In Shahrur’s glossary, nikah in Shahrur functions as sexual intercourse between a male and a female. This intercourse may be with a contract or without one, and it is separated from insemination as a procreative effect.
Meaning in Shahrur
Shahrur uses nikah to denote the sexual relationship itself, not the result of that relationship. From this distinction, kinship, prohibited degrees of marriage, and family relations are read more precisely.
Differences
- It differs from insemination, because insemination is a procreative effect, not the name of the relationship itself.
- It differs from marriage when marriage is understood as a solemn covenant broader than mere sexual relation.
- It is connected to the file on kinship, prohibited degrees of marriage, and the distinction between fatherhood and birth.
Foundational Links
- Nikah differs from insemination
- Family distinction in the Qur’an redefines fatherhood, motherhood, and adoption
- Family, Contract, and Kinship
- Father
- Mother
Its Place in the Atlas
This page helps distinguish Shahrur’s family relations: nikah is the sexual relation, insemination is its procreative effect, and marriage is the covenant that frames and regulates the relationship.