Does consuming customary edible plants abrogate an oath not to eat food?
General Chapter
Al-Mughni
Book of Expiations
Primary text
If one eats vegetation from the ground that is customarily eaten, the oath is broken.
Supporting text
If one consumes that which is not customarily eaten, such as tree leaves or sawdust, there are two possible outcomes. One position holds that the oath is broken because it has been eaten, making it similar to customarily eaten items, supported by the narration that 'We were with the Messenger of Allah (PBUH), seven men, and we had no food except the leaves of the *Hablh* plant until our jaws were raw.' The second position maintains the oath is not broken because such items are not encompassed by the term food in common usage.