When it was revealed - as al-Baghawi and others narrated from Ibn Abbas - may Allah be pleased with both of them - this verse, they said: O Messenger of Allah; and how should we act regarding our oaths which we have sworn? They had sworn on what they had agreed upon - as has been mentioned before; so Allah, glorified and exalted is He, revealed: "Allah does not impose blame upon you"; meaning: for what is due to Him from the completeness of majesty; "for the inadvertent"; which is what the utterance leads to without intention; "in your oaths"; on the basis that I did not rely on the reason for revelation in the context except for its inclusion in the meaning; not because it is a reason; for not every reason enters into the context - as I have explained at the beginning of the Battle of Uhud; in Surah Al-Imran; rather, the reason here is included in the context of the structure; because the prohibition of what is permissible can sometimes be by a vow; and sometimes by an oath; and the vow in the permissible - which is our subject - does not take effect; and its expiation is the expiation of an oath; so at that time, the need did not call for anything except to define the oaths; and their rulings; so He divided them - glorified is He - into two categories: intended and unintended; as for the unintended, there is no consideration for it; and as for the intended, it is divided into two: an oath on the past; and an oath on the future; as for the oath on the past, it is the ghamus oath; which has no expiation according to some scholars; and it will come in the verse of the will; and as for the oath on the future - which can be made unlawful by it - He mentioned its ruling here by His saying: "But He will impose blame upon you"; and since the general oath; from which the inadvertent is derived; is termed a contract for the oath; He informed that the blame is only for the deliberate intention of the heart; and this is what is meant by the earning in the other verse; so He expressed it with "tafa'il" in the reading of the majority; and "mufā'alah" in the reading of Ibn Amer; indicating that this is what is meant by the reading of Hamzah; and al-Kisai with the lightening; so he said: "by what you have bound the oaths"; meaning: because of its confirmation; and its strengthening; and the securing of it by the combination between the tongue and the heart; whether it was on the least of the aspects; as indicated by the reading of the lightening; or on its highest; as indicated by the reading of the strengthening; so it is not permissible for you to break it; except with expiation; unlike the inadvertent; for it is only by the tongue; so there is no contract in it; let alone a binding; and "what" is a source.

And when he began with the least that is enough; as a relief and mercy; he added to feeding his saying: ﴿or their clothing﴾; meaning: with a garment that covers the private parts; from a shirt; or a wrap; or other than them from what is called clothing; ﴿or freeing﴾; meaning: emancipation; ﴿a neck﴾; meaning: a believing one; sound; free from anything that would invalidate the action - as has been mentioned in the expiation for killing - carrying the general expiations to that which is specified; and because the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, was not asked by anyone for the emancipation of a neck in an expiation; except that he tested its faith; this is what is upon the obligated person in a manner of choice; without specification; and specification to it if he is able to do all three; or to one of them; and bringing one of them absolves him from the obligation; because each one of the three in itself is more specific than one of them in ambiguity; and bringing the specific necessitates bringing the general; ﴿So whoever does not find﴾; meaning: one of them; surplus to his sustenance; and the sustenance of whom he is responsible for; ﴿then fasting﴾; meaning: then the expiation is fasting ﴿three days﴾; even if separate.

And when that was completed, he confirmed it in the souls; and established it with his saying: ﴿That﴾; meaning: the just and good matter that has been mentioned; ﴿is the expiation for your oaths﴾; meaning: the binding ones; ﴿when you swear﴾; and you intend to break it; whether that is before the violation; or after it.

And when the estimation was: "So do what you are able to do of it"; he added to it so that oaths would not be disrespected due to the ease of the expiation with his saying: ﴿And safeguard your oaths﴾; meaning: do not swear when you find a way to that; and do not make Allah a target for your oaths; for indeed He - glorified and exalted is He - is great; and whoever swears excessively falls into the prohibited; and there is no doubt; and if you swear then do not violate without expiation; and it is permissible for the one expiating to combine between all these attributes; and it was questioned; and its solution is what the Sheikh Sa'd al-Din al-Taftazani said in the allusion; in the discussion of "or": and the famous distinction between choice and permissibility is that it is prohibited in choice to combine; and it is not prohibited in permissibility; but the distinction here is that it is not obligatory in permissibility to bring one; and in choice it is obligatory; and at that time if the origin in it is prohibition; and the allowance is established by the incidental command - as if he said: sell from my slaves this one; or that one - combining is prohibited; and it is obligatory to limit oneself to one; because it is what is commanded; and if the origin in it is permissibility; and one is required by command - as in the attributes of expiation - it is permissible to combine by the ruling of the original permissibility; and this is called choice; in a manner of permissibility; it has ended.

And when these verses included in the explanation what astonishes a person; it was as if it was said: does it clarify everything that is needed like this? So he alerted from this negligence with his saying: ﴿Thus﴾; meaning: like this great explanation ﴿Allah clarifies﴾; meaning: according to what He has of greatness; ﴿to you His signs﴾; meaning: the signs of His legislation; and His rulings; according to what they have of elevation; by adding them to Him.

And when what has preceded of the rulings, wisdom, reminders, guidance, and information regarding what is in it of consideration encompasses great blessings and magnificent, noble traditions, it is appropriate to conclude it with the gratitude that nurtures it. This is in His saying - as a means of reasoning; indicating its termination if the reason is not present -: ﴿So that you may be grateful﴾; meaning: gratitude will be achieved from you by preserving all of the commanding and prohibiting limits.