Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (15/174)

Al-Sharḥ al-MumtiʿIbn al-'Uthaymin

awoke, he was told, “Offer expiation.” He replied, “I will not offer expiation, because by ‘bed’ I intended the ground.” This is valid, because the wording can bear that meaning. Allah the Exalted says:

“He who made the earth a bed for you.” [al-Baqarah 2:22]

And sand is soft; thus, the wording can bear this meaning and is suitable for it. Accordingly, he is not liable for anything. But if he intends something that the wording cannot bear, his claim is not accepted.

If he says, “By Allah, I shall spend this night upon a peg,” then goes to a mountain and spends the night upon it, and we say to him, “Offer expiation,” but he replies, “I did spend the night upon a peg; by ‘peg’ I intended the mountain,” then he is not liable for anything, because the wording can bear that meaning.

Likewise, if he swears that he will sleep only beneath a roof, then goes out into the open country, lays down his bedding, and sleeps with nothing above him but the sky, he is told, “You must offer expiation, because you did not sleep beneath a roof.” If he says, “I intended the sky,” this is valid, as Allah the Exalted says:

“And We made the sky a protected canopy.” [al-Anbiya’ 21:32]

Thus, the wording can bear it.

An example of an intention that the wording cannot bear is where someone says, “By Allah, I shall not buy bread today,” then goes to the baker, stands before him, and buys some. He is told, “Offer expiation for your oath.” But he says, “By my statement, ‘By Allah, I shall not buy bread today,’ I intended, ‘By Allah, I shall not speak to so-and-so.’” This is not valid, for the wording cannot bear it at all. Therefore, his claim is not accepted, because there is no connection between the oath and the matter sworn about.

If no intention is present, reference is made to the cause of the oath and what prompted it, ………………..

His statement, “If no intention is present, reference is made to the cause of the oath and what prompted it”: “what prompted it” means what stirred it up. That is, if the one swearing has no particular intention, we refer back to the cause of the oath and interpret the oath accordingly.

أصبح قيل له: كفِّر، فقال: لا أكفِّر؛ لأني نويت بالفراش الأرض، فيصح هذا؛ لأن اللفظ يحتمله، قال الله تعالى: ﴿الَّذِي جَعَلَ لَكُمُ الأَرْضَ فِرَاشًا﴾ [البقرة: ٢٢]، والرمل لين، فصار اللفظ يحتمل هذا وصالحاً له، وعليه فلا شيء عليه. أما إذا نوى شيئاً لا يحتمله اللفظ فإنه لا يقبل. ولو قال: والله لأبيتن الليلة على وتد، فذهب إلى جبل وبات عليه، فقلنا له: كفِّر، فقال: لقد بت على الوتد، وقد أردت بالوتد الجبل، فلا شيء عليه؛ لأن اللفظ يحتمله. ولو حلف ألا ينام إلا تحت سقف، ثم خرج إلى البر ووضع فراشه ونام وليس فوقه إلا السماء، فقيل له: عليك أن تكفر؛ لأنك لم تنم تحت سقف، فقال: أردت السماء، فهذا يصح؛ لقوله تعالى: ﴿وَجَعَلْنَا السَّمَاءَ سَقْفًا مَحْفُوظًا﴾ [الأنبياء: ٣٢]، فاللفظ يحتمله. مثال النية التي لا يحتملها اللفظ، إذا قال: والله لا أشتري اليوم خبزاً، فذهب إلى الفرَّان ووقف عنده واشترى، فقيل له: كفِّر عن يمينك، فقال: أنا أردت بقولي: والله لا أشتري اليوم خبزاً، والله لا أكلم فلاناً، فهذا لا يصح، واللفظ لا يحتمله إطلاقاً، فلا يقبل لأنه ليس هناك ارتباط بين اليمين والمحلوف عليه. فَإِنْ عُدِمَتِ النِّيَّةُ رُجِعَ إِلَى سَبَبِ اليَمِينِ وَمَا هَيَّجَهَا، ............... قوله: «فإن عُدمت النية رجع إلى سبب اليمين وما هيَّجها» هيجها يعني: أثارها أي: إذا لم يكن للحالف نية، نرجع إلى سبب اليمين فنحمل اليمين عليه.