Back to search

Is it permissible for a husband to have slight anal intercourse to prove his sexual capability to his wife, who refuses to believe his full recovery and insists on divorce despite doctors' assurances?

2 min readAlso available in العربية

Firstly: If the doctor informs the husband that he is healthy, he is not obligated to inform the girl about his previous marriage.

Secondly: If the husband is unable to consummate the marriage with his wife, the wife has the right to take the matter to court. If his impotence (unnah) is proven, the judge will grant him a one-year grace period. If he still fails to consummate within this period, she has the right to annul the marriage (faskh). The penetration that removes the husband from the state of impotence is the insertion of the glans into the vagina. If the husband claims consummation and the wife denies it, and she is still a virgin, she should be examined by trustworthy women.

Thirdly: We advise both spouses to perform Ruqyah Shariah, as the cause of the inability might be magic, jinn possession, or evil eye.

Fourthly: The wife must return to the marital home and allow her husband access to her; otherwise, she would be considered defiant (nashiz). If the husband is unable to consummate with her, we advise divorce to avoid legal proceedings and lengthy waits, and they can agree on a portion of the dowry.

Fifthly: If the marriage is annulled due to impotence, the wife is entitled to her full dowry. She is also obligated to observe the waiting period (iddah) according to the more preponderant opinion. However, according to the Shafi’is, she is not obligated to observe iddah as long as he has not consummated with her.

Sixthly: If the hymen is thick and requires surgery, the wife is not permitted to request a divorce if the husband's health is proven. If she refuses the surgery, the husband has the right to divorce her or compel her to seek khul' (divorce at the wife's request with compensation). Disputes are resolved through negotiation or by resorting to the judiciary.

Seventhly: Anal intercourse is absolutely forbidden because it is religiously prohibited.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

Read the full answer on Ftawy