What is the difference between obligation and imposition in the choice of an obligatory act?
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The questioner : What is the difference between obligation and imposition in the choice of an obligatory act?
The Shaykh : Obligation is a description of the ruling, while imposition is a description of the Legislator. One says, "Allah imposed such and such," and one says, "This is obligatory." So, obligation is a description of the ruling, meaning one says, "This is obligatory, and this is not obligatory." Imposition is a description of the Legislator; Allah is the One who imposes. Do you understand?
As you know, obligatory acts are of three types: some are specific with no alternative, some are specific but have an alternative, and some are a matter of choice.
The specific one with no alternative is the majority of obligatory acts.
The specific one with an alternative is like the options for the expiation of zihar: freeing a slave, or if one cannot find one, fasting for two consecutive months, or if one cannot do that, feeding sixty poor people. This is an obligatory act that has an alternative.
The obligatory act of choice is like the options for the expiation, or rather the options for shaving the head in the state of ihram:[Al-Baqarah 2:196] Yes, that is correct.
The Shaykh : Obligation is a description of the ruling, while imposition is a description of the Legislator. One says, "Allah imposed such and such," and one says, "This is obligatory." So, obligation is a description of the ruling, meaning one says, "This is obligatory, and this is not obligatory." Imposition is a description of the Legislator; Allah is the One who imposes. Do you understand?
As you know, obligatory acts are of three types: some are specific with no alternative, some are specific but have an alternative, and some are a matter of choice.
The specific one with no alternative is the majority of obligatory acts.
The specific one with an alternative is like the options for the expiation of zihar: freeing a slave, or if one cannot find one, fasting for two consecutive months, or if one cannot do that, feeding sixty poor people. This is an obligatory act that has an alternative.
The obligatory act of choice is like the options for the expiation, or rather the options for shaving the head in the state of ihram: