Is Mufa'kathat (Thighing of Pre-Pubescent Wives) Condoned by Islam? (Part I)

The Islamic practice of Mufa'kathat (using the thighs of pre-pubescent girls for sexual pleasure) is not only condoned by Islam, but has a rich history throughout the Muslim world.

There was also a recent debate on Al-Arabia TV about this practice as it relates to Mutah (temporary), marriage.

I urge all to first watch the video so that you can have a clearer understanding of the Islamic positiion on this matter. Transcript of the discussion can be viewed here.

I first want to note that this Bahraini Women's Rights Activist (Ghada Jamshir), has been smeared as a heretic because she opposes Islamic (Sharia Law).

I want to focus on the following comments that she makes:

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BEGIN QUOTE

Ghada Jamshir: Does the Islamic Shari'a authorize mut'ah marriages? Does the Islamic Shari'a authorize mut'ah according to the following classification: "Pleasure from sexual contact with her thighs."

They have: "Pleasure from sexual touching." "pleasure from sexual contact with her breasts."

"Pleasure from a little girl."

Do you know what "pleasure from a little girl" means?

It means that they derive sexual pleasure from a girl aged two, three, or four.

Interviewer: Let's not go into details...

Ghada Jamshir: Let me tell you what "Pleasure from sexual contact with her thighs" means...

Interviewer: Don't give me the details...

Ghada Jamshir: This is a violation of children's rights! This constitutes sexual assault of the girl. What does "pleasure from sexual contact with her thighs" mean? It means deriving sexual pleasure from an infant. How old is an infant?

One year, a year and a half, a few months? Is it conceivable for a grown man to have sex with an infant girl? And you people tell me that the Islamic Sharia authorizes this? Forget about the mut'ah. Let's talk about misyar. What do misyar marriages mean? You said that I'm a Sunni and that's why I'm attacking the Shiites. No!

END QUOTE

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First I would like to say that there are TWO issues being discussed here:

1. Mutah Marriage (In some Muslim countries a man is able to enter into a temporary marriage agreement with a woman).

2. Mufa'kathat (sexual contact with females under the age of puberty that does not involve sexual intercourse. The problem that she perceives is that young girls, particulary from Asian countries like the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos etc are being imported into Arabian countries for purposes of Mutah marriages for which their parents or handlers receive the dowry for the temporary marriage and it can be only for maybe one or two hours, blessed by an Imam, and then divorced at the end of the period.

First, let us look at the Shia opinion on sexual contact with wives who have not yet attained puberty. There is some debate over the proper translation of this passage, even on such sites as Shia-Chat.com, but here is the popular translation of the Grand Ayatollah Khomeini's ruling on the matter, along with the orginal Arabic:

Arabic original مسألة 12 : لا يجوز وطء الزوجة قبل إكمال تسع سنين ، دواما كان النكاح أو منقطعا ، و أما سائر الاستمتاعات كاللمس بشهوة و الضم و التفخيذ فلا بأس بها حتى فى الرضيعة ، و لو وطأها قبل التسع و لم يفضها لم يترتب عليه شى‏ء غير الاثم على الاقوى ، و إن أفضاها بأن جعل مسلكى البول و الحيض واحدا أو مسلكى الحيض و الغائط واحدا حرم عليه وطؤها أبدا لكن على الاحوط فى الصورة الثانية ، و على أي حال لم تخرج عن زوجيته على الاقوى ، فيجري عليها أحكامها من التوارث و حرمة الخامسة و حرمة أختها معها و غيرها ، و يجب عليه نفقتها مادامت حية و إن طلقها بل و إن تزوجت بعد الطلاق على الاحوط ، بل لا يخلو من قوة ، و يجب عليه دية الافضاء ، و هى دية النفس ، فإذا كانت حرة فلها نصف دية الرجل مضافا إلى المهر الذي استحقته بالعقد و الدخول ، و لو دخل بزوجته بعد إكمال التسع فأفضاها لم تحرم عليه و لم تثبت الدية ، و لكن الاحوط الانفاق عليها مادامت حية و إن كان الاقوى عدم الوجوب .

Translation "A man can marry a girl younger than nine years of age, even if the girl is still a baby being breastfed. A man, however is prohibited from having intercourse with a girl younger than nine, other sexual acts such as foreplay, rubbing, kissing and sodomy is allowed. A man having intercourse with a girl younger than nine years of age has not committed a crime, but only an infraction, if the girl is not permanently damaged.

If the girl, however, is permanently damaged, the man must provide for her all her life. But this girl will not count as one of the man's four permanent wives. He also is not permitted to marry the girl's sister." More on the debate over the translation is here.

h/t K. Tachumukhammet