Sunni Muslims say it is illegal and akin to prostitution, but some Shiites scholars say it reflects the reality of human nature and provides for the rights and responsibilities of both the man and the woman

Sixty per cent of Iran's population is under 30 years of age and the average age of marriage has risen to 30 for men and 26 for women, according to unofficial estimates

Sunni Muslims say it is illegal and akin to prostitution --Deepti

Sunni's have their own version of the same, I can't recall the term right now, but I remember some news on this phenomenon.

Here you go It's called Misyar Marriage.

And someone can correct me, Jews have their own version? (I could be way off).

Actually, this controversy isn't anything new. It's an ancient tradition, and the Sunnis and Shi'i have been snickering at each other over it for centuries.

As I recall, there was a great article in a 1908 National Geographic (or was it 1923?) about the pilgrimage to the city of Najaf. They describe the practice in hilariously orientalist terms. I'm sure it made the guys in the Explorer's Club twist their handle-bar mustaches extra tight!

Nothing like that have been heard of in the Jewish tradition or laws.

It's similarly unheard of in the Islamic world outside certain parts of the Middle East. It's probably an older indigenous concept that is unique to traders, caravan travelers, and other desert nomads in the Arab-Persian world.

Thank you for the correction, ayalast.

Your reference seems to be correct, ouyangwulong. However, the concept of Muta Marriage is primarily adopted by Shia Muslims, and most of them have originated from Persia and other non-Arab cultures. But it would be interesting to trace the origination of this practice.

That sounds entirely probable.

I don't have as much research experience with Persian cultures as I'd like. Most of my perspective on the issue comes from the practice as it is done in Iraq, on the pilgrimage to Najaf, mostly by Arab Shi'i.

On a separate note, although the Shi'i of today are made up of large numbers of Persians, we should note that the movement began with the assassination of Hussayn ibn-Ali, the first Shia Imama and grandson to the Prophet Mohammad, by Yazid I and Ummayadi, in the Battle of Karbala. (The Battle of Karbala in 680, that is, not the Battle of Karbala that happened last year! ) The provenience of Shia Islam is thus Arab, although Persians have contributed much to its development over the centuries.

Spelling corrections:

*Shia Imam
*the Ummayad Caliphate

sorry...

Shias are basically minority and they have further minority groups within, some hold very different interpretation of Islam from each other, for example, Shia Imami Ismailis. They are the total opposite of mainstream Shias (which are sometime called 12ers because they believe in 12 divinely guided Imams after Islam's last Prophet). Ismailis in contrast, believe in the continuous and unending succession of Imams after the last Prophet. Ismailis are also the most forward looking and liberated sect of Islam.