has imposed it twice, or has imposed a specific obligation that dispenses with the general obligation.

There are comparable examples in the Quran, such as His saying:

“and His angels and His messengers, and Gabriel and Michael”;

and His saying:

“And when We took from the prophets their covenant, and from you, and from Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus son of Mary”;

and His saying:

“Guard the prayers, and the middle prayer in particular”;

and His saying:

“Tell your wives, your daughters, and the believing women”;

and His saying:

“He commands justice, good conduct, and giving to relatives.”

He—may Allah Most High have mercy on him—was asked:

A man instructed his employee to pledge an item as security with a particular person, but the employee pledged it with someone else, and the pledged item was lost. Its owner swore that unless the employee brought it back to him, he would not employ him, believing that it had not been lost. He then discovered that it had been lost. Does he break his oath if he employs him?

He answered:

Praise be to Allah. If, when he swore, he believed that the pledged item itself still existed and had not been lost, and he swore so that it would be brought to him, then he does not break his oath in these circumstances. And Allah knows best.

He—may Allah have mercy on him—was asked:

A man swore an oath concerning his son that he would not enter the house until he gave him the cloak he had taken. He then discovered that he had taken nothing. Does he break his oath if he enters, or not?