A Review of the Meaning of Imtinan and Its Comparison with Similar Words

Despite the fact that the word imtinan has been frequently used in Fiqh, and the fundamental rules and principles of Fiqh, its concept has not been deeply analyzed yet. Paying attention to the words of jurisprudents it is made clear that imtinan is a special kind of divine blessing which belongs to some divine rules according to which a legal rule has been easily fabricated or a legally competent person has been get rid of a the responsibility of a strict rule. Comparing the concept of imtinan in Figh with other Islamic words such as minnah, grace, favor, and mercy shows that in spite of the similarity of imtinan with these words, it has clearly a different meaning. Meanwhile, the legal texts use other words such as leniency, simplification, and abatement instead of imtenan in the same meaning.