Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (15/205)

Al-Sharḥ al-MumtiʿIbn al-'Uthaymin

all of it, he has not broken his oath, unless he had a specific intention.” If he does only part of what he swore about, he has not broken his oath. For example, if he says, “By Allah, I will not eat this loaf,” and then eats part of it, he has not broken his oath, because he did not eat the loaf in its entirety—unless he had a particular intention. That is, if he intended not even to taste it, then if he eats some of it, he has broken his oath. This is because it was mentioned at the beginning of the chapter on oaths that the first point of reference is the intention of the one taking the oath, provided that the wording can bear that meaning; and here the wording can bear it.

An example is that a man gives you a loaf and says, “Eat this loaf,” and you reply, “By Allah, I will not eat it,” intending that you will not even taste it. In that case, if you eat a little or a great deal of it, you have broken your oath.

The same applies when there is a contextual indication that he intended part of it: he has broken his oath. For example, if he says, “By Allah, I will not drink the water of this river,” then takes a small cup and drinks from it, he has broken his oath, because the context indicates this meaning. It cannot be that by saying, “By Allah, I will not drink the water of this river,” he meant that he would drink all the water of the river! Thus, the context indicates that he will not drink any of it, whether a little or much.

But if he says, “By Allah, I will not drink this waterskin,” then pours himself a cup from it and drinks, he has not broken his oath, because he could drink it over several days—unlike the river, which he could not possibly drink in its entirety. Accordingly, we say: if he intended not to drink or eat all of it, or any part of it, then the ruling follows his intention; and if there is a contextual indication, then the ruling follows that indication.

If he says, “By Allah, I will not eat the bread of this town,” and then eats one loaf from it, he has broken his oath, because the context indicates that meaning. It is known that he will not eat all the bread of the town! Thus, the context indicates that he means he will not eat any of it.

And if he says, “By Allah, I will not eat the bread of this baker,” likewise, if he eats

على كله لم يحنث، ما لم تكن له نية» إذا فعل بعض ما حلف عليه فلا حنث عليه، قال: والله لا آكل هذا الرغيف، فأكل بعضه، لا يحنث؛ لأنه لم يأكل الرغيف، إلا إذا كان له نية، يعني لو نوى أن لا يذوقه، فأكل بعضه، فإنه يحنث؛ لأنه سبق في أول باب الأيمان أنه يرجع أولَ ما يرجع إلى نية الحالف، إذا احتملها اللفظ، وهنا يحتملها اللفظ، مثال ذلك: أعطاك رجلٌ رغيفاً، وقال: كل هذا الرغيف، فقلت: والله لا آكله، ونيتك أنك لا تذوقه، فحينئذ إذا أكلت منه قليلاً أو كثيراً حنثت. كذلك إذا كان هناك قرينة تدل على أنه أراد البعض، فإنه يحنث، مثل أن يقول: والله لا أشرب ماء هذا النهر، فأخذ بكأس صغيرة وشرب، يحنث؛ لأن القرينة تدل على ذلك، ولا يمكن أن يريد بقوله: والله لا أشرب ماء هذا النهر، أنه يشرب كل ماء النهر! إذاً فالقرينة تدل على أنه لا يشرب منه، لا قليلاً ولا كثيراً. ولو قال: والله لا أشرب هذه القربة، فصب منها كأساً وشرب لا يحنث؛ لأنه يمكن أن يشربها في أيام، بخلاف النهر فإنه لا يمكن أن يشربه، وعلى هذا فنقول: إذا كان له نية أنه لا يشرب أو لا يأكل الكل أو البعض فعلى نيته، وإذا كان هناك قرينة فعلى حسب القرينة. قال: والله لا آكل خبز هذا البلد فأكل خبزة منه، فإنه يحنث؛ لأن القرينة تدل على ذلك؛ لأنه من المعلوم أنه لن يأكل خبز البلد كله! فالقرينة تدل على أن المعنى لا يأكل منه. ولو قال: والله لا آكل خبز هذا الخباز، كذلك إذا أكل