Temporary Marriage and the Modern Concept of Dating in Iran Temporary marriage (Muta) and dating is perhaps one of the most contentious sexuality issues that affects youth in Iran. Today marriage in Iran is seen less as only an institution for procreation, and women have come to expect companionship along with a greater degree of emotional and sexual intimacy. This research examines whether temporary marriage provides a practical "solution" to the needs of youth in Iran as an alternative to the modern dating culture. This study places temporary marriage within the frame of gender relations and elaborate the variation of sexual and non sexual temporary marriage, the motivation and circumstances which motivates women to contract temporary marriage and the political use of this institution. In this study the legal and theological texts on the subject of temporary marriage were analyzed. In an attempt to examine the difference between the dating culture and temporary marriage in light of the dynamics of sexual politics, 15 in-depth interviews were conducted among Iranian women who had contracted temporary marriages in 2008. In Iran temporary marriage is favored by theological and legal establishment as a religiously meritorious alternative to unhealthy sexual abstinence for men over dating. Women’s sexuality and their needs on the other hand are not addressed legally, and therefore this leaves scopes for a large variety of theories on the subject. Today in Iran dating is common despite continued parental objections and state prohibitions. In order to resolve this “problem” the state reintroduced the practice of temporary marriage as an alternative to the modern style of dating. This study shows that an odd mix of feminists, clerics and officials have begun to discuss temporary marriage as a possible solution to the problems of Iran's youth, which allows a degree of autonomy and sexual freedom for women. The findings of this research indicate that cultural practices (Urf) and social pressures can erode the position of women in both temporary marriages, and dating. It further indicates that sexual politics are always on some level about power and that attempts to destabilize traditional gender and sexual relations will threaten established political, religious and family hierarchies.