The
Misyar Question! Nationality Misyar, Travel Misyar, Summer
Misyar and Studying Misyar
31 July 2010
By Dr. Hamad Al-Majid
One of the most charming stories of real Misyar
marriage (a marriage where couples may live separately
and without financial obligations), is the story of a
handsome young Algerian man, whose country’s financial
problems ultimately led him to seek greener pastures
in London. This marriage case can be classified as a
"Nationality Misyar" in accordance with the other
known categories: Travel Misyar, Summer Misyar and
Studying Misyar. Perhaps his main concern was to
alleviate his financial problems and poor living
conditions. However, as he had no official residence
papers, the young Algerian man opted for the age old
trick of marrying a British woman as a means to
obtaining citizenship. He had the misfortune of
proposing to a particular elderly British lady, in her
late seventies, to have "a non-sexual" Misyar
marriage. They both agreed, and thus he would pay her
an agreed sum of money, whilst she would register him
as her husband. Strict British citizenship laws
require genuine cohabitation amongst married couples,
to the extent that the concerned British authorities
may unexpectedly visit the houses of suspected
couples, late at night, to make sure they do live
together. The authorities even search their cupboards
for evidence of a real and stable marital life.
Therefore, the young man decided to live with the old
lady. However, she was not completely satisfied with
the citizenship deal alone, especially when compared
to the attractiveness of this young Arab man. Thus,
she closed the apartment door, and consummated the
marriage. It was such a dark chapter in the life of
that miserable young man that it caused him to get up
the next morning collect his luggage and returned to
Algeria with a one-way ticket.
I remembered the Algerian man's story while reading
the results of an entertaining study called "the
Misyar Marriage: Desire or Need?" The study was given
to me by my friend Dr. Ibrahim al-Darwish, chairman of
the "Ro'ya Center for Social Studies" based in Rass,
Saudi Arabia. In addition to the survey, I was also
provided with a valuable collection of the research
and studies carried out by this centre. Dr. Ibrahim
also invited me to an intellectual discussion on the
subject, where he presented me with a booklet on the
Misyar, as if to say: the study of the Misyar marriage
can now be quantified in the language of figures,
facts and field surveys.
This study, which surveyed 1500 mosque Imams,
concluded that the majority of individuals were not
convinced by the idea of the Misyar marriage, for it
doesn’t provide accommodation, and lacks love and
compassion. However, the introductory abstract of the
study states that the majority of senior scholars said
it could be permissible, if based on the fundamental
pillars of marriage. It seemed as if "Ro’ya Center"
was suggesting that the religious scholars’ deep
rooted fatwas cannot be shaken by personal convictions
or opinion polls.
In my estimation, many people who have a distorted
idea of the Misyar marriage do not realise that
although the Misyar is abused, it still serves a
genuine purpose. The reality is that Misyar, if
performed sincerely, is a necessity for a certain
category of both sexes, not only women. This group of
people have found, through Misyar marriage, a
permissible path and solution to their difficult
economic and social conditions. As for those who have
distorted the image of the Misyar, this is not the way
to fight or prevent it. It is like attempting to ban
car driving to prevent accidents, or prohibit swimming
because of risk of drowning. Those who manipulate the
Misyar marriage, seeking physical pleasure, should be
criticized, slandered and criminalized. As for those
who advocate a universal prohibition of this type of
marriage, that’s like saying [according to the Arab
proverb] one drowning person can be saved by leaning
on the shoulders of another
Dr. Hamad Al-Majid is a journalist and
former member of the official Saudi National
Organization for Human Rights. Al-Majid is a graduate
of Imam Muhammad Bin Saud Islamic University in Riyadh
and holds an M.A. from California and a Doctorate from
the University of Hull in the United Kingdom.
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