not entirely convincing, because we do not know its chronology; alternatively, it may have been something particular to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. In any case, we say: we have an ambiguous text and a definitive text. The ambiguous text is his swearing by this man’s father, while the definitive text is his prohibition against swearing by fathers. The methodological principle followed by those firmly grounded in knowledge is to interpret the ambiguous in light of the definitive, so that the entire matter is definitive. Since this report admits of several possible interpretations, we have a definitive text from which we cannot depart: the prohibition against swearing by fathers.
It may also be answered that this wording contains an omitted term, the intended meaning being: “By the Lord of his father.” But this is weak, because the basic presumption is that no word has been supplied or omitted.
The fifth answer is that the wording “by his father” is singular and not reliably preserved. If this is established, then we are spared the need for these answers; but if it is authentic, then these are its answers.
Three conditions are required for an expiation to become obligatory:
The first: the oath must be binding—namely, an oath deliberately entered into concerning a possible future matter, .......
His statement, “Three conditions are required for an expiation to become obligatory”: linguistically, a condition is a sign. In legal terminology, it is that whose absence necessarily entails the absence of the matter conditional upon it, whereas its presence does not necessarily entail its presence. That is, when the condition is absent, the conditional matter is absent—either physically, if it is a physical condition, or legally, if it is a legal condition. For example, prayer without ablution: a person may perform a complete prayer without ablution, including its recitation, bowing, prostration, and essential pillars. It thus exists physically, but legally it does not exist.
His statement, “for an expiation to become obligatory,” shows us—may Allah have mercy on him—that expiation is obligatory, as indicated by Allah’s saying: “But He will take you to task for the oaths you have deliberately sworn