A Comparative Study of Temporary Marriage in Zoroastrianism and Islam

In Zoroastrian law there several indication that denote to the temporary marriage as a legal institution and this can be compared to the one in Imami jurisprudence. Sunni and Imami jurists differ on the continued legitimacy of the temporary marriage which the former believes it to be continued. Temporary marriage is legitimate in the opinion of Imami jurists and it has certain conditions that need to be observed. In Zoroastrian texts there is no separate chapter discussing this institution but based on the remaining evidence one can infer its existence and attempt a reconstruction. In the first section of this paper this remaining evidence, direct and indirect, will be discussed and then the main points of comparison with Imami jurisprudence will be studied taking into consideration similarities and differences. The study shows considerable similarity although the aims and conditions are different on occasions.