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In another question, we have this quote:

I heard that the word "nikah" has a disgusting meaning to it? All this time I thought "nikah" meant marriage, but apparently it means to have sex or f***. -- Iram Ahmed, 2012

I'm skeptical, but I'll ask for a definitive answer here. It's not contested in the comments, but perhaps because they're deleted.

Question: Does "nikah" mean "sex"?

Perhaps there is some way this may be considered true. E.g. the Islam-critical site WikiIslam gives the description "Literally the act of sexual intercourse, nikah is the term by which marriage is referred to in the Qur'an" attributing it to Cyril Glasse, The New Encyclopedia of Islam: Third Edition, Altamira, 2001.

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It could mean either. For an Arabic speaker, there is a subtle distinction in the usage: If the name of a woman or a group is identified, then it is used in connection with lawful marriage. If the word is used in general, it can mean a number of things, one of which is sexual relation.

From this hadith in Sahih Al-Bukhari #5127 about nikah prior to Islam, one can see that the word nikah can be used as marriage alone, intercourse alone, or both.

Here it is used as marriage with a guardian (wali), with intercourse being implicit:

يَخْطُبُ الرَّجُلُ إِلَى الرَّجُلِ وَلِيَّتَهُ أَوِ ابْنَتَهُ فَيُصْدِقُهَا ثُمَّ يَنْكِحُهَا

[...] a man used to ask somebody else for the hand of a girl under his guardianship or for his daughter's hand, and give her Mahr and then marry her [...]

In the context that follows, it is obvious it is referring to intercourse outside marriage (although the translation uses the word marriage):

وَنِكَاحٌ آخَرُ يَجْتَمِعُ الرَّهْطُ مَا دُونَ الْعَشَرَةِ فَيَدْخُلُونَ عَلَى الْمَرْأَةِ كُلُّهُمْ يُصِيبُهَا‏

Another type of marriage was that a group of less than ten men would assemble and enter upon a woman, and all of them would have sexual relation with her.

In Qur'an 4:6, nikah is referring to reaching the age of puberty (the age at which one is accountable in front of Allah, and one can enter into marriage contracts)

وَابْتَلُوا الْيَتَامَى حَتَّى إِذَا بَلَغُوا النِّكَاحَ فَإِنْ آنَسْتُمْ مِنْهُمْ رُشْدًا فَادْفَعُوا إِلَيْهِمْ أَمْوَالَهُمْ وَلَا تَأْكُلُوهَا إِسْرَافًا وَبِدَارًا أَنْ يَكْبَرُوا وَمَنْ كَانَ غَنِيًّا فَلْيَسْتَعْفِفْ وَمَنْ كَانَ فَقِيرًا فَلْيَأْكُلْ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ فَإِذَا دَفَعْتُمْ إِلَيْهِمْ أَمْوَالَهُمْ فَأَشْهِدُوا عَلَيْهِمْ وَكَفَى بِاللَّهِ حَسِيبًا

And test the orphans [in their abilities] until they reach marriageable age. Then if you perceive in them sound judgment, release their property to them. And do not consume it excessively and quickly, [anticipating] that they will grow up. And whoever, [when acting as guardian], is self-sufficient should refrain [from taking a fee]; and whoever is poor - let him take according to what is acceptable. Then when you release their property to them, bring witnesses upon them. And sufficient is Allah as Accountant.

In Qur'an 33:49, the word nikah is used to refer to marriage before consummation (i.e., only as a contractual marriage with explicitly no sexual relation):

يَاأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا نَكَحْتُمُ الْمُؤْمِنَاتِ ثُمَّ طَلَّقْتُمُوهُنَّ مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ تَمَسُّوهُنَّ فَمَا لَكُمْ عَلَيْهِنَّ مِنْ عِدَّةٍ تَعْتَدُّونَهَا فَمَتِّعُوهُنَّ وَسَرِّحُوهُنَّ سَرَاحًا جَمِيلًا

O You who have believed, when you marry believing women and then divorce them before you have touched them, then there is not for you any waiting period to count concerning them. So provide for them and give them a gracious release.

In Qur'an 2:237, it is again explicitly used to refer to marriage contract:

وَإِنْ طَلَّقْتُمُوهُنَّ مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ تَمَسُّوهُنَّ وَقَدْ فَرَضْتُمْ لَهُنَّ فَرِيضَةً فَنِصْفُ مَا فَرَضْتُمْ إِلَّا أَنْ يَعْفُونَ أَوْ يَعْفُوَ الَّذِي بِيَدِهِ عُقْدَةُ النِّكَاحِ وَأَنْ تَعْفُوا أَقْرَبُ لِلتَّقْوَى وَلَا تَنْسَوُا الْفَضْلَ بَيْنَكُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ

And if you divorce them before you have touched them and you have already specified for them an obligation, then [give] half of what you specified - unless they forego the right or the one in whose hand is the marriage contract foregoes it. And to forego it is nearer to righteousness. And do not forget graciousness between you. Indeed Allah , of whatever you do, is Seeing.

The work nikah was also used in this hadith (among many others) to refer to marriage with sexual relation implicitly following:

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ بْنِ أَبِي الشَّوَارِبِ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَوَانَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو إِسْحَاقَ الْهَمْدَانِيُّ، عَنْ أَبِي بُرْدَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي مُوسَى، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ ‏ "‏ لاَ نِكَاحَ إِلاَّ بِوَلِيٍّ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

It was narrated from Abu Musa that the Messenger of Allah said: “There is no marriage except with a guardian.”

From a linguistic aspect, nikah means:

  1. Lawful marriage
  2. Unlawful marriage (e.g., Nikah al-Mut'aa according to Sunnis, or secret marriage not witnessed or publicly announced, or incest marriage, etc.)
  3. Right to exercise divorce ('isma)
  4. Right to terminate marriage (mostly through conditions imposed in the marriage contract)
  5. Sexual relation (either within the bounds of marriage, or extra-marital)
  6. Mixing of two things (e.g., nikah al matar indicating mixing of soil with rain water)
  7. Feeling sleepy (e.g., sleepiness doing nikah on one's eyes)
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Nikkah means intercourse - it's not an offensive word. Nikkah Nama means Nikah agreement- As sex is required for procreation therefore in Muslim marriage, both husband and wife are asked three times for consent to intercourse with witnesses so later on no one can claim rape.

So Muslim shouldn't be ashamed of word Nikkah

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as i know, it means both "sex" and "marriage". probably you are interested in logic behind that. i think, logic of it that marriage like valid and extended sex, and valid sex is usually or always is not just sex, it has many surrounding properties, even sex of animals in wild nature. that properties of sex of animals probably also can make the sex invalid, incorrect. but usually sex is made and must be made without emergencies, so marriage is just named with same word, or maybe even true first meaning of that word is "marriage", and it is only modified later to mean "sex only" because it is some important and easily distinguishable part of marriage.

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Nikah means the unite of two life.Another meaning is felling sleepy.Now a days Nikah purpously used for muslim marriage.

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Pre-islamic civilization, nikah means having sex. And Muhammad keep using this word to refer to marriage. While in arab word, marriage is "zawaj".

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  • 1
    Welcome to Islam.SE! Answers here should be elaborate, and focused on addressing the question. Claims should be supported by evidence. Please visit our tour in the help center, and refer to how to answer questions. Check Lisan Al-'Arab for the multiple meanings of the word nikah before the Prophet ﷺ.‎
    – III-AK-III
    May 19, 2017 at 11:19
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Nikah only means Marriage. No one can change or manipulate its real meaning. Nikah means Marriage contract between two persons male and female. If anyone have any doubt then search for nikah word origin in Arabic.

Some people trying to ruin or misguide the mind of a common people by introducing new meaning to this word. Be aware of these kind of persons as they have thier hidden agenda in that.

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  • I guess you are an Arabic expert source: نَكَحَ فلان (* قوله «نكح فلان إلخ» بابه منع وضرب كما في القاموس.) امرأَة يَنْكِحُها نِكاحاً إِذا تَزوجها. ونَكَحَها يَنْكِحُها: باضعها أَيضاً، وكذلك دَحَمَها وخَجَأَها
    – ياsr
    Apr 17, 2021 at 23:28
  • In Islamic law, marriage – or more specifically, the marriage contract – is called nikah, an Arabic word which already in the Quran is used exclusively to refer to the contract of marriage. In the Wehr-Cowan Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic, nikah is defined as "marriage; marriage contract; matrimony, wedlock".
    – MTK
    Apr 19, 2021 at 2:37
  • You are lonely with this false interpretation.
    – ياsr
    May 10, 2021 at 21:26

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