Discover the meaning of the term 'Annin (عِنّين) in Islamic vocabulary.
Contents :
Updated on 11 April 2026 at 1:05 AM
📖 2 min readHe who cannot perform intercourse, or reaches only the non-virgin without the virgin, or reaches one woman only; from illness, weak constitution, old age or sorcery. He is ’anin toward her he reaches not, the aim failing in him; the judge grants a year’s respite, her right being due by the marriage contract, intercourse owed in general not at every moment; present absence proves not future absence, for it may come of illness opening no option, and may be constitutional, shown by the year’s respite: illness commonly comes of cold, heat, dryness or moisture predominating, and the year’s seasons hold moisture, heat, dryness and cold; haply his nature suits a season and the illness lifts by the temperament’s balance. When the year passes unchanged, it appears constitutional and her right lapsed: the judge orders separation at her suit, for it is her right. So in al-Kafiya.
He who cannot perform intercourse by an original affection, or illness, weakness, old age or sorcery, reaching not women at all, or the non-virgin without virgins, or other than his wife without reaching her: he is ’anin toward her he reaches not, held in impotence.
He who cannot perform intercourse by illness or old age, or reaches the non-virgin without the virgin.
With kasra: he who cannot perform intercourse by illness or old age, or reaches the non-virgin without the virgin. In al-Misbah: the faqihs call it impotence; in al-Jouhari’s speech is what resembles it, found for none but him.
He who cannot perform intercourse by old age, illness, sorcery or others.