We contracted temporary marriage giving a handful of (tales or flour as a dower during the lifetime of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and durnig the time of Abu Bakr until 'Umar forbade it in the case of 'Amr b. Huraith.
The Book of Marriage - Sahih Muslim 1405 d
This narration from Jabir ibn Abdullah concerns the practice of temporary marriage (mut'ah) during the early Islamic period, mentioning its permissibility during the Prophet's time and Abu Bakr's caliphate, and its subsequent prohibition during Umar's caliphate.
Classical Scholarly Commentary
From the perspective of classical scholarship, this hadith establishes that mut'ah marriage was initially permitted in Islam but was later abrogated. The majority of scholars hold that it was definitively prohibited by the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ himself, though some narrations indicate its practice continued briefly after his passing.
The prohibition by Umar ibn al-Khattab was not an independent legislation but rather an enforcement of the Prophet's final ruling. Classical commentators emphasize that the consensus (ijma') of the Muslim community has established the impermissibility of temporary marriage, considering it part of the completed and perfected religion.
The mention of "a handful of dates or flour" as dower illustrates the simplicity of early Muslim marriages and demonstrates that the validity of marriage doesn't depend on the amount of dower, but rather on the proper fulfillment of contractual conditions.
Legal Status in Classical Islam
The four Sunni madhabs unanimously agree on the prohibition of temporary marriage based on numerous authentic narrations and scholarly consensus. They consider it an invalid contract that doesn't establish proper marital relations.
Classical scholars differentiate between temporary marriage (with a fixed duration) and permanent marriage, emphasizing that the latter is the only Islamically valid form of marriage that fulfills the objectives of Islamic law regarding family establishment, lineage preservation, and social stability.