Re: Mutah [temporary marriage] in the time of Amir ul Momineen Ali ibn Abi Talib
Coming back to the main question of the thread. Since Mutah was always Halal according to the true teachings of Prophet [s] and Ahlulbayt [as], when Imam Ali [as] became caliph, his actual adherents (the Shias of Ahlulbayt) were likewise deeming Mutah Halal and had not adopted the teachings of previous caliphs, howoever, since majority of the supporters of Ali [as] during his caliphate comprised of the hardline adherents of previous caliphs, thus he did not make changes in any of the decition that previous caliphs had passed and that includes the issue of Mutah, reciting Bismillah etc. while (as said earlier) his actual Shias were still deeming it Halal. The following words of Ali [as] are of relevance as recorded in Al-Kafi:
**"The Caliphs before me intentionally practiced such acts in which they went against Rasool Allah (saww). They broke the promises (which they made with Rasool) and changed the Sunnah of Rasool Allah (saww). If (today) I ask people to leave all these things (innovations) and restore things back to the way they were at the time of Rasulullah (s), my army shall rebel and abandon me, and I shall be left alone. All that shall remain turning to me shall be those Shi’a who recognise my virtues and rank. **
Then he further explained by giving some examples that: “If I return Fadak to the heirs of Fatima(as), and if I order to restore the “SA’a” (a unit for measuring wheat) of Rasool Allah (s). And if I return the properties, which were given by Rasool (s) to their original owners, and deny the decisions which were based on injustice (and tyranny), and snatch the women who were illegally taken by some people and return them to their husbands, and if I deny the (unjust) distribution of Fadak, and start giving the shares to every one equally (as were originally given by Rasool (s), but earlier caliphs started giving according to status), …. and restore the condition of Khums of Rasool (saww), and to bring Masjid-e-Nabi to it’s original position, and to make “Mash alal Khaffin” haram, and to issue punishment (“Had”) for drinking “Nabeedh” (alcohol made out of barley), and give the fatwa for Mut’ah being Halaal, and start saying 5 Takbirs at funeral, and make it obligatory upon people to recite “Bismillah” loudly during Salat … and ask people to follow the Quranic and Sunnah way of giving Talaq, and ask people to give all the Sadaqat, and to restore the way of abulation, ghusal and Salah to it’s original form and time, and give back the fidya (which was unjustly taken) to Ahl-e-Najran, and return the slave girls of Ahle Faras, and ask people to return to Qur’an and Sunnah of Rasool (s), then all people will abandon me (and I will be left alone). I ordered people that they should only gather for Fardh (obligatory) prayers during Ramadhan, and told them that congregation (Jamah) in Nafal (i.e. Tarawih) is a Bidah (innovation) then all of these people started shouting that Sunnah of Hadhrat Umar has been changed.”