The Intention for an Oath

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَقُولُ‌ وَ سُئِلَ عَمَّا يَجُوزُ وَ عَمَّا لَا يَجُوزُ مِنَ النِّيَّةِ عَلَى الْإِضْمَارِ فِي الْيَمِينِ فَقَالَ قَدْ يَجُوزُ فِي مَوْضِعٍ وَ لَا يَجُوزُ فِي آخَرَ فَأَمَّا مَا يَجُوزُ فَإِذَا كَانَ مَظْلُوماً فَمَا حَلَفَ بِهِ وَ نَوَى الْيَمِينَ فَعَلَى نِيَّتِهِ وَ أَمَّا إِذَا كَانَ ظَالِماً فَالْيَمِينُ عَلَى نِيَّةِ الْمَظْلُومِ.

“I once heard abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), when he (the Imam) was asked about what is lawful and what is not lawful about intention and what is in one’s mind, saying, ‘In certain times it is lawful and in certain times it is not lawful. The lawful case is when one is oppressed in which case his oath is based on his intentio

سَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ رَجُلٍ حَلَفَ وَ ضَمِيرُهُ عَلَى غَيْرِ مَا حَلَفَ قَالَ الْيَمِينُ عَلَى الضَّمِيرِ.

‘The oath is for that which is in one’s mind.’”

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ ع- عَنِ الرَّجُلِ يَحْلِفُ وَ ضَمِيرُهُ عَلَى غَيْرِ مَا حَلَفَ عَلَيْهِ قَالَ الْيَمِينُ عَلَى الضَّمِيرِ.

“I once asked abu al-Hassan (a.s.), about the case of a man who swears but his mind is on something other than that for which he has taken the oath. He (the Imam) said, ‘Swearing is for that which is in one’s mind.’”