If the oath-taker addresses a group upon whom the oath was sworn, but does not know the oath-target is among them, is the oath broken?

General Chapter

Al-Mughni

Book of Expiations

Book 60 · Issue 4 · Bab 1

Open in Qurani

Primary text

There are two narrations concerning this. The first narration states the oath is not broken because the speaker did not intend to address the oath-target, which is analogous to a case where the speaker made an explicit exception (Istithna). The second narration states the oath is broken because the speaker intended his greeting toward them, and the oath-target was inherently included, making this situation equivalent to forgetting the oath.