Section
Whoever swears that he will not eat “heads,” with no special intention attached to the wording, breaks his oath by eating heads that are sold on their own. The oath does not cover the heads of birds, fish, or game animals—unless he happens to be in a country where such heads are normally sold separately.

An oath concerning “eggs” follows the kind of creature whose eggs are taken while it is alive; it therefore includes the eggs of chicken, ostrich, and pigeon, but not fish roe or locust eggs.

The term “meat” applies to the flesh of livestock, horses, wild animals, and birds, but not to fish. The word “fat” (shahm) refers to abdominal fat, and—according to the sounder view—the same ruling extends to tripe, liver, spleen, and heart.

The stronger opinion is that “meat” likewise comprises head-meat, tongue, and the fat of the back and flanks, even though back-fat is not itself covered by the single word shahm. The rump-fat (ilya) of sheep and the camel’s hump (sanam) are counted as neither fat nor meat, and an oath referring to one of them does not extend to the other. “Blood” nevertheless includes them both, together with every variety of fat, the flesh of the back and belly, and any kind of oil or grease. The phrase “beef” embraces buffalo meat as well.

If, while pointing to a quantity of wheat, someone says, “I will not eat this,” he is perjured by eating it in grain form, as flour, or as bread. If instead he says, “I will not eat this wheat,” he is deemed perjured only by eating the grain cooked, raw, or roasted; its flour, parched flour (sawiq), dough, or bread are outside the scope of the oath.

Fresh dates (ruthab) are not embraced by the single word “dates” (tamr), nor are unripe dates (busur); likewise, “grapes” do not include raisins—and the converse distinctions hold as well.

Thus, if one says, “I shall not eat this fresh date,” and it later dries and he eats it, or he says, “I shall not talk to this boy,” and later addresses him when he has become an old man, no perjury is incurred according to the sounder view.

The word “bread” covers every kind of bread—whether made from wheat, barley, rice, fava beans, corn, or chickpeas. If he crumbles it into broth and eats it, he breaks his oath.

If he swears not to eat sawiq (parched flour) and then swallows it dry or takes it with his finger, he is perjured; but if he mixes it with water and drinks it, he is not. Should he have sworn not to drink it, the ruling is reversed.

If he swears not to eat milk or any other liquid and then consumes it with bread, he is perjured; but if he drinks it, he is not. If he swears not to drink it, the opposite applies.

If he swears not to eat ghee and then consumes it with bread—whether solid or melted—he is perjured; but if he drinks the melted ghee alone, he is not. When it is used in porridge, he is perjured only if the ghee itself is plainly visible.

Under the word “fruit” (fākihah) are included fresh dates, grapes, pomegranates, and citrons, both fresh and dried.

I say: The same applies to lemons and jujubes, and—according to the sounder view—also to watermelon, peeled pistachios, hazelnuts, and similar produce; cucumbers, gourds, eggplant, and carrots are excluded, and nothing dried is counted among “fruits.” Allah knows best.