And from Abu Hurayrah, he said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "The oath is based on the intention of the one requiring the oath." Narrated by Muslim (8). Aisha said: "The oath is based on what the person to whom the oath is sworn understands." And because if ta'wil (figurative interpretation) were permitted, the intended meaning of the oath would be nullified, since its purpose is to intimidate the swearer so that he is deterred from denial, fearing the consequence of a false oath. Whenever ta'wil is permissible for him, that purpose is negated, and the ta'wil becomes a means to deny rights, and we know of no disagreement regarding this. Ibrahim said regarding a man whom the Sultan required to swear by divorce regarding a matter, so he employed tawrik (a form of innuendo) in his oath toward something else: It suffices for him, and if he were an oppressor, the tawrik would not suffice for him. The third state is that he is neither an oppressor nor oppressed. The apparent meaning of Ahmad's speech is that he has the right to his ta'wil, [for it is narrated] that Muhanna was with him, along with al-Marrudhi and a group, and a man came looking for al-Marrudhi, but al-Marrudhi did not want to speak to him. So Muhanna placed his finger in his palm and said: "Al-Marrudhi is not here," and "What would al-Marrudhi be doing here?" intending that he was not in his palm. Abu Abd Allah did not disapprove of that. It is also narrated that Muhanna said to him: "I wish to leave"—meaning travel to his country— "and I would like you to let me hear such-and-such part." He let him hear it, and then saw him after that and said: "Did you not say that you wish to leave?" Muhanna said to him: "Did I tell you that I wish to leave right now?" He did not disapprove of him. This is the school of al-Shafi'i, and we know of no disagreement regarding this. Sa'id narrated from Jarir, from al-Mughirah, who said: When someone would seek Ibrahim (14) and Ibrahim did not want to meet him (15), the servant would go out to him,
= As it was also narrated by al-Tirmidhi in: The Chapter of What Has Been Said That the Oath Is Based on What Your Companion Believes You, from the Chapters of Judgments 6/107; Ibn Majah in: The Chapter of One Who Uses Innuendo in His Oath, from the Book of Expiations, Sunan Ibn Majah 1/686; al-Darimi in: The Chapter of a Man Who Swears to Something While Using Innuendo in His Oath, from the Book of Vows, Sunan al-Darimi 2/187; and Imam Ahmad in: Al-Musnad 2/288, 331. (8) In: The Chapter of the Swearer's Oath Being Based on the Intention of the One Requiring the Oath, from the Book of Oaths, Sahih Muslim 3/1274. It was also narrated by Ibn Majah in: The Chapter of One Who Uses Innuendo in His Oath, from the Book of Expiations, Sunan Ibn Majah 1/685. (9) Abd al-Razzaq narrated something similar in: The Chapter of the Oath Being Based on What Your Companion Believes You, from the Book of Oaths and Vows, Al-Musannaf 8/493. (10) In B and M: "If". (11) In M: "Fawarra" (so he used innuendo). "Al-tawrik" in an oath: an intention the swearer intends that is different from what the one requiring his oath intended. (12) In M: "Al-tawriyah" (innuendo). (13) In M: "Faruriya" (so it was narrated). (14) Meaning: Al-Nakha'i. (15) In B: "Yakhruj" (he leaves).
