Chapter

Ẓihār may validly be pronounced immediately, made contingent upon a condition—such that when the condition is met, he becomes a muẓāhir—issued without qualification, or limited to a specified period, …

His statement, “Ẓihār may validly be pronounced immediately,” means that it may be made effective at once, as when he says, “You are to me like my mother’s back.”

His statement, “made contingent upon a condition,” is exemplified by his saying, “If you do such-and-such, then you are to me like my mother’s back,” or, “When the month of Rabīʿ enters, you are to me like my mother’s back.”

His statement, “such that when it is met,” the pronoun refers to the condition.

His statement, “he becomes a muẓāhir,” is because the principle is that when the condition is met, that which is contingent upon it takes effect.

His statement, “issued without qualification,” means that it is valid when not restricted to a particular time, such as his saying, “You are to me like my mother’s back.”

His statement, “or limited to a specified period,” means that it is valid for him to say, “You are to me like my mother’s back for two months,” or, “You are to me like my mother’s back for one month,” and the like. The evidence for this is that Salamah ibn Ṣakhr—may Allah be pleased with him—pronounced ẓihār concerning his wife for the month of Ramadan (1). This was limited to Ramadan, and is therefore valid. This may sometimes occur when a man becomes angry with his wife because of her poor treatment of him and says, “You are to me like my mother’s back for this entire week,” or, “for this entire month,” or the like.

His statement, “is valid,” means that it takes legal effect; it does not mean that this