Thus, if a husband who has sworn an oath of abstinence says, “Until the Dajjal emerges,” the period will generally exceed four months.

“Or until you drink wine, waive your debt, give away your property, or the like”: he is deemed to have sworn an oath of abstinence. Once four months have elapsed from the time of his oath—even if he is an enslaved man—then, if he has intercourse, even if only the glans is inserted, he has resumed marital relations; otherwise, he is ordered to divorce, …

His words, “or until you drink wine,” mean that he says, “I will not have intercourse with you until you drink wine.” This does not mean that wine is lawful. Rather, if it is assumed that the husband says this—otherwise, it is forbidden for him to make such a statement—it may induce her to drink wine if she longs for her husband. This may occur with some foolish people: he may be—Allah forbid—tempted by drinking wine and say, “By Allah, I will not have intercourse with you until you drink wine.” We say that he must be ordered to have intercourse with her—as will come, if Allah wills—or else the marriage is dissolved.

The apparent wording of the author is unqualified. However, it should be understood as applying where she is not a Christian or a Jewess, for they regard drinking wine as lawful. She would therefore drink it; so if he says, “By Allah, I will not have intercourse with you until you drink wine,” she will not refrain from doing so.

His words, “or until you waive your debt,” refer to a husband who borrows from his wife. His wife may be a teacher, and whenever her salary comes, he says, “Lend it to me,” until he has accumulated a debt of thirty or forty thousand. He then says, “By Allah, I will not have intercourse with you until you waive the debt I owe you.” This is an oath of abstinence, because he has no right to compel her to waive her debt, whether the debt is owed by him or by someone else. Even if the debt is owed to her by one of his companions, and he says, “By Allah, I will not have intercourse with you until you waive the debt that So-and-so owes you,” we say: This is forbidden and impermissible, and you are deemed to have sworn an oath of abstinence.

His words, “or until you give away your property”: waiving a debt differs from gifting property. If he says, “By Allah, I will not have intercourse with you until you give me your garment,” this is a gift of property; or, “Until you give me your jewelry,” and the like. This too is deemed an oath of abstinence, because it is unlawful for him to compel her to give away her property.