islam, indicate the minimum duration of the marriage is debatable and durations of at least three days, three months or one year have been suggested.
