“And lawful to you are all women beyond these, provided that you seek them in marriage with your wealth, desiring chastity and not illicit relations. So for whatever enjoyment you have had from them, give them their bridal gifts as an obligation. There is no blame upon you concerning whatever you mutually agree to after the obligation. Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise,”

“And whoever among you lacks the means to marry free believing women”

[Sūrat al-Nisā’: 24, 25]

His words, “So for whatever enjoyment you have had from them,” encompass every (1) woman with whom the marriage has been consummated, for He commanded that she be given the full dower. This is unlike a woman divorced before consummation, from whom no enjoyment was had (2), for she is entitled to only half of it.

This is like His saying, Exalted is He:

“How could you take it back after you have been intimate with one another and they have taken from you a solemn covenant?”

[Sūrat al-Nisā’: 21]

He thus made consummation, together with the marriage contract, render the dower fully due. This is shown (3) by the fact that there is no sense in singling out temporary marriage for payment of the dower to the exclusion of permanent marriage. Rather, payment of the full dower in permanent marriage is even more warranted. The verse must therefore apply to permanent marriage, whether specifically or through its general import.

This is further shown by the fact that He subsequently mentioned marriage to slave women, making it clear that what had just been mentioned applied unrestrictedly to marriage with free women.

If it is said: A group of the early Muslims recited it as, “So for whatever enjoyment you have had from them until an appointed term,” the first response is that this reading is not mass-transmitted. At most, it has the status of a non-mass-transmitted report. We do not deny that temporary marriage was permitted at the beginning of Islam; the question under discussion, however, is whether the Quran indicates that.