Nikāḥ al-Mutʿah (Arabic: نكاح المتعة‎ "pleasure marriage" or "short-term marriage") is a fixed-term or short-term contractual marriage in Shia Islam. It is automatically dissolved upon completion of its term. Marriage in Islam, including the normal nikah Nikāḥ al-Mutʿah, is contractual. Mutah has the same rulings and Mahr ("dowry") as conventional marriage.

All the rights are given to the contractual wife while she is within the contractual period. The mutah offspring have the same rights as the conventional marriage offspring. There are some basic rules and requirements which must be fulfilled for a justified Nikah al-Mutah; for example a virgin girl cannot contract a Mutah without permission from her father or grandfather.

Shi'a and Sunnis agree that Mut'ah was legal in early times, but Sunnis consider that it was was abrogated. Ibn Kathir writes:

Temporary marriage was a custom of the pre-Islamic Arabs. It was used as a convenience shield, useful in the case where a man had to travel away from home for long periods of time, or was not able to commit fully to marriage.