Nasikh wa Mansukh in the light of the people of the Sunnah and those who deviate from this

Prof MTE Kahn

Introduction

The scholar, Shaykh Dr Bilal Phillips writes:

“It is His (Allah's) right to command and forbid us, as He has informed us:
He (Allaah) cannot be questioned about what He does, but they (mankind) will be questioned.” Soorah al-
Ambiyaa’ (21):25
Therefore, it should not in any way seem strange that Allah may replace a divine law with another based on
His knowledge of all things, past, present and future. This replacement of a divine law by another divine
law is referred to in Arabic- Islaamic terminology as “naskh.” [Abu Ameena Bilal Philips, 1997]

The main reference to Naskh is ayat (2:106) :

“Whatever verse I have abrogated or caused to be forgotten, I will bring another better than it or equal
to it.” Soorah Baqarah 2:106

Allah knew, in His infinite wisdom, that Naskh would lead to criticism by detractors from the method of
the Messenger of Allah and the salaf and answered them beforehand in the following Ayat:

“And if I place a verse in place of another verse— and Allaah knows best what He bestows from on high,
step by step—they say, ‘You are just inventing it!’ Soorah an-Nahl (16):101.

Arguments against Abrogation in the Qur’an

The Scottish Orientalist, Sir William Muir (1858 CE), criticized the Quran and the concept of abrogation
citing several hundred abrogation's and was the first to use of the expression 'Satanic Verses' for sections of
the Quran. [John Espisito,2003]

Joseph Schacht and Snouck Hurgronje were not less vocal on their views of the need to show up apparently
conflicting views in the Quran, and is corroborated by researchers such as John Burton who view the
abrogation as evidence of the human origins of the Quran. [John Burton, 1985]

David Powers criticizes the classical concept of abrogation in revelation. He mentions that the commonly
applied definition of naskh is that of 'replacement' and that this implies mutability in Allah's will. If we
look however at the classical scholar cited by him, al Nakhas (d. 338/950) we see that al-Nakhas
specifically defines naskh as "referring to something that had previously been permitted. but has NOW
become forbidden.. or vice versa.. due to God's desire to improve the situation of his worshippers " [David
Powers, 1988] Powers fails to see that this does not entail the cancellation of a rule in the Shari 'a but a
change of the obligation that is dependent upon it. This has been a common trait in all those who opposed
naskh.

Abu Muslim al-Isfahani (d. 322AH) was a key early period anti abrogation proponent and belonged to the
Mu'tazili school of thought. According to al-Isfahani, the statement of the Qur’an that negates the existence
of abrogation in the Qur’an is , Falsehood cannot come at it from before it or from behind it. It is a
revelation from the Wise, the Owner of Praise. (41:42). He declared the naskh as ibtaal (totally negated),
and denies that it is possible and declares it a falsehood (baṭil). [Israr Khan, 2007]

Al-Isfahani proposed that the Qur’anic verses should be interpreted rather than abrogated. Israr Khan, a
modern reviver of Al-Isfahani states , in full agreement that: "There is nothing wrong in this interpretative
approach of Abū Muslim his suggestion seems quite rational. With this method to interpret the Qur’an, the
practical validity of the so called abrogated verses can be traced. The stance of Abū Muslim is sufficiently
substantiated by the Qur’an. Verses such as (2:185), (4:82), (5:3), (11:1), (17:82), (36:2), and (39:28)
unequivocally spell out that the Qur’an in its entirety is ever relevant in human life". [Israr Khan, 2007]

Sir Sayyid Ahmad Khan, founder of the Alighar University in the late 1800's in India also denied the
existence of abrogation in the Qur'an. If abrogation existed in the Qur'an at all, it would mean for Sir
Sayyid the abrogation of the previous Sharia . He declares boldly that "there are no Mansukh passages in
the Koran at all." [Ernest Hahn, 1974]

Perhaps the most vocal rejection of abrogation came from the Indian scholar, Ali Chiragi (d. 1895CE). He
proposed that the Quran be purified from false stories and unnatural things and it should be demonstrated to
friends and foes that "this much is true and factual" and "this much is false and fictitious". Sir Sayyid
Ahmad Khan, followed his methodology and furthered the view that "many wrong traditions and opinions
have been mixed up in Islam which in truth are not Islam." He urges us to remove these from Islam as one
removes "the fly from the milk " [Aziz Ahmad, 1967]

The Pakistani scholar, Abul ala Maududi was also raising objections to abrogation. His understanding of
ayat (2:106) is that it refers to the revelations before the Qur’an, which have now been substituted by the
Qur’an itself. [Abu Ala Mawdudi, 1967]

Fadlur Rahman Ansari, author of Quranic Foundations and Science, also did not accept abrogation. Imran
Hosein his student confirms:
"My teacher of blessed memory Dr Muhamad Fadlurahman Ansari (who was a Sufi Shaykh), categorically
rejected the application of the principle of abrogation Naskh." [Imran Hosein, 2000] Muhamad Asad held
that there is no abrogation in the Quran as well. Imran Hosein's own view is therefore not surprising when
he brushes off all earlier scholarship as mere opinion on the matter of abrogation: "Secondly all those who
expressed opinions that verses of the Quran were abrogated were doing nothing more profound than
expressing mere opinion." [Imran Hosein, 2000]

Refutation of the above and supporting scholars for Naskh

Most classical-era Qur’anic studies scholars, among then Abu `Ubayd al-Qasim ibn Sallam (d. 224 AH),
Makki ibn Abi Talib (d. 437 AH), Qadi Abu Bakr ibn Arabi(d. 543AH), Abd al-Rahman ibn al-Jawzi (d.
597 AH), Ibn Juzay al Kalbi (d. 741 AH), Badr al-Din al-Zarkashi (d. 794 AH), and Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti
(d. 911 AH) were keen supporters of the of abrogation referring to commands and prohibitions only. Facts
cannot be repealed. For example the Quran affirms Musa was Prophet of Allah. If a verse would therefore
state that Musa was is not ever a Prophet of Allah, this would indicate inconsistency, lying, ignorance or
confusion all of which may NOT may not be attributed to Allah. Therefore, descriptions of Allah’s
attributes, the stories of the previous prophets and their peoples, parables and descriptions of the hereafter
are all excluded from the category of Naskh. [Abu Ameena Bilal Philips, 1997]

Ibn Juzay summarise this as follows:

"As for abrogation, it is connected to judgements, as they are the zone in which abrogation occurs, since
news cannot be abrogated. One must know the abrogating, abrogated and the decided (muhkam) and it is
that which is not abrogated that occur in the Qur’an. People have composed many compilations upon the
abrogating [ayat] of the Qur’an and its abrogated, the best of which is the work of the Qadi Abu Bakr ibn
al-Arabi. We have mentioned in these introductions a chapter on the principles of abrogation, and there is a
mention of those [ayat] which are firmly established as being abrogated. The rest we mention in their
places." [ Ibn Juzay,Sciences of Tafsir (online)]

Even in early fiqh works like the Muwatta’ of Imam Malik the word naskh is mentioned. It is held that the
Qur'anic injunction which prescribed the precise shares of the listed relatives of a deceased person (al-
Qur’an, 4:11-12) abrogated the Qur'anic injunction concerning wasiyyah (al-Qur’an, 11:180). [Malik ibn
Anas, Muwatta.]

In a Similar vein Imam Ash-Shafi’ (d.204), used the term Naskh in his book on usool al-fiqh entitled ar-
Risalah. [Majid Khadduri, 1961] Imam as-Shatibi argued that abrogation did not apply to the Meccan
verses but only to the specific rules in the Medinan ones, resulting in the application of abrogation within
the Medinan text alone.

Ibn al Jawzi believes: 'Ulama have consenses over the validity of Naskh in the Qur'an, with the exception
of those who deviated from the truth. Al Suyuti has laid a claim: "There is an Ijma' among Muslim over the
probability of abrogation in the Qur'an". Abu Ja'far al-Nahhas decreed: "Those who say that in the Qur'an
there is no Nasikh and Mansukh are people in a state of indecision because of their opposition to the
Qur'anic stipulation and the consensus of the Ummah." Ibn Kathir says: "This (al-Isfahani's) opinion stands
weak, rejected and discarded." [Faizun Morrison, 2012]

Abrogation is translated from the Arabic word naskh which literally means “to erase; to compensate.” Its
technical definition is “to repeal a legal order through legal argument”. In other words, sometimes Allah
enforces a legal edict that is relevant only to a particular situation. Later, in His infinite wisdom, He annuls
the order and enforces a new one in its place. [Taqi Usmani]

Ulama such as Muhamad Zurqani suggest that the notion of conflict between one revelation of the Qur’an
and another is false. Al-Zurqānī maintained that abrogation denotes permanent suspension of practical
validity of a verse but retains the position of the verse concerned as a Qur’anic revelation.[ Israr Khan,
2007] Zurqani also opposed the views of al-Isfahani. Shafi Usmani says that it can be read in "Ruh al-
Ma'ani":
"The people belonging to all the Sharia are unanimous in accepting the validity of abrogation and its actual
occurrence both. Only the Jews with the exception of their 'Isawiyyah' sect have denied the possibility of
abrogation, and Abu Muslim al-Isfahani has denied its occurrence, for he says that it is rationally possible,
but has not actually taken place."[Shafi Usmani]

Imam al-Qurtubi says: "It is essential to understand the question of abrogation, and great benefits flow from
such an understanding, which no scholar can dispense with, and no one can deny abrogation except the
ignorant and the dull-headed." [Shafi Usmani]

Conclusion
It is clear that the detractors of Naskh share a common thread, namely that of a Mu'tazilli, rationalist or
modern leaning in their approach to understanding and reconciling the revelation. This is against the
Sunnah as upheld by the Salaf as the report related by Shafi Usmani on the authority of al-Qurtubi states:
:"The fourth Khalifah Sayyidna Ali saw a man preaching in the mosque. He asked the people what the man
was doing. On being told that he was preaching, Ali said: "He is not doing anything of the sort, but only
announcing to the people that he is such and such a man and the son of such and such, and asking them to
recognize and remember him." Calling the man to his side, he asked: "Do you know the injunctions which
have been abrogated and those which have abrogated the earlier ones?" When he confessed that he did not,
the Khalifah turned him out of the mosque, and ordered him never to preach there."[Shafi Usmani]

Naskh is upheld by the majority of the most knowledgeable scholars. It is confirmed that this knowledge is
one of the important pre-conditions for tafsir of the Quran, and application of the Islamic law.

References:

Abu Ala Mawdudi, (1967). The Meaning of the Qur’an, Lahore, Vol. I, p.102. note 109.

Abu Ameena Bilal Philips,(1997), Usool at-Tafseer , Dar Al Fatah,UAE

Amir Ali,(1965), The Spirit of Islam, London: Methuen & ,Co. Ltd., pp. 229-262

Aziz Ahmad (1967),Islamic Modernism in India and Pakistan, 1857-1964, Oxford University Press, pp.,
94-95
Burton, John, (1985), “The Exegesis of Q. 2:106 and the Islamic Theories of Naskh: mā nansakh min āya
aw nansahā na’ti bi khairin minhā aw mithlihā.” Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies,
University of London 48, no. 3: 452–69.

David S. Powers, (1988), "The Exegetical Genre Nasikh al Quran wa mansukh.. in Approaches to the
History of the Interpretation of the Qur'an. ed. Andrew Rippin (Oxford Press).

Emest Hahn,(1974) , "Sir Sayyid Ahmad Khan's The Controversy Over Abrogation (in the Qur'an): An
Annotated Translation,' Muslim World 64: p124·133

Faizun Nadhirah Morris, (2012),Al-Naskh, 18 November 2012, online, http://prezi.com/1nywt0wa4uat/al-

naskh/

Imran N. Hossein (2000), The Quranic Method of curing Alcoholism and Drug addiction, Masjid Dar al
Quran, New York

Israr Khan, (2007), Arguments for Abrogation in the Qur’an: A Critique, online, http://iiit.org/Research
/ScholarsSummerInstitute/TableofContents/ArgumentsforAbrogationintheQuranACritique/
tabid/241/Default.aspx#_ftn34

John L. Esposito (2003). The Oxford dictionary of Islam. Oxford University Press. p.563

Majid Khadduri (1961), Shafi's Risala: Treatise on the foundations of Jurisprudence, p. 125.

Malik ibn Anas, Muwatta, vol. 1, p. 299, vol. 2, p. 765

Shafi Usmani, Ma'rifatul Quran, online, http://www.classicalislamgroup.com/ index.php?view=tafseer/s2-

v106to107-3

Taqi Usmani, Abbrogation in the Quran, online, http://www.ilmgate.org/abrogation-in-the-quran/