Why was Mut'ah marriage permissible in past times, and why is it not permissible in this time despite difficult circumstances, and is masturbation less severe than Mut'ah marriage?

The confusion surrounding Nikah al-Mut'ah (temporary marriage) stems from a misunderstanding of its reality and history. Islam did not initiate its legislation; rather, it emerged in a specific context. From the beginning, Islam sanctioned the well-known form of marriage (Nikah) and prohibited zina (fornication/adultery). It permitted Mut'ah for a period, then prohibited it. Nikah al-Mut'ah is not permissible, no matter how great the need for it. Whoever faces difficulties should practice chastity, as Allah has commanded.

The form of Nikah al-Mut'ah that Islam initially permitted included documentation and arrangements to safeguard the rights of both spouses and ensure lineage. It involved a guardian (wali), witnesses, and a waiting period to ascertain the absence of pregnancy (istibra' al-rahm). The difference between it and the well-known form of marriage (Nikah) lay in two matters: there was no inheritance between the spouses, and it was temporary, with a specified duration. The Nikah al-Mut'ah invented by the innovators, however, truly resembles zina, and this was never permitted in Islam.