Mustafa shook his head in disbelief. “You are inviting me to join Al Qaeda?”

“This surprises you?”

“It confuses me.”

“Why?”

“You say, because I once stood up to you in your wickedness, you now wish to be my mentor in righteousness. I find your reasoning . . . counterintuitive.”

“I’m not the bully I was when you first met me,” Idris said. “I have grown. Afghanistan changed me. Working with Senator Bin Laden has changed me even more. You really should meet him, Mustafa. He is a great man, a true soldier of God. He has plans for Arabia.”

“I am sure he does,” said Mustafa. “But I rather doubt there is a place for me in those plans.”

“Mustafa—”

“Let us return to earth for a moment and talk about another holy warrior.”

“Which one?”

“Gabriel Costello.”

Idris frowned. “He was not a holy warrior.”

“You know what happened to him.”

“Yes.” Unable to suppress a small grin, Idris said: “He killed himself.”

“I think we both know that’s not true,” said Mustafa. “Costello was murdered.”

“I know no such thing. Even if he didn’t take his own life, the man was an enemy of God. To kill such a person is not murder.”

“I disagree.”

“Do you?” Idris said. “Was it murder when you shot that Lutheran?”

“Martin Hoffman posed an imminent threat to an innocent woman’s life,” Mustafa said. “Gabriel Costello was an unarmed prisoner, at the mercy of his killers.”

“The man deserved to die.”

“Did you kill him because he deserved it, or to shut him up?”

“I,” Idris began, and then caught himself. “I do not understand you. How can you even care about these terrorists?”

“I have been asking myself the same question lately,” Mustafa said. “I think the answer is that it’s not really the terrorists I care about; I care about a world in which murder becomes a commonplace. You are correct, of course, that I’ve lost my way. But if you consider the nature of my transgression, you’ll perhaps understand why I am wary of mistaking human passion for the will of God. So, no,” he concluded, “I don’t think I’d make a good Qaeda recruit.”

“Then I return to my first point,” Idris said, “which is that you are unwise to go against us. This is not a threat but a promise: If you push this investigation too hard, it will end badly, for you and anyone with you.”

“We must both do what we think is right,” Mustafa said. “How it ends is in God’s hands. But remember, Idris, you are not God. Neither is your master.” He stood up. “Peace be unto you.”

THE LIBRARY OF ALEXANDRIA

A USER-EDITED REFERENCE SOURCE

Temporary Marriage

This page contains

unverified legal claims

. Readers are urged to consult appropriate authorities before accepting such claims as definitive.

Temporary marriage is a marriage with a pre-set, limited duration. Upon the expiration of the initial marriage term, the husband and wife have the option to extend it for an additional limited term, or to convert it to a permanent marriage; if they choose not to do either of these things, the marriage is automatically dissolved, with no need for a formal divorce.

LEGAL AND SOCIAL STATUS OF TEMPORARY MARRIAGE

Although it is recognized under the laws of the UAS, Persia, and many other Muslim countries, the practice of temporary marriage is highly controversial and can carry a significant social stigma, particularly for the woman involved.

Almost all religious scholars agree that temporary marriage was permitted during at least part of the lifetime of the Prophet Mohammed (peace be unto him). However, most Sunnis believe that Mohammed ultimately prohibited the practice. Most Shia, on the other hand, attribute the prohibition to the second Caliph, Umar al Khattab, whose authority they do not recognize; thus the Shia position is that temporary marriage remains lawful, if not necessarily wise . . .

Women’s rights advocates are also divided on the subject. Some radical feminists see in temporary marriage a means of reconciling women’s sexual liberation with traditional Islam. But more mainstream feminists typically regard temporary marriage, and the similar practice of traveler’s marriage, as bad bargains. According to Senator Anmar al Maysani (Unity-Iraq), “The cause of liberation would be better served by strengthening women’s marriage rights generally.”

PRACTICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF TEMPORARY MARRIAGE

·

The defining characteristic of temporary marriage is, of course, the built-in time limit, which is chosen at the outset. There is no minimum duration, so a couple could decide to marry for a matter of hours, or even minutes—a fact made much of by critics who compare it to

prostitution

.

·

Beyond the requirement to pick a time limit—and specify a

bridal payment

—the couple have considerable freedom in setting the terms of the marriage, including the degree of physical intimacy.

Non-sexual marriages

are possible. A couple wishing to learn whether they are compatible before making a permanent commitment, for example, might agree to live together without engaging in

intercourse

.

·

Unlike a permanent marriage, a temporary marriage does not require

witnesses

or formal

registration

. Many authorities hold that the permission of the woman’s father is required, especially if she is a

virgi

n, but in practice this rule is often ignored . . .

·

A temporary wife does not count towards the limit of four wives that a man may have at a given time.

·

Upon the dissolution of the marriage, the woman must undergo a

waiting period

to ensure that she is not

pregnant

before she can marry again. This waiting period is waived if the marriage was not sexual, and of course in any event, the man is free to remarry immediately.

·

Any

children

born of a temporary marriage become the responsibility of the

father

.

Back at headquarters, Farouk’s secretary caught up to Amal in the hallway and pulled her aside.

“What is it, Umm Dabir?” Amal said.

“A very insistent man named Abu Salim,” Umm Dabir said, handing her a message slip with a phone number written on it. “He called on Farouk’s direct line while you were out, asking for you. I almost forwarded the call to your cell, but I decided I’d better check with you first.”

“Why? Who is he?”

“He claims he’s your ex-husband.”

“My ex-husband?” Amal shook her head. “My ex-husband’s name is Hassan.” Hassan was a Jordanian state policeman she’d met on a kidnapping case several years ago. Their marriage had been brief, with Hassan unable, despite his claims of feminist enlightenment, to accept a wife whose work took her all over the country while he remained in Amman. “He did remarry recently, but last I heard he and his new wife were expecting a daughter, not a son. Are you sure he didn’t say Abu Salimah?”

“I’m sure,” Umm Dabir said. “I asked him if he was Hassan Bakri and he got upset with me. Then he said no, he was your first husband . . .” Her eyes widened.

“Really?” Amal’s own face betrayed nothing other than a bemused puzzlement. “Tell me, did this Abu Salim’s voice sound anything like Samir’s? Or Abdullah’s perhaps?”

“No. I mean, I don’t think so . . . What, you think it’s a prank call?”