Is the placement of the conditional phrase 'if God wills' significant in an oath?

General Chapter

Al-Mughni

Book of Oaths

Book 59 · Issue 2 · Bab 1

Open in Qurani

Primary text

The precedence or postponement of the conditional phrase, such as saying, 'If God wills, I will not drink today,' or 'I will drink today, if God wills,' makes no difference in the outcome; the oath is not broken in either case. This equivalence between preceding and succeeding the condition is established.

Supporting text

The legal analogy for this principle is demonstrated in the Quranic stipulation regarding inheritance: if a man perishes leaving no children but has a sister, she inherits half of what he left, and if the sister has no children, she inherits the remainder (Quran 4:176).