return to Rifa'a? No, not until you have tasted his 'honey' and he has tasted your 'honey'" (10). Nor does it establish the state of being a muhsan; because that is considered for the obligation of the hadd, and hudud are averted by doubts. Nor does it establish the obligation of ghusl; because the causes of (11) ghusl are five, and this is not among them. Nor does he exit from impotence by it; because impotence is the inability to have intercourse, so it is not removed except by the reality of intercourse. And restitution of conjugal rights is not attained by it; because that is the return from what one has sworn against, and he has only sworn to refrain from intercourse, and because the woman's right is not attained except by the act of intercourse itself. Acts of worship are not invalidated by it. No expiation is obligatory due to it. As for the prohibition of the step-daughter, there is a report from Ahmad that it is established by seclusion. Al-Qadi and Ibn 'Aqil said: It does not render her prohibited. Al-Qadi interpreted the words of Ahmad as meaning that viewing or fondling occurred along with the seclusion, so his words can be categorized under one of the two narrations regarding whether that renders her prohibited. The correct view is that it (12) does not render her prohibited, due to the words of Allah the Almighty: {But if you have not gone in unto them, there is no sin upon you} (13). "Entering into" is a metonym for intercourse, and the text is explicit in permitting her without it, so it is not permissible to oppose it.

1211 - Issue; He said: (It is the same whether he was in seclusion with her while they were both in a state of ihram, or fasting, or she was menstruating, or they were both free from these conditions.)

There is a difference of opinion narrated from Ahmad regarding the case where he was in seclusion with her, while either both of them or one of them had an impediment to intercourse, such as ihram, fasting, menstruation, or postpartum bleeding, or a physical impediment, such as castration, impotence, or a vaginal obstruction (ratq) in the woman. One narration from him is that the dower is fully established in every case. This was also the view of 'Ata', Ibn Abi Layla, and al-Thawri, due to the generality of what we have mentioned regarding consensus. 'Umar said regarding the impotent man: He is granted a respite of one year; if he has intercourse with her,