A Response to Those Who Permitted Marriage with Nine Women

Question:
Some sects of the Shi'ah have cited evidence for the permissibility of marrying nine women, taking the view that the terms mentioned in the verse—two, three, and four—sum to nine. What is your response, Your Eminence?

Answer:
The Rafidah’s claim is not to be heeded, nor is that of any other outlier who has claimed nine. It is a rejected opinion among the scholars of knowledge, and it has no place in advice. The position of the scholars of knowledge—which is akin to consensus among them—is that it is never permissible to marry more than four. As for nine, that was specific to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). The Rafidah have many slips and many errors, and many of them permit temporary marriage (mut'ah), which is forbidden by explicit text from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and by the consensus of the people of the Sunnah. Temporary marriage is forbidden among the people of the Sunnah and the community, and by the explicit text from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). When he forbade temporary marriage, he said: Many times they used to permit temporary marriage, and perhaps a woman would engage in it while she had a husband. There is no power and no strength except with Allah.
The point is: temporary marriage is marrying a woman for a period of two months, three, or four, for a known term, allowing him access to her for two or three months without a guardian and without witnesses. This is among the most invalid of invalid things. This is unlawful sexual intercourse. We ask Allah for safety.

Question : In Sahih al-Bukhari, from one of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), it is said: We were with the Messenger in a military expedition, and it became long for us... What does this statement mean?

Answer: It means he permitted them temporary marriage, then temporary marriage was abrogated. It was permissible in the early days of Islam, then Allah abrogated it in the later days of Islam and forbade it. It was permissible for them to marry in temporary marriage for two, three, or four months during travels, then this was abrogated, and Allah forbade it until the Day of Resurrection.