Explanation of the author's (may Allah have mercy on him) statement: "… and 'aw (or), and 'am (and) …".
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The Shaykh :"And 'aw" is one of the conjunctions. You say, "I honor Zayd or 'Amr." "I honor Zayd or 'Amr." It is frequent in the Qur'an: [Al-Ma'idah 5:89] or freeing a slave. So 'aw is one of the conjunctions, but what is its meaning? It has meanings, among which are doubt, choice, and permissibility. Doubt, choice, and permissibility. The doubt is from the speaker, the choice is with regard to the addressee, and the permissibility is also with regard to the addressee. So if you do not know and you say, "Zayd or 'Amr came," hmm.
The student: Doubt.
The Shaykh : Doubt. It often occurs in hadith, or it is said to be doubt from the narrator. For example, in the hadith when the statement of Allah the Exalted,[Al-An'am 6:65], was revealed, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said regarding the third: . Here, the doubt is from the narrator, because the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) could not say "easier or lighter," but the narrator was in doubt whether he said "easier" or "lighter." This is the doubt.
Choice.[Al-Ma'idah 5:89] or clothing them. This is for choice, meaning you do not combine them. Take this or that. Marry Hind or her sister.
The student: For permissibility.
The Shaykh : Hmm, choice. For choice, meaning you choose from something. As for combining them, it is not possible. It is not possible.
Permissibility. Permissibility is when you say, "Eat fava beans or honey." "Eat fava beans or honey." What is this?
The student: Permissibility.
The Shaykh : For permissibility, or is it choice?
The student: Permissibility.
The Shaykh : No, my brother. The scholars say the difference between them is: if combining them is permissible, it is for permissibility. If combining them is not permissible, it is for choice. Choice means you have only this or that. Permissibility means both matters are for you. So if it comes, if combining them is permissible, it is for permissibility. If it is not permissible, it is for choice. You have only one; you choose. So this is what we said: "Eat honey or fava beans" is permissibility, not choice.
The student: Permissibility.
The Shaykh : Why?
The student: Combining is permissible.
The Shaykh : Combining is permissible. It is permissible to dip [bread] in fava beans and dip it in honey, like that. Even in one bite, it is possible to dip it in fava beans and dip it in honey, combining them. Otherwise, it is not possible. What would Adam say?
The student: It is possible, meaning according to choice.
The Shaykh : According to permissibility. It is not choice; it is according to permissibility. As for choice, combining is not permissible. And the example, as I mentioned to you, is "Marry Hind or what? Or her sister." This cannot be combined. But if someone said, regarding the statement of Allah the Exalted,[Al-Ma'idah 5:89], what do you say about it? Is it for permissibility or for choice?
The student: For choice.
Another student: For choice.
The Shaykh : Ah?
The student: For permissibility.
Another student: There is a detail.
The Shaykh : Choice, permissibility, detail. Hmm, there is no detail. It is choice, because if you do one, you do not do the other in the sense of expiation. It would not be in the sense of expiation. We do not prevent you from clothing them, but if you clothe them after you have fed them, this clothing is not considered an expiation. It is considered what? Charity. Charity. So the choice is that it is as an expiation. Okay.
It also comes for ambiguity. Ambiguity is called confusion. So it comes for doubt, choice, permissibility, and confusion. Confusion. Confusion. A person asked you, "Who came?" and you said, "Zayd or 'Amr." Hmm, you know who it is. You know who it is, but you wanted to confuse him. "Zayd or 'Amr." Which is more severe in confusion: "Zayd or 'Amr," or to say, "Zayd or someone else"?
The student: The second one.
Another student: The first one.
The Shaykh : Hmm, which is more severe in confusion?
The student: The first one.
The Shaykh : "Or someone else." "Or someone else," because Zayd and 'Amr are limited; they can be found by searching. But "or someone else"—by the will of Allah, everyone other than Zayd is someone else. So, in any case, it comes for four meanings: confusion, choice, doubt, and permissibility. Okay.
He says, "or". Its example is: "Zayd or 'Amr came." "I honor Zayd or 'Amr."
He says, "and 'am". 'Am also comes as a conjunction, a letter of conjunction, and it is also frequent.
[Al-Baqarah 2:6] or have you not warned them? The intended 'am is the connected 'am, unlike the disconnected 'am. So here we say 'am is a letter of conjunction. [Al-Baqarah 2:6] We say 'am is a letter of conjunction, connecting a sentence to a sentence. Okay. "Zayd or 'Amr came." Is that correct or not? Hmm, it is correct. "Zayd or 'Amr came." We say:
'Am: a letter of conjunction.
And 'Amr: is conjoined to Zayd. And what is conjoined to a nominative is nominative; it is raised with a dammah.
So its expiation is the feeding of ten needy people from the average of that which you feed your [own] families or clothing them or the freeing of a slave
فكفارته إطعام عشرة مساكين من أوسط ما تطعمون أهليكم أو كسوتهم أو تحرير رقبةThe student: Doubt.
The Shaykh : Doubt. It often occurs in hadith, or it is said to be doubt from the narrator. For example, in the hadith when the statement of Allah the Exalted,
Say, "He is the [one] Able to send upon you affliction from above you or from beneath your feet or to confuse you [so you become] sects
قل هو قادر على أن يبعث عليكم عذابا من فوقكم أو من تحت أرجلكم أو يلبسكم شيعاThis is easier or lighter.
هذه أيسر أو أهونChoice.
So its expiation is the feeding of ten needy people from the average of that which you feed your [own] families or clothing them
فكفارته إطعام عشرة مساكين من أوسط ما تطعمون أهليكم أو كسوتهمThe student: For permissibility.
The Shaykh : Hmm, choice. For choice, meaning you choose from something. As for combining them, it is not possible. It is not possible.
Permissibility. Permissibility is when you say, "Eat fava beans or honey." "Eat fava beans or honey." What is this?
The student: Permissibility.
The Shaykh : For permissibility, or is it choice?
The student: Permissibility.
The Shaykh : No, my brother. The scholars say the difference between them is: if combining them is permissible, it is for permissibility. If combining them is not permissible, it is for choice. Choice means you have only this or that. Permissibility means both matters are for you. So if it comes, if combining them is permissible, it is for permissibility. If it is not permissible, it is for choice. You have only one; you choose. So this is what we said: "Eat honey or fava beans" is permissibility, not choice.
The student: Permissibility.
The Shaykh : Why?
The student: Combining is permissible.
The Shaykh : Combining is permissible. It is permissible to dip [bread] in fava beans and dip it in honey, like that. Even in one bite, it is possible to dip it in fava beans and dip it in honey, combining them. Otherwise, it is not possible. What would Adam say?
The student: It is possible, meaning according to choice.
The Shaykh : According to permissibility. It is not choice; it is according to permissibility. As for choice, combining is not permissible. And the example, as I mentioned to you, is "Marry Hind or what? Or her sister." This cannot be combined. But if someone said, regarding the statement of Allah the Exalted,
So its expiation is the feeding of ten needy people from the average of that which you feed your [own] families or clothing them or the freeing of a slave
فكفارته إطعام عشرة مساكين من أوسط ما تطعمون أهليكم أو كسوتهم أو تحرير رقبةThe student: For choice.
Another student: For choice.
The Shaykh : Ah?
The student: For permissibility.
Another student: There is a detail.
The Shaykh : Choice, permissibility, detail. Hmm, there is no detail. It is choice, because if you do one, you do not do the other in the sense of expiation. It would not be in the sense of expiation. We do not prevent you from clothing them, but if you clothe them after you have fed them, this clothing is not considered an expiation. It is considered what? Charity. Charity. So the choice is that it is as an expiation. Okay.
It also comes for ambiguity. Ambiguity is called confusion. So it comes for doubt, choice, permissibility, and confusion. Confusion. Confusion. A person asked you, "Who came?" and you said, "Zayd or 'Amr." Hmm, you know who it is. You know who it is, but you wanted to confuse him. "Zayd or 'Amr." Which is more severe in confusion: "Zayd or 'Amr," or to say, "Zayd or someone else"?
The student: The second one.
Another student: The first one.
The Shaykh : Hmm, which is more severe in confusion?
The student: The first one.
The Shaykh : "Or someone else." "Or someone else," because Zayd and 'Amr are limited; they can be found by searching. But "or someone else"—by the will of Allah, everyone other than Zayd is someone else. So, in any case, it comes for four meanings: confusion, choice, doubt, and permissibility. Okay.
He says, "or". Its example is: "Zayd or 'Amr came." "I honor Zayd or 'Amr."
He says, "and 'am". 'Am also comes as a conjunction, a letter of conjunction, and it is also frequent.
it is all the same for them whether you warn them or do not warn them
سواء عليهم أأنذرتهم أم لم تنذرهمit is all the same for them whether you warn them or do not warn them
سواء عليهم أأنذرتهم أم لم تنذرهم'Am: a letter of conjunction.
And 'Amr: is conjoined to Zayd. And what is conjoined to a nominative is nominative; it is raised with a dammah.