One of the greatest tricks that the devil has pulled on the Muslim masses is convincing them that some of the verses of the Quran have been abrogated. For those who are not familiar with this concept, it is the belief that some of the verses in the Quran have been nullified by other verses in the Quran and, in some instances, the direct commandments in the Quran have been abrogated by Hadith outside the Quran.
The two verses that individuals point to in order to try to justify the above understanding of abrogation are the following.
2:106 When we abrogate (naskh) any miracle (ayah), or cause it to be forgotten, we bring one better, or one equal to it. Do you not recognize the fact that GOD is Omnipotent?
16:101 When we substitute (badl) one revelation (ayah) in place of another, and GOD is fully aware of what He reveals, they say, “You made this up!” Indeed, most of them do not know.
Having such an understanding of the Quran causes two fundamental problems. The first is that linguistically this translation is wrong. Secondly, the concept contradicts the very nature of the Quran.
The Linguistic Problem with Abrogation of a Verse
The core of the mistranslation in this verse is in the word ayah ( آيَة), which is used in the singular form in both these verses. In modern Arabic, when we use the word ayah, it is typically in reference to a single verse of the Quran, but in the Quran the term ayah ( آيَة), in the singular form, is always in reference to either a sign, a miracle, or the entire Quran, and never in reference to a single verse.
Ayah, آيَة, in the singular form, like it is used in 2:106 and 16:101, occurs 84 times in the Quran. Every occurrence is either in reference to a sign, miracle, proof, or the entire Quran. Not once is this word used in the singular form in reference to a single verse of the Quran.
Pulling from any of these verses can prove this point, but one of the verses that are the clearest that ayah in the singular form is never used in reference to a single verse of the Quran can be observed in the following verse.
10:20 They say, “How come no miracle (ayah) came down to him from his Lord?” Say, “The future belongs to GOD; so wait, and I am waiting along with you.”
Obviously, Muhammad was given verses of the Quran, but he was not given a physical miracle like what was given to Moses or Jesus. So when people asked him for an ayah, a physical miracle, God told him to say, “The future belongs to GOD; so wait, and I am waiting along with you.”
Another example can be seen in the following verse:
6:37 They said, “If only a sign (ayah) could come down to him from his Lord!” Say, “GOD is able to send down a sign (ayah), but most of them do not know.”
In 2:106, it states that if an ayah (miracle) was abrogated or caused to be forgotten, then God would provide a greater or equal one to it.
2:106 When we abrogate (naskh) any miracle (ayah), or cause it to be forgotten, we bring one better, or one equal to it. Do you not recognize the fact that GOD is Omnipotent?
Similarly, we see there is precedent for this in the history of Moses, where each miracle he received was bigger than the one before it.
43:46 For example, we sent Moses with our proofs (ayat) to Pharaoh and his elders, proclaiming: “I am a messenger from the Lord of the universe.”
43:47 When he showed them our proofs (ayat), they laughed at them.
43:48 Every sign (ayah) we showed them was bigger than the one before it. We afflicted them with the plagues, perhaps they repent.
Also, in 16:101, if we take ayah to not be a sign, then it would refer to the entire Quran, not just a single verse.
16:101 When we substitute (badl) one revelation (ayah) in place of another, and GOD is fully aware of what He reveals, they say, “You made this up!” Indeed, most of them do not know.
16:102 Say, “The Holy Spirit has brought it down from your Lord, truthfully, to assure those who believe, and to provide a beacon and good news for the submitters.”
16:103 We are fully aware that they say, “A human being is teaching him!” The tongue of the source they hint at is non-Arabic, and this is a perfect Arabic tongue
16:104 Surely, those who do not believe in GOD’s revelations (ayat), GOD does not guide them. They have incurred a painful retribution.
16:105 The only ones who fabricate false doctrines are those who do not believe in GOD’s revelations (ayat); they are the real liars.
This is because the entire Quran is a sign from God.
29:50 They said, “If only miracles (ayat) could come down to him from his Lord!” Say, “All miracles (ayat) come only from GOD; I am no more than a manifest warner.”
29:51 Is it not enough (of a miracle) that we sent down to you this book, being recited to them? This is indeed a mercy and a reminder for people who believe.
A simple problem with thinking that these two verses are referencing the abrogation of verses of the Quran is that this would imply that some verses of the Quran are better than others. As the entire Quran is the word of God, and all of God’s words are perfect, by what standard can one say one verse is better than another? If, on the other hand, we say that only the expression “equal to it” applies, then it would not make sense why the reference to “better” would even be made.
2:106 When we abrogate (naskh) any miracle (ayah), or cause it to be forgotten, we bring one better, or one equal to it. Do you not recognize the fact that GOD is Omnipotent?
Also, the Quran condemns individuals who accept the Quran only partially. God literally calls the people who do this “dividers” (l-muq’tasimīna / الْمُقْتَسِمِينَ).
15:91 They accept the Quran only partially (in separate parts).
الَّذِينَ جَعَلُوا الْقُرْآنَ عِضِينَ
God tells us that the Quran is complete, fully detailed, and that nothing shall abrogate His words, using the same word as used in 16:101.
6:114 Shall I seek other than GOD as a source of law, when He has revealed to you this book fully detailed (mufasalan)? Those who received the scripture recognize that it has been revealed from your Lord, truthfully. You shall not harbor any doubt.
Pending on which school of traditional Islam one subscribes to, they claim that typically anywhere between 21 to over 248 verses of the Quran have been abrogated. Additionally, some scholars maintained that any narrative, positive command, or prohibition in the Qur’an may be abrogated.
If you look at the supposed 21 verses that have been abrogated, you realize that such a claim is absurd, and it is not that one verse overrides the other, but that the two verses are regarding different contexts or provide further detail on a subject. Let’s look at these supposed abrogated verses and do an analysis.
The Verse of the Sword
If we look at the long list of supposed abrogated verses, we find that nearly 100 verses have been abrogated by Sura 9 verse 5, the infamous Verse of the Sword.
9:5 Once the Sacred Months are past, (and they refuse to make peace) you may kill the idol worshipers when you encounter them, punish them, and resist every move they make. If they repent and observe the Contact Prayers (Salat) and give the obligatory charity (Zakat), you shall let them go. GOD is Forgiver, Most Merciful.
Tyrannical individuals love to site this verse as superseding any of the verses that the Quran advocates justice, tolerance, compassion, and non-aggression. The irony is that if we read this verse in context, we see that this is not a carte blanche permission to kill anyone who does not accept the faith but is limited to specific people in a specific context. To understand this, we simply have to look at the adjacent verses, and it is obvious that this is specifically at a time of war when the opposing party breaks their peace treaty.
9:1 An ultimatum is herein issued from GOD and His messenger to the idol worshipers who enter into a treaty with you. 9:2 Therefore, roam the earth freely for four months, and know that you cannot escape from GOD, and that GOD humiliates the disbelievers. 9:3 A proclamation is herein issued from GOD and His messenger to all the people on the great day of pilgrimage, that GOD has disowned the idol worshipers, and so did His messenger. Thus, if you repent, it would be better for you. But if you turn away, then know that you can never escape from GOD. Promise those who disbelieve a painful retribution. 9:4 If the idol worshipers sign a peace treaty with you, and do not violate it, nor band together with others against you, you shall fulfill your treaty with them, until the expiration date. GOD loves the righteous. 9:5 Once the Sacred Months are past, (and they refuse to make peace) you may kill the idol worshipers when you encounter them, punish them, and resist every move they make. If they repent and observe the Contact Prayers (Salat) and give the obligatory charity (Zakat), you shall let them go. GOD is Forgiver, Most Merciful. 9:6 If one of the idol worshipers sought safe passage with you, you shall grant him safe passage, so that he can hear the word of GOD, then send him back to his place of security. That is because they are people who do not know. 9:7 How can the idol worshipers demand any pledge from GOD and from His messenger? Exempted are those who have signed a peace treaty with you at the Sacred Masjid. If they honor and uphold such a treaty, you shall uphold it as well. GOD loves the righteous. 9:8 How can they (demand a pledge) when they never observed any rights of kinship between you and them, nor any covenant, if they ever had a chance to prevail. They pacified you with lip service, while their hearts were in opposition, and most of them are wicked. 9:9 They traded away GOD’s revelations for a cheap price. Consequently, they repulsed the people from His path. Miserable indeed is what they did! 9:10 They never observe any rights of kinship towards any believer, nor do they uphold their covenants; these are the real transgressors.
9:11 If they repent and observe the Contact Prayers (Salat) and give the obligatory charity (Zakat), then they are your brethren in religion. We thus explain the revelations for people who know. 9:12 If they violate their oaths after pledging to keep their covenants, and attack your religion, you may fight the leaders of paganism—you are no longer bound by your covenant with them—that they may refrain. 9:13 Would you not fight people who violated their treaties, tried to banish the messenger, and they are the ones who started the war in the first place? Are you afraid of them? GOD is the One you are supposed to fear, if you are believers. 9:14 You shall fight them, for GOD will punish them at your hands, humiliate them, grant you victory over them, and cool the chests of the believers. 9:15 He will also remove the rage from the believers’ hearts. GOD redeems whomever He wills. GOD is Omniscient, Most Wise.
No Contradictions
The reason that Traditionalists have adopted this concept of abrogation is because their understanding of the Quran in conjunction with the Hadith causes numerous contradictions. So to reconcile this they simply say that a verse is abrogated when a contradiction is formed. Again this contradicts the very verse of the Quran.
4:82 Why do they not study the Quran carefully? If it were from other than GOD, they would have found in it numerous contradictions.
If one was to accept the concept of abrogation within the Quran, such that some verses abrogate other verses, then that in itself is a contradiction. This is because that means that the verses contradict one another, and therefore, one verse is needed to be used to overrule the other.
A better approach in studying the Quran is considering that the Quran is a complete book, such that we do not take a single verse of the Quran in isolation but consider the verse in conjunction with all the other verses of the Quran. Then if we can come up with an understanding, the first question we ask ourselves is: “does this understanding cause a contradiction in any of the verses of the Quran?” If the answer is, “yes” then this means there is an error with our understanding, and therefore it needs to be reassessed or refined.
A Complete Book
In contract theory, A contract is considered complete if the agreement can specify every possible future state of the world as well as the appropriate actions that should be taken into effect under any of these possible future outcomes. This means that every scenario and edge case is accounted for in advance. This is a theoretical concept because humans will never be able to develop a legitimate complete contract without negating many of the infinite numbers of possible scenarios or resorting to default rules to deflect unforeseen edge cases. This is the reason that companies are constantly updating their terms of service because each time a new edge case occurs, they have to update their language to account for this scenario.
This is not the case with the Quran. When God calls the Quran complete, He is letting us know that this book covers all the edge cases a person will ever deal with regarding what they need to do in order to obtain salvation from God.
16:89 The day will come when we will raise from every community a witness from among them, and bring you as the witness of these people. We have revealed to you this book to provide explanations for everything, and guidance, and mercy, and good news for the submitters.
12:111 In their history, there is a lesson for those who possess intelligence. This is not fabricated Hadith; this (Quran) confirms all previous scriptures, provides the details of everything, and is a beacon and mercy for those who believe.
If the Quran is complete, where can I find the details for…?
The natural question when people are informed that the Quran is complete is, “where do I find details regarding…some topic?”
If it is not in the Quran it is because of three reasons…
It is not pertinent to our salvation
It is in the Quran, but we need to be patient
It is not in the Quran, but it is obvious
An example of the first reason can be seen in the history of the sleepers of the cave in the following verse.
It isn’t pertinent to our salvation
18:22 Some would say, “They were three; their dog being the fourth,” while others would say, “Five; the sixth being their dog,” as they guessed. Others said, “Seven,” and the eighth was their dog. Say, “My Lord is the best knower of their number.” Only a few knew the correct number. Therefore, do not argue with them; just go along with them. You need not consult anyone about this.
In the above verse, God is informing us that if this information was important, He would have clarified this for us without ambiguity, so since He did not, then it is not pertinent to the takeaway we are to have from their history. There are lots of items like this that are omitted from the Quran that have no bearing on our salvation. For instance, the Quran does not provide the names of Adam’s two sons. Obviously, we can go to the Bible and see it there, but again for the sake of our salvation, their names are irrelevant to the lesson from their history.
It’s in the Quran, but one needs to be patient
Regarding the second reason, God provides us the following verse, to why some details are embedded in the Quran.
5:101 O you who believe, do not ask about matters which, if revealed to you prematurely, would hurt you. If you ask about them in light of the Quran, they will become obvious to you. GOD has deliberately overlooked them. GOD is Forgiver, Clement. 5:102 Others before you have asked the same questions, then became disbelievers therein.