The female Zaaniyah and the male Zaani, then lash each of them with one hundred lashes (An-Noor 2).
Takhsees Al-‘aamm (the Specification Or Specifying Of The General)
The majority of the ‘Ulamaa have agreed that the Lafzh Al-‘Aamm (general expression) indicates and guides to all that the meaning of the Lafzh encompasses (in terms of a lot or many). If a Hukm Shar’iy is attached to this Lafzh then this Hukm would be ‘Aamm (general) and apply upon all of the Afraad (individual elements) that the meaning of the Lafzh encompasses. The ‘Aamm (general) will then remain upon its ‘Umoom (generality) as long as a Daleel has not come specifying it.
Example:
Allah (swt) said:
So the Lafzh Az-Zaaniyah and Az-Zaaniy both indicate generality because they are both Ism Mufrad Mu’arraf Bi ‘ال ‘Al-Jinsiyah (singular words defined with Alif and Laam of the kind/type). That is whilst the Hukm (ruling) is attached to this general Lafzh thus indicating that the Hukm of the one who commits Zinaa (fornication), male or female, is to be lashed with one hundred lashes. This ‘Aamm (general) remains upon its ‘Umoom (generality) as long as no other Daleel has come to specify it. And in this case another Daleel has come specifying it and that is the action (Fi’l) of the Messenger of Allah (saw) and his speech (Qawl). As for his Fi’l (action), then he stoned Al-Maa’iz and Al-Ghaamidiyah to death as they had been married when each of them had committed the act of Zinaa. As for his Qawl (speech) then he (saw) said:
The blood of a Muslim person is not Halaal except in one of three (circumstances): The married person who commits Zinaa, the life for the life and the one who leaves his Deen separating from the Jamaa’ah (Al-Bukhaari and Muslim).
Consequently, the F’il (action) and Qawl (statement) of the Messenger (saw) explain that the Hukm of the married Zaani (i.e. adulterer) is stoning to death. That is whilst the Aayah explains the Hukm of the Zaani in a general manner, whether married or unmarried, and that is the lashing of one hundred lashes.
And so the second Daleel represented in the action of the Messenger (saw) and his speech has specified the Daleel Al-‘Aamm (general evidence) which is the Aayah. As such, the married Zaani is taken out of the general text and its Hukm has been made different to that of the general Hukm whilst the Hukm ‘Aamm (general ruling) still remains the Hukm for the unmarried Zaani.
Therefore, the meaning of Takhsees Al-‘Aamm (specifying the general) is to take the Lafzh away from the direction of generality to specifying it with specific Afraad (individual elements) with a Daleel (to support or indicate that).