the Coptic woman forbidden to himself. In either case, according to the apparent meaning of the verse, declaring something lawful forbidden is an oath, though not an oath sworn by Allah. For this reason, the majority of the Companions—including ‘Umar, ‘Uthmān, ‘Abd Allāh ibn Mas‘ūd, ‘Abd Allāh ibn ‘Abbās, and others—ruled that declaring something lawful forbidden constitutes an oath subject to expiation: either a “major expiation,” as in zihār, or a “minor expiation,” as with an oath sworn by Allah. The early generations consistently referred to zihār and similar acts as oaths.

Furthermore, His words, “Why do you prohibit what Allah has made lawful for you?” may mean: Why do you prohibit it by expressly declaring it forbidden? Or: Why do you prohibit it by swearing an oath by Allah Most High or a similar oath? Or: Why do you prohibit it, in an unrestricted sense?

If the first or third meaning is intended, then it is established that declaring something forbidden without swearing by Allah constitutes an oath; thus, the wording has a general scope. If what is intended is prohibiting it by swearing by Allah, then Allah has described swearing by Him as prohibiting something lawful. It is well known that an oath sworn by Allah does not make the act itself unlawful under divine law. However, because it requires the person who swore it to refrain from the act, it prohibits the act for him conditionally, rather than making it unlawful in itself under divine law. Thus, every oath that requires him to refrain from an act prohibits that act for him and falls within the general scope of His words:

“Why do you prohibit what Allah has made lawful for you?”

Accordingly, His words, “Allah has already prescribed for you release from your oaths,” must encompass every oath that prohibits something lawful. This is the ruling governing that act, so it must cover all its forms. For declaring something lawful forbidden is what occasioned His words:

“Allah has already prescribed for you release from your oaths.”

When the circumstance occasioning a response is general, the response must also be general; otherwise, it would address only some cases despite the presence of a reason requiring its application to all. The same reasoning applies to the passage beginning with His words, Most High, “O you who believe, do not prohibit the good things Allah has made lawful for you,” and continuing through His words, “That is the expiation for your oaths when you have sworn.”