and when paired with the other. This is because good is something whose existence is sought for its benefit, and that benefit may only be attained when it is complete. Evil, however, is something whose absence is sought because of its harm, and even a portion of what is harmful generally causes some harm. For this reason, in interpreting terms, a distinction is made between commands and prohibitions, and between affirmation and negation. A command to do something requires doing it completely, whereas a prohibition encompasses every part of it.

Thus, wherever Allah requires marriage—as in the case of a woman divorced three times, “until she marries a husband other than him,” and in establishing married status—it must be complete through both the marriage contract and consummation. Wherever He prohibits it, as with women within the prohibited degrees of kinship, the prohibition applies to each of these separately. This is the position of Mālik and Ahmad. It is explicitly reported from Ahmad that someone who swears to marry does not fulfil his oath without both the marriage contract and consummation. By contrast, someone who swears not to marry breaks his oath by concluding the marriage contract alone. Likewise, someone who swears not to do something breaks his oath by doing part of it, unlike someone who swears to do it. Whether a term denotes the whole or a part varies according to whether it occurs in a negative or affirmative statement.

For this reason, when Allah commanded purification, prayer, zakat, and Hajj, what was obligatory was their complete performance, as He, Exalted is He, said:

“with commands, which he fulfilled.”

And He said:

“And Abraham, who fulfilled his obligations.”

When He prohibited killing, unlawful sexual intercourse, theft, and drinking intoxicants, He prohibited their partial forms and even the acts leading to them, although the term does not encompass these in an affirmative statement. For this reason, a distinction is made between negation and affirmation with respect to indefinite nouns, and all verbs are