Abrogation and the Abrogated

In the fifth year of Muhammad’s call in Mecca, where the people of the Quraysh, pagans and Muslims were gathered, Muhammad came and joined their gatheirng. Shortly thereafter, he recited to them the first verses of sura al-Najm, “Have ye considered Allat and Al‘Huzza, and Manat the other third?” (Q 53.19-20), adding, “These are the Idols of superior status; their intercession is expected”.

In this phrase, Muhammad admitted that the Quraysh idols had the power to intercede. He did this, no doubt, to receive the approval of his audience. Immediately, everyone in the council, Muslim and idolater, including Muhammad, rushed to prostrate themselves to the sky. It seemed to the Quraysh that a new era had begun, during which the factions of Mecca would grow closer.

But just days later, Muhammad retracted what he had proclaimed, stating that what he had said was a slip of the tongue, an intrusion by Satan, and that Allah had abrogated the words of Satan. Then he recited, “We have not sent before thee any apostle or prophet, but that when he wished, Satan threw not something into his wish; but God annuls what Satan throws; then does God confirm his signs, and God is knowing, wise…” (Q 22.52).

This verse (Q 22.52) contains one of the earliest allusions to abrogation in the Qur’ān. Later, abrogation would occupy a crucial role in the science of interpretation.

Abrogation in the Qur’ān

The Arabic word for abrogation is naskh, which means “to copy.” To naskh a book means “to copy the book and write it, word for word.” The word abrogation also means “to annul.” For example, when one says the legislator naskh a law, it means he annulled it.

Abrogation in the Qur’ān means the annulment of the authority or ruling of a verse. It also means substituting one verse for another. The term abrogation in the Qur’ān includes the following cases:

Removing the verse from the Qur’ān. This removal is readily visible in the verse pertaining to the incident of the omitted “Satanic verses” mentioned above: “[B]ut God annuls what Satan throws; then does God confirm his signs...” (Q 22.52).

Substituting one verse with another. This case is alluded to in the following verse: “And whenever we change one verse for another...” (Q 16.101).

Altering the ruling or authority of a verse, where one position is transferred to another. For instance, the right to inherit was transferred from one group to another regarding inheritances.

Abrogation is considered a branch of the sciences of the Qur’ān. The scholars of Islam require knowledge of the principles and incidents of abrogation as a precondition to practicing the interpretation of the Qur’ān. It has been said, “[N]o one is allowed to interpret the [Qur’ān], until he knows the abrogating [verses] and the abrogated [verses] of it”. Books of Qur’ānic science abound with recommendations stressing the necessity of comprehending abrogation.

The domain of abrogation is the system of jurisprudence wherein abrogation made “the permitted forbidden, and the forbidden permitted. It made the permissible unlawful and unlawful permissible”.

Abrogation also included sociopolitical issues. For instance, every tendency towards peace in the Qur’ān is abrogated. The most famous abrogating verse is the Sword (al-Sayf) verse, “But when the sacred months are passed away, kill the idolaters wherever ye may find them…” (Q 9.5). This particular verse abrogates 114 other verses that call for peace with non-Muslims and for letting them alone.

Modes of Abrogation

Abrogation divides verses into the following modes:

The verses whose readings and rulings are abrogated. An example of this mode has been described by Aisha, Muhammad’s third wife. She said that there are in the Qur’ān “ten known suckles [breast feedings]. Then they are abrogated by five known ones. Then he [Muhammad] died and they are among what is read in the Qur’ān”. Muslim scholars explained, saying, “and they [verses] are what is read” does not mean their recitation was still taking place when Muhammad died, but that their recitation was abrogated just before his death. It can also mean that their recitation was abrogated before his death, but the news did not reach all Muslims. Therefore, some of these unaware Muslims continued to use it.

About these verses, Abu Musa al-Ash‘ari said, “They were sent down[,] then taken back up”.

The verses whose ruling was abrogated but whose recitation remain in effect. This mode is the sort that we find in the writings on “the abrogating and the abrogated”. Al-Zarkashi says that this kind of abrogation is found in sixty-three suras. One example is this verse: “[B]ut pardon and shun them till God brings His command…” (Q 2.109). This verse commands Muslims to be kind to the People of the Book, but its ruling is abrogated by the texts that command them to fight (Q 9.5, 29).

The verses whose recitations are abrogated but whose rulings remain in effect. An example is the verse of al-Rajm: “If an elderly man and an elderly woman committed adultery, stone them. Certainly it’s a punishment from Allah”. It is told that the verse of al-Rajm was part of the sura al-Ahzab (Q 33). When the question is asked about the reason for canceling the reading of such verses (by removing them from the text of the Qur’ān—when the ruling is still in effect) Muslim scholars reply that this kind of abrogation aims to test the obedience of Muslims.

The truth is that the existence of this sort of abrogation stems from the dubious nature of the compilation of the Qur’ān. (See the article “Compilation of the Qur’ān”) Dr. Nassr Hamid Abu Zaid believes that the reason for not including the verse of al-Rajm in the Qur’ān is due to the prevalence of adultery “in society, as if not writing down the text [according to one account] was so as to not cause people to be repelled from coming to Islam”.

There is another case that can be perceived as a fourth mode of abrogation, namely the “forgetfulness” referred to in Q 2.106:“or cause thee to forget….” In this situation, Muhammad’s forgetfulness is considered a sort of abrogation.16 In some of the readings of the Qur’ān, the word forgetfulness is mentioned. The phrase, “Whatever verse we may annul or cause thee to forget,” is read in the codex of Ibn Mas‘ud as “We do not make you forget a verse nor abrogate it.” On the other hand, Sa‘ad Ibn Abi Waqqas has a variant reading of the verse that reads, “None of Our revelations do We abrogate or you forget it,” where Sa‘ad’s reading means “or you [Muhammad] forget it”.

Tools of Abrogation

Muslim scholars, who have sought the abrogation of a verse, primarily rely on the Qur’ān for guidance; however, some believe Muhammad’s sayings and actions can also be used as a tool.

Based on the verse, “Whatever verse we may annul or cause thee to forget, we will bring a better one than it, or one like it…” (Q 2.106), Islamic scholars say that the Qur’ān can only be abrogated by the Qur’ān. There is no disagreement about this principle among Muslim scholars.

Others say that it is possible for Muhammad’s sunna, a prescribed Islamic way of life based on narrative records of Muhammad’s sayings (hadīths) or actions, to abrogate the Qur’ān. However, Muslim scholars disagree about this. Though some reject the principle of the hadīth abrogating the Qur’ān, the majority say if the hadīth is reliable, then abrogation is permissible. This view is based on the depiction of Muhammad in this verse: “...nor speaks he out of lust!” (Q 53.3). As a basis for their decision, scholars adopt yet another verse that commands obedience to Muhammad: “And what the Apostle gives you, take; and what he forbids you, desist from…” (Q 59.7). An example of such an application is that “the legacy…to…parents” (Q 2.180) is abrogated with Muhammad’s saying, “[D]o not bequest for an heir”.

Abrogation Unique to the Quran

The scholars of Islam say the phenomenon of abrogation is a distinctive feature of Islam and does not apply to any other religion. To understand why this phenomenon is unique to the Qur’ān, we have to study the history of the Qur’ānic text. The composition of the Qur’ān is tied to the circumstances of Muhammad’s call in Mecca and Medina. There, through the Qur’ān, Muhammad tried to deal with various political and social issues. Since the local realities were constantly changing, Muhammad continued to abrogate, substitute, and remove parts of the Qur’ān.

Therefore, we find the phenomenon of abrogation to be a clearly explainable phenomenon. But, since Muhammad had said that the verses of the Qur’ān were revealed to him from above, he changed this understandable phenomenon to a phenomenon that causes confusion, wherein the abrogation process makes Allah look like one who cannot make up his mind, a perception which goes against the nature of deity as understood by Christians and Muslims alike.

Importance of Studying Abrogation

Muhammad worked for twenty-three years to spread his message. Throughout these years, he experienced political and social changes, which are echoed in the Qur’ān, including abrogation. Therefore, to approach the abrogation phenomenon, the daily record of the Islamic proselytizing must be studied.

When Muhammad was in Mecca he was merely a giver of good news and a “warner.” Hence, his oratories were given in an instructive or enlightening manner. However, in Medina, when he became a leader with no rival, the Qur’ān started dealing with legislative and political issues.

Therefore, the study of abrogation is one of the tools of discovering the theoretical and doctrinal development of Islam. Knowing the abrogated ruling, why a verse was abrogated, and by whose authority it was abrogated helps in understanding the history of Muhammad, in particular, and the early history of Islam in general.

Also, since the abrogated verses belong to the oldest period, the study of abrogation helps in studying the arrangement of the Qur’ānic texts. When the Qur’ān was compiled, the issue of arranging the abrogating and the abrogated was not taken into consideration. As a result, we have cases in the Qur’ān in which the abrogating verse precedes the abrogated verse, instead of following it, as it should be. Such inconsistencies resulted from the arbitrary procedure of the compilation of the Qur’ān. We find examples regarding this issue in the book al-Burhan fi ‘Ulum al-Qur’ān:

The verse, “...let these wait by themselves for four months and ten days…” (Q 2.234), abrogated “Those of you who die and leave wives, should bequeath to their wives maintenance for a year, without expulsion (from their home)…” (Q 2.240).

The verse, “O thou prophet! verily, we make lawful for thee thy wives…” (Q 33.50), abrogated “It is not lawful to thee to take women after (this), nor to change them for (other) wives…” (Q 33.52).

Conclusion

Why didn’t Muhammad abrogate according to the first mode, omitting both the words and the ruling? The answer is not available to us. But we do suggest that Muhammad did not consider the compilation of the Qur’ān a priority in his lifetime. Since he did not compile it, he was apparently not concerned about dealing with the phenomenon of abrogation. Therefore, he left this “gap” as an opportunity for us to discover the inconsistencies between the Qur’ānic text and the historical reality, which revealed the earthly historical nature of the text. This characteristic allows us the opportunity to understand the Qur’ānic text and to scrutinize it scientifically.

Even during the lifetime of Muhammad, the Qur’ān faced criticism because of the phenomenon of abrogation. The Quraysh saw “the rules of Allah…fixed and unchangeable. If what the Qur’ān was saying came from Allah, then abrogation would not be permissible”. The Jews of Medina also doubted the sacredness of the Qur’ān and saw abrogation as a personal act by Muhammad. They said to those around them, “[D]o you see not that Muhammad orders his companions to do something, then he forbids them to do it and instructs them otherwise? Doesn’t he say something today and goes back on it tomorrow?”

The phenomenon of abrogation in the Qur’ān caused confusion to some significant Muslim thinkers. They observed that the abrogation suggests that the will of Allah is changing and his knowledge is evolving, which subjects the affirmations of faith to doubt.

Therefore, some Mu‘tazilites, like Abu Muslim al-Isfahani, said that the occurrence of abrogation in the Qur’ān is not acceptable, based on how the Qur’ān depicts itself: “[F]alsehood shall not come to it, from before it, nor from behind it - a revelation from the wise, the praiseworthy One” (Q 41.42). Regarding this issue, Shu‘la writes, “[I]f abrogation happened to some of the Qur’ān’s verses[,] then it would [mean] falsehood would approach it, which is impossible, because Allah reported that falsehood cannot approach it.

The Mu‘tazilite opinion attempted to reconcile the phenomenon of abrogation with the claim of the Qur’ān’s divine inspiration. Otherwise, the acceptance of abrogation would impose on the scholars this question: “Does not abrogation make the theory of the presence of [the] Qur’ān in the Preserved Tablet (al-lawh al-Mahfuz) questionable?”

In fact, Muslim scholars do not discuss if “the phenomenon of abrogation of recitation, nor that of omitting texts, whether its ruling remained or was abrogated as well, would lead to complete elimination of their perception…of the eternal presence of the written text in the Preserved Tablet”.

Muslims agree that abrogation is not acceptable in the Qur’ān after the death of Muhammad, even if scholars unanimously want to carry it out. Nonetheless, two caliphs (successive rulers after Muhammad) practiced it.

Abu Bakr canceled the portion, “those whose hearts are reconciled” (Q 9.60), which speaks of the leaders of Mecca to whom Muhammad had granted a share in the spoils of Hunnayn’s battle (AH 8/AD 630), in order to draw them to Islam. It is likely that this cancellation was proposed by ‘Umar Ibn al-Khattab.

‘Umar Ibn al-Khattab, during his reign, also annulled the “marriage for pleasure” (mut‘a marriage), which is the marriage provided for in the Qur’ān in the sura al-Nisa’ (Q 4.24).

In addition, the Shiites ceased practicing an Islamic observance when they “abrogated the fixed Friday prayer with a Qur’ānic text (Q 62.9)”.

Aside from these exceptional cases, no one practiced abrogation, regardless of the need for it, in Islam.

The study of abrogation in the Qur’ān reveals the correlation of the Qur’ān with the daily realities of Muhammad’s life. In the composition of the Qur’ān, Muhammad took into consideration the circumstances of that changing reality. Today, the advance of Islam is conditionally dependent, no doubt, on the awareness of the need to again activate the phenomenon of abrogation in the Qur’ān, thus completing the journey of abrogation.

References

1. Ibn Kathīr 10: 84-85. 2. al-T. abarī 16: 603-604. 3. al-Suyūt.ī, al-Itqān 1435-1436; al-Zarkashī 2: 29. 4. al-Suyūt.ī, al-Itqān 1435; al-Zarkashī 2: 29. 5. Ibn al-Jawzī, Nawāsikh 104-110. 6. al-T. abarī 2: 388. 7. al-Zarkashī 2: 40. 8. Ibid. 2: 35. 9. al-Zarkashī 2: 35; compare with al-Baghdādī 52-53 and Ibn al-Jawzī, Nawāsikh 114-116. 10. Abū Zayd 130.

11. al-Suyūt.ī, al-Itqān 1441. 12. al-Zarkashī 2: 37. 13. Ibn al-Jawzī, Nawāsikh137. 14. al-Suyūt.ī, al-Itqān 1440; al-Zarkashī 2: 39. 15. al-Suyūt.ī, al-Itqān 1440-1441; al-Zarkashī 2: 39; compare with Ibn al-Jawzī, Nawāsikh 110- 113. 16. al-T. abarī 2: 391. 17. Ibid. 2: 392. 18. al-Suyūt.ī, al-Itqān 1436-1437; al-Zarkashī 2: 31; compare with Shu‘la 44. 19. al-Makkī 79. 20. Ibid. 78-79. 21. al-Suyūt.ī, al-Itqān 1436. 22. al-Zarkashī 2: 38. 23. al-‘Alawī, Min Qāmūs al-Turāth 195. 24. al-Rāzī, Tafsīr 3: 244. 25. Encyclopedia of the Qur’ān 1: 13. 26. Shu‘la 46. 27. Abū Zayd 131. 28. Ibid. 29. al-T. abarī 11: 522.

30. al-‘Alawī, Min Qāmūs al-Turāth 200.