the renowned majority of legal theoreticians (uṣūliyyūn) believe that the premises of ḥikmat are three: 1. the possibility of absoluteness and limitation (iṭlāq wa taqyīd); 2. non-provision of evidence (qarīna); and 3. the speaker being in an expressive position. muḥaqqiq khurāsānī, however, has added a fourth premise, i.e., lack of agreed certitude in conversing face to face (takhātub). some l...