Explanation of the author's statement: "And if he or another person whom he intended to prevent does part of what he swore to do in its entirety, he does not break his oath unless he had an intention"
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The Shaykh : Then the author said: "And if he or another person whom he intended to prevent does part of what he swore to do in its entirety, he does not break his oath unless he had an intention". If he does part of what he swore to, does he break his oath or not? For example, if he says, "By Allah, I will not eat this loaf," and he eats part of it, does he break his oath or not?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : If he eats part of it, he breaks his oath because it is possible to eat it. He said, "By Allah, I will not eat this loaf." Look, he said he would not eat it, but he did; he ate part of it. Does he break his oath or not?
The questioner : He has not broken his oath.
The Shaykh : He does not break his oath unless he had an intention. He said, "By Allah, I will not eat this loaf," and he ate half of it. He does not break his oath. Why? Because he did not eat it; he did not eat the loaf unless he had an intention. What is the intention? What is it? The intention means he intended not to taste it; not to taste this loaf. He means when he says, "By Allah, I will not eat this loaf," that his purpose is not to taste it. If he eats part of it, he breaks his oath, because it was established for us at the beginning of the chapter on oaths that the first thing to which one refers is the intention of the one who swore, if the wording allows for it. Here, the wording allows for it. Do you understand? An example of this is: a man gives you a loaf and says, "Eat this loaf." You say, "By Allah, I will not eat it. By Allah, I will not eat it." What is that? Your intention is that you will not taste it. So, if you eat a little or a lot of it, you break your oath. Likewise, if there is a circumstance indicating that he intended part of it, he breaks his oath. For example, if he says, "By Allah, I will not drink the water of this river," and he takes a small cup and drinks, does he break his oath?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : He breaks his oath?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Why? He breaks his oath, my brother. He breaks his oath, because the circumstance indicates that. Is it possible that by saying, "By Allah, I will not drink the water of this river," he means he will not drink all the water, the water of the river? It is absolutely impossible. So, the circumstance indicates that he will not drink from it, neither a little nor a lot. Okay. He said, "By Allah, I will not drink this water skin," a small one, and he poured a cup from it and drank. He does not break his oath.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : He does not break his oath, my brothers. Why?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : It is not possible that he will drink it all today.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Yes, he did not drink it all, so he does not break his oath. But if someone says, as the brother Ghanim said, "It is not possible that he will drink the water skin all at once," we say, yes, it is not possible that he will drink it all at once, but it is possible that he will drink it over ten days or a month, depending on the time. But can he drink the river? Absolutely not. Even if it remains until the Day of Resurrection, he will not drink the river. And based on this, we say that if he has an intention not to drink or eat all of it or part of it, it is according to his intention. If there is a circumstance, it is according to the circumstance. Okay. We understood regarding drinking: "By Allah, I will not drink this river," and he drank from it, he breaks his oath, because the circumstance indicates that he does not want to drink all the water of the river. Okay. Suppose he said, "By Allah, I will not eat the bread of this town," and he ate a loaf from it.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : He breaks his oath?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Yes, he breaks his oath, because the circumstance indicates that. It is known that he is not going to eat all the bread of the town, neither today nor after today. So, the circumstance indicates that the meaning is that he will not eat from it. Okay. "I will not eat the bread of this baker." Is that so? If he eats one loaf, he breaks his oath, because the circumstance indicates that. Because he specified this baker; it is possible that this baker is not good at baking, making it stale or not putting salt in it, or similar reasons that made him swear not to eat his bread. And this issue is actually a branch of what preceded, which is that one refers to the intention of the one who swore if the wording allows for it, then to the cause of the oath, then to the specification, then to what the name includes or what the name covers. These are four levels, and all the oaths of those who swear are built upon these four levels.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : If he eats part of it, he breaks his oath because it is possible to eat it. He said, "By Allah, I will not eat this loaf." Look, he said he would not eat it, but he did; he ate part of it. Does he break his oath or not?
The questioner : He has not broken his oath.
The Shaykh : He does not break his oath unless he had an intention. He said, "By Allah, I will not eat this loaf," and he ate half of it. He does not break his oath. Why? Because he did not eat it; he did not eat the loaf unless he had an intention. What is the intention? What is it? The intention means he intended not to taste it; not to taste this loaf. He means when he says, "By Allah, I will not eat this loaf," that his purpose is not to taste it. If he eats part of it, he breaks his oath, because it was established for us at the beginning of the chapter on oaths that the first thing to which one refers is the intention of the one who swore, if the wording allows for it. Here, the wording allows for it. Do you understand? An example of this is: a man gives you a loaf and says, "Eat this loaf." You say, "By Allah, I will not eat it. By Allah, I will not eat it." What is that? Your intention is that you will not taste it. So, if you eat a little or a lot of it, you break your oath. Likewise, if there is a circumstance indicating that he intended part of it, he breaks his oath. For example, if he says, "By Allah, I will not drink the water of this river," and he takes a small cup and drinks, does he break his oath?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : He breaks his oath?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Why? He breaks his oath, my brother. He breaks his oath, because the circumstance indicates that. Is it possible that by saying, "By Allah, I will not drink the water of this river," he means he will not drink all the water, the water of the river? It is absolutely impossible. So, the circumstance indicates that he will not drink from it, neither a little nor a lot. Okay. He said, "By Allah, I will not drink this water skin," a small one, and he poured a cup from it and drank. He does not break his oath.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : He does not break his oath, my brothers. Why?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : It is not possible that he will drink it all today.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Yes, he did not drink it all, so he does not break his oath. But if someone says, as the brother Ghanim said, "It is not possible that he will drink the water skin all at once," we say, yes, it is not possible that he will drink it all at once, but it is possible that he will drink it over ten days or a month, depending on the time. But can he drink the river? Absolutely not. Even if it remains until the Day of Resurrection, he will not drink the river. And based on this, we say that if he has an intention not to drink or eat all of it or part of it, it is according to his intention. If there is a circumstance, it is according to the circumstance. Okay. We understood regarding drinking: "By Allah, I will not drink this river," and he drank from it, he breaks his oath, because the circumstance indicates that he does not want to drink all the water of the river. Okay. Suppose he said, "By Allah, I will not eat the bread of this town," and he ate a loaf from it.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : He breaks his oath?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Yes, he breaks his oath, because the circumstance indicates that. It is known that he is not going to eat all the bread of the town, neither today nor after today. So, the circumstance indicates that the meaning is that he will not eat from it. Okay. "I will not eat the bread of this baker." Is that so? If he eats one loaf, he breaks his oath, because the circumstance indicates that. Because he specified this baker; it is possible that this baker is not good at baking, making it stale or not putting salt in it, or similar reasons that made him swear not to eat his bread. And this issue is actually a branch of what preceded, which is that one refers to the intention of the one who swore if the wording allows for it, then to the cause of the oath, then to the specification, then to what the name includes or what the name covers. These are four levels, and all the oaths of those who swear are built upon these four levels.