Mut'ah or a form of temporary marriage is a marriage contract in Islamic culture. It was originally accepted by all the people of the religion and was even practiced by the Prophet himself. However, after the death of the Prophet, he was banished by Caliph 'Umar. Since then, only Shia Muslims have continued to accept mut'ah as a legitimate form of marriage. Mut'ah was used for a variety of reasons, including travel, to allow a man and woman without an intimate relationship to share a home, or even to increase convenience for a woman. There are many, many other reasons why a muta'ah marriage might be used, but in today's society there are two reasons that the majority of people take advantage of. Mut'ah can help two people who would like to date and spend time together without breaking the laws established by Shari'a. It can also be used as a legalized form of prostitution because the contract that is written when a mu'ah marriage is established creates a loophole in the laws relating to prostitution. The question then arises: what is the purpose of mut'ah in today's society? Is this a way to modernize dating for Muslims or is it a way to cover up illegal acts in the Islamic community? The concept of mut'ah existed in the time of the Prophet and it is said that he himself had some mut'ah marriages. There were two prominent reasons for the existence of muta'ah marriages. The first was in Islam, it is forbidden for a man and a woman (who are not married or family) to be alone together. When mut'ah was used in this context, it was usually during long journeys. For example, if a doctor were to accompany a woman and her child on a long journey, he would enter into a contract of mut'ah with the child. He would then marry the little girl and... at the center of the card... of modernity and tradition. Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press, 1990. “Iran Chamber Society: Iranian Society: Trafficking in Persons in Iran, Especially Women and Children.” http://www.iranchamber.com/society/articles/trafficking_persons.php (accessed 2 March 2014). Mahmood, Shabnam and Catrin Nye. “Mut’ah (legalized prostitution through sham marriage) becomes popular among young British Muslims.” The Muslim Issue Worldwide, July 13, 2013, https://themuslimissue.wordpress.comMurata, Sachiko. "The Four Pillars of Mut'a." Al-Islam.org. http://www.al-islam.org/muta-temporary-marriage-in-islamic-law-sachiko-murata/four-pillars-muta (accessed March 2, 2014). Pohl, Florian. Modern Muslim societies. Tarrytown, NY: Marshall Cavendish Reference, 2011. Shehadeh, Lamia Rustum. The idea of ​​woman in fundamentalist Islam. Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 2003.