وحكم اسم الجنس: أن يتناول الأدنى عند الإطلاق، ويحتمل كل الجنس.
A generic noun can apply to its smallest qualifying instance when unrestricted, while the larger genus may also be intended when the wording and context allow.
Māʾ (water) names a kind; a drop and a reservoir both exemplify water, though an unrestricted reference need not denote the entire reservoir.
The rule of the minimum instance shows why one valid occurrence of an act may satisfy a command. On the other hand, contextual evidence, intention, or an explicit qualification may determine a broader scope.
This analysis should not be confused with the earlier law of generally inclusive wording. The current issue is how an act is instantiated and counted, not merely how many subjects fall within a general classification.