with a separating pronoun, so that it is clear that the relative clause, “that which,” is the predicate. Otherwise, the reader may suppose that “that which” is an adjective describing laghw (an unintentional utterance) and await the predicate. Had he said, “It is that which slips …,” it would have been clearer.

His statement, “that which slips from his tongue without intention,” means that his tongue utters it while he does not intend it. There is no expiation for this, by the explicit text of the Quran. Allah the Exalted says:

“Allah will not impose blame upon you for what is unintentional in your oaths.” [al-Ma'idah 5:89]

An unintentional oath falls outside the previously mentioned condition for a binding oath—namely, “he intended to make it binding.” An unintentional oath was not intended to be binding and is therefore not a binding oath.

His statement, “such as his saying, ‘No, by Allah,’ and ‘Yes, by Allah’”: the evidence that this is an unintentional oath is the saying of Allah the Exalted:

“Allah will not impose blame upon you for what is unintentional in your oaths, but He will impose blame upon you for the oaths you have deliberately bound yourselves by.” [al-Ma'idah 5:89]

And He says:

“But He will impose blame upon you for what your hearts have earned.” [al-Baqarah 2:225]

Hearts earn only that which is intended, for what is not intended is not an earning of the heart.

And Aishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said: “An unintentional oath is the speech of a man in his home: ‘No, by Allah,’ and ‘Yes, by Allah.’” (1) That is, when a man says this, he does not intend an oath or make it binding. This is one type of unintentional oath.

Another type, according to the view adopted by the author, is expressed in his statement:

“And likewise, an oath which he made believing himself to be truthful, but which then proves otherwise; there is no expiation in any of these cases.” That is, he made and intended the oath while believing himself to be truthful, but it then becomes clear