Suppose he says, “By Allah, I will not speak to the wife of so-and-so, because I know that so-and-so is extremely jealous: if he hears me speaking to his wife, he will harm me; perhaps he will accuse me, or perhaps even kill me.” If the marital relationship then ceases, this intention no longer applies, and he has not broken his oath. The author did not mention the underlying reason, but we may also say: unless he intended it only so long as she remained in that state, or the reason was such as to require it only so long as she remained in that state—as in the final example I mentioned. We added, “or the reason was such,” because the reason takes precedence over specification.

In summary, the three levels mentioned by the author in this section are: intention, then the reason, then specification. Specification remains applicable to the specified individual even if his or her state changes, unless the person intended it only so long as that state remained, or the reason was confined to that state.