Back to search

What is the difference between absolute restriction (at-taqyīd al-mutlaq) and general specification (at-takhṣīṣ al-ʿām) in the Sunnah, along with their definitions and examples?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

Absolute: That which applies to an unspecified singular entity, such as: "Then [freeing] a slave," and "No marriage except with a guardian."

Restricted: That which applies to a specific entity or one described with an additional characteristic, such as: "Then [freeing] a believing slave," and "So [the penalty is] fasting for two consecutive months."

General: The word that encompasses all that it is suitable for without limitation, such as: "Whoever changes his religion, kill him," and "Men are in charge of women."

Specific: The singular word whose meaning is not suitable for many to share, such as proper nouns. And specifying the general is to restrict it to some of its individuals. An example of this is specifying the hadith "Two dead [animals] and two [types of] blood have been made lawful for us" to the generality of the verse "Forbidden to you are carrion and blood."

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

Read the full answer on Ftawy