limiting the general by one’s intention (تَخْصِيصُ الْعَامّ بِالنِّيَّة)

أصول الفقه

التعريف :

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To state something in general terms, but intending it as applying to the particular. Thus, the statement is interpreted on the basis of the particular. For example, a man says: ‘by God, I shall not eat food’, but his intention is that he would not eat wheat. He does not break his oath if he eats something other than wheat, because his intention limits his general statement.