Bismillah
As salam alykom
Still on the copy of Ayah's part in this issue.
The word naskh is also to write either to copy or even start writing. Another meaning is to replace.
In order to follow a more scientific coarse in this issue, the legislation (Sharia) related abrogation definition is to cease the application of a given ruling which was made by virtue of a legal text from Quran or Sunnah to be replaced by another legal text that followed from Quran and Sunnah. The process is made due to a wisdom within Sharia. However, the preceding ruling shall remain valid to be applied.
We can add here for example that Allah actually annuled (replaced) both the Injeel and Tawrah with the Quran. This is what can be considered as a real abrogation. For now we dont apply them any more and Quran fully replaced them.
On another note:
One of the Ayahs that mostly receive the criticism of non Muslims who try to diminish the authenticity of Quran as they introduce it in a way that makes Allah (astghaferullah) regretted the ruling Allah Made and changed His mind is:
“And those of your women who commit illegal sexual intercourse, take the evidence of four witnesses from amongst you against them; and if they testify, confine them to houses until death comes to them or Allah ordains for them some (other) way.” (Quran 4:15)
The woman and the man guilty of illegal sexual intercourse, flog each of them with a hundred stripes. Let not pity withhold you in their case, in a punishment prescribed by Allah, if you believe in Allah and the Last Day. And let a party of the believers witness their punishment. (This punishment is for unmarried persons guilty of the above crime but if married persons commit it, the punishment is to stone them to death, according to Allah's Law).
Sites that are devoted to attack Islam perceives those two Ayahs as one contradicting the other. Or to be more precise, one ruling annulling the other.
In this case, the two Ayahs do contain the sense of abrogation as the ruling of locking women who commit Zina in their houses till they die was changed in the second Ayah.
At the wake of Islam, the ruling applied on a woman who commits zina was to be locked in the house. However, when Allah Made this ruling, in the same Ayah Allah may He be Glorified, Indicated that it is a temporary ruling that has a time limit only known to Allah. It is clearly driven from the second part of the Ayah saying: or Allah ordains for them some (other) way.
This way out was revealed afterwards in the other Ayah that stipulates a hundred strips flog for each one provided they are both unmarried. As for the married individual, the ruling is derived from the Sunnah.
In such case, the situation is not more than a gradual coarse of education from Allah Who in many areas Took things on stages. Matter of fact, we can safely say, that only due to Allah’s Wisdom that rulings are made in such gradual manner. It can be only attributed to (astaghferullah) a lesser perfection of Allah by those who want to believe as such due to their own ill minds or those who strive to propagate lies about Islam without real understanding.
Another Ayah that also receives major attention in this regard is:
“O Prophet (Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم)! Urge the believers to fight. If there are twenty steadfast persons amongst you, they will overcome two hundreds, and if there be a hundred steadfast persons they will overcome a thousand of those who disbelieve, because they (the disbelievers) are people who do not understand.”
” Now Allâh has lightened your (task), for He knows that there is weakness in you. So if there are of you a hundred steadfast persons, they shall overcome two hundreds, and if there are a thousand of you, they shall overcome two thousand with the Leave of Allâh. And Allâh is with As-Sâbirûn (the patient)” (Quran 8:65-66).
As we can see, the two Ayahs contain clear change or let us say abrogation. The first Ayah makes it obligatory on the believers to confront their enemy in the ratio 1:10 while the second one decreased the ratio to 1:2.
The mitigation of fighting burden put on the group of believers is the legislation wisdom in this gradual change. How can this be interpreted into a fault and that Allah Changes His mind. It is not more than the interaction between the Creator and His Creator. The assertion that Allah Is All Near and Close to us. I see it as Allah Is Telling the Creation this is what you might be exposed to of burden. Then Allah confirms that as He previously promised not to burden a soul of what it may be capable of taking, Allah decreased this burden. Just to stress the fact that Allah Does not change His mind, the underlined word He Knows, actually in Arabic is put in the past tense as a`lema which literally translates as Knew. This one word explains the fact that Allah already Knew they suffer weakness, just tested them to see how their situation may have been, responded with His mercy and lightened the burden in order for them to always recall this blessing and feel grateful.
Alhamdulelah Who Has Guided us for this and if it was not for Allah We wouldnt have been guided.
Whatever is correct is from Allah and whatever is wrong is from me and shaytan.