Abrogation

[ronniv93]

What is the Muslim orthodox position on the subject of abrogation?


I thought that it was simply a part of Islamic thought/belief. Now it appears that that may not be true.

[Muslimah]

Bismillah


Peace ronniv


Praise be to Allah, and prayer and peace be upon His Messenger Mohamed. May Allah Support and guide me as much as possible in presenting this point and forgive any shortcomings ameen


Allah Say:


"Whatever a Verse (revelation) do We abrogate or cause to be forgotten, We bring a better one or similar to it. Know you not that Allah is able to do all things?" (Quran 2:106)


As long as there is this Ayah, it leaves no views on it.But does the word nskh translated here as abrogation mean the same sense as introduced by anti Islamic sites and others who tried to explain the Quran according to their own whims?? will cover this later Insh a Allah.


Before u jump up and down happy for catching the word change or forgotten and saying Ah Quran has changed.


Now let us first address this quoted Ayah aiming for a better understanding Insh a Allah:


"Whatever a Verse (revelation) do We <b>abrogate</b> or cause to be forgotten, We bring a better one or similar to it. Know you not that Allah is able to do all things?" (Quran 2:106)


The underlined word is the translation of the Arabic nansakh:


The prefix na = we


The verb naskh actually has multiple meanings:


To copy


To annul


To write


To replace


Talking about Allah's verses we can not say annul.


Now what is the object after the naskh, the object here is Ayah which is translated as verse. While the word Ayah also has multiple meanings such as sign from Allah, evidence and proof.


Just with a sensible look, if we refer back to the Quran we will find that Allah Talks about:


"And Messengers We have mentioned to you before, and Messengers We have not mentioned to you, - and to Moosa (Moses) Allah spoke directly." (Quran 4:164)


When one looks at this Ayah, it makes it clear that Allah Told His Messenger salla Allah a`lyhee wa sallam in Quran about some Messengers and kept the stories of others for reasons only known to Allah. In other words, Allah Didn’t include in the Quran stories of all Messengers and Prophets that He Sent to mankind. It is also logical and already told in Quran that Allah Gave or let us better say Supported His numerous Messengers with signs, proofs and evidences for mankind to believe and follow the religion of Islam.


When Allah Talks about Messengers the stories of whom are not included in Quran, it becomes logical that the signs given to them are not also mentioned, included or contained in Quran. It makes it logical that in such case Allah Explains that He replaces the signs given to these Messengers who are not mentioned in Quran with better ones. That whenever Allah annuls a sign or makes to be forgotten just because Allah Replaces it with a better one. The Ayah could never be applied on an Ayah of Quran. How Can Allah Expresses in such a manner about Ayahs' of Quran? How can it be logical that Allah Makes Ayahs' of Quran forgotten.


Wallhu A`lam


To continue:


The abrogation process, if u can call it so, was made within the Quran itself with the Ayahs remianing intact. Meaning, Allah Uses a gradual approach on certain matters, Like for example when Allah Say:


"O you who believe! <b>Fear Allah (by doing all that He has ordered and by abstaining from all that He has forbidden) as He should be feared</b>. [Obey Him, be thankful to Him, and remember Him always], and die not except in a state of Islam (as Muslims) with complete submission to Allah." (Quran 3;102)


When this Ayah was revealed the companions became very stressed trying to spend the night praying and more. It was so difficult for them to fear Allah the way He should be feared.


Allah out of mercy gave more space as in (however this never implies that Allah astaghferu Allah changes His mind):


"<b>So keep your duty to Allah and fear Him as much as you can;</b> listen and obey; and spend in charity, that is better for yourselves. And whosoever is saved from his own covetousness, then they are the successful ones." (Quran 64:16)


For example in this specific situation Allah Meant to show us mankind that we will never be able to pay Allah the due respect He deserves confirming that we need Allah's mercy at all times. People would take this as an abrogation. I dont see it so. We can still strive to fear Allah the way He deserves to be freared each according to the best one can. Allah Didnt Say Ok stop fearing Allah the way He deserves to be feared and just try your best.

[Muslimah]

Bismillah


Peace ronniv


another example usually used of the abrogation of the rule is:


"To Allah belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is on the earth, and whether you disclose what is in your ownselves or conceal it, Allah will call you to account for it. Then He forgives whom He wills and punishes whom He wills. And Allah is Able to do all things." (Quran 2:284)


"Allah burdens not a person beyond his scope. He gets reward for that (good) which he has earned, and he is punished for that (evil) which he has earned." (Quran 2:285)


Look at the difference and stages of legislations. At first Allah Stated that whatever we either disclose or conceal Allah Knows it and Shall held us accountable for it whic is of course a serious matter, imagine being accoutable even for whatever takes place deep in your heart.


That was the first stage in which Muslims then were trained to strive hard in order to purify even their inner thouhgts, intentions and the like. However, the Ayah is still there and valid, because we are aware that Allah Is Watching and All Knowing, thus, Allah Knows what is in our heart at any given time. A fact that must never be ignored or overlooked or taken lightly.


Then Allah again Showed them His Mercy and His full Awarness of what could be of hardship to us. He then introduced a less level of responsibility with this language of understanding saying that He Does not shoulder a soul what it can not take.


This is not abrogation in the sense of abrogation. It is a clear explanation of what Allah Is Capable of which is whether or not we reveal what is in our heart Allah Knows it and we will be accountable for it. Yet Allah, Shall not burden a soul more than what it can take. No contradiction what so ever. The problem with understanding abrogation the way it is introduced as annuling a rule which is false.


It then introduces Quran as contradicting itself which is unikely because of what is coming Insh a Allah on the coming posts.


Stay tune ronniv Insh a Allah bit by bit we are going to go thru this issue

[Muslimah]

Bismillah


Now I need to come to the most important point.


if u r asking in the sense that there were Ayahs that were first revealed then taken off the book, u need to bring me a proof from Quran that Allah Did reveal verses then removed them, for the Ayah I quoted does not mean this. I will come to it later Insh a Allah.


Or we need a hadeeth saying that Allah Did this.

[ronniv93]

This issue came up for me when I went to an Islamic web site which said that they firmly deny this doctrine of abrogation and that any true Muslim who believes in the Quran will not accept it either.


That's why I asked the question. I mean, for someone to claim that only TRUE Muslims believe in the Quran in it's entirety without incorporating the idea of abrogration is a pretty serious claim. So that led me to ask if it's an orthodox position to believe in it or not.

[Muslimah]

Bismillah


Peace ronniv


That is a very good approach u r taking now.


Insh a Allah I will seek Allah's Help and prepare something according to my own humble understanding (mind u Iam no scholar), because actually the matter is vast. Even taken the Ayahs I quoted needs serious and thorough analysis since the words used there which are translated as abrogation as well as the word translated as verse really require further explanation.

[Muslimah]

Bismillah


Praise be to Allah and prayer and peace be upon His Messenger our leader, teacher and beloved Prophet Mohamed, his household and companions.


I seek Allah’s close guidance and support in this matter and any other matter I try to give input on.


1. Let us first close an important gap, Allah in Quran Say:


“We have, without doubt, sent down the message; and we will assuredly guard it (from corruption). (Quran 15:9)


Now with this Ayah: verse Allah Sums the whole situation and remember we are quoting Allah here Allah Al Haq (The Truth).


Moving further to explain more:


“We have indeed decked the lower heaven with beauty in the stars* (For beauty) and for guard against all obstinate rebellious evil spirits,* So) they should not strain their ears in the direction of the Exalted Assembly but be cast away from every side, Repulsed, for they are under a perpetual penalty,* Except such as snatch away something by stealth, and they are pursued by a flaming fire, of piercing brightness.” (Quran 37:6-10)


The same very thorough explanation is further backed up by the coming Ayahs just look here:


“And We pried into the secrets of heaven; but we found it filled with stern guards and flaming fires.* We used, indeed, to sit there in (hidden) stations, to (steal) a hearing; but any who listens now will find a flaming fire watching him in ambush.” (Quran 72: 8-9)


I am hoping that we adopt a new approach of dialogue specially on this issue, it is serious and crucial.


Shall I try and let u ponder on the Ayahs and come back telling us how u see them? what did u get out of them? I am much inclined on doing this.


Just follow on the sequence and tell me how u understand them..


waiting

[Muslimah]

Bismillah


Peace


As I can see I dont think u r inclined to this exercise any way, as we always said since the topic was raised it remains very useful to cover it Insh a Allah.


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Moving on, let us look more deeply into the Ayah saying:


““We have, without doubt, sent down the message; and we will assuredly guard it (from corruption). (Quran 15:9)


In this Ayah Allah Used a word, a term to identify Quran as remembrance, Allah Called it Adhikr. I don’t want to take u to different roads now. But dhikr being used here instead of Quran, Furqan or the other synonyms Allah Used to call His book is not haphazard. The Ayah is talking about first revealing it, then protecting and guarding it, which makes the word dhikr here a perfect connotation Sobhan Allah.


Having said that, since the One who revealed it, sent it down to mankind, granted it to mankind Is Allah Who at the same time Protected it. And here Allah used a form or a style of talking saying in Arabic:


<i>Wa Enna lahu lahafezoun</i>. Allah literally is saying and We to it “lahu” Are surely, certainly protecting, Allah Added a <i>lam</i> to the verb of protection. He Could have said [<i>I]wa</i> Enna hafezounahuh [/i]the wa is and, the enna is we hafezounahuh is protecting, since in Arabic when u need to conjugate the verb into third person u add a ha at the end. So this will be hafezoun; protecting, protecting what? huh it which is of course the object mentioned before.


But putting the object before the verb that is also coupled with the <i>lam</i> of confirmation indicates a sense of major importance of the object while simultaneously makes an incomparable affirmation of the sense of eternal protection.


Again Allah Started by explaining that it is Allah Who Revealed it, but He Didn’t State this is any form, no He made it is a very stylish manner that leaves no doubt about it. In Arabic Allah Say: <i>Enna Nahun</i>, Enna is it is Us We.


Just look at the use of two different styles of the pronoun. Allah in this Ayah Meant to confirm much meanings than any size of literature may cover Sobhan Allah. Just by these two styles of pronouns it leaves no doubt that Allah Is the One Who Revealed the Quran.


Being Allah Is the One Who Revealed, Sent it down, Allah Who? Allah The All Knowing, Allah The All Wise, All The Eternal, makes us feel that each and every word contained in this book is not set there for no reason or with no value. Leave alone being unnecessary to be used, or put first then removed.


This Ayah explains how it is totally impossible for the contents of this book to be mixed with parts that are not from the same source.


I am trying to cover the three categories of abrogation as understood to people, with special emphasis on the part of Surat Najm Quran 53.


What is the use of revealing an Ayah that sets certain rules, then abrogate which means literally annuls the rule as being valid and replace it with another rule, yet the first rule remains in the book but not used.


The best explanation I heard from a scholar about this is: suppose a father made a will and advised his son to strictly adhere to. Instead, the son keeps reading it everyday but does not enforce it though. What is the use of having the rules in the book without enforcing them?


Remember we are talking about Allah here not a human legislator, which is even unlikely to happen with. Show me where in the manmade laws that we keep the annulled legislation intact but not enforce them. Never. So how can this be commanded by the One Who Made the comprehensive legislation.


How can Allah Confuse people or keep rules in the book, the manual, the curriculum that are not used or applied. As for me I don’t understand this. I know that each and every word, no every letter in this book is important to be understood and applied.


This book didn’t really leave anything out. No matter how tiny it looks to u, it regulates our lives. It even contains which people we may visit and eat at their places, it contains when children must take permission first before getting into their parents room, it contains what a father have of reponsibility towards a wife when she gives birth. Sobhan Allah, these are not but few examples of how Quran regulates our lives.


I prefer to go on this topic bit by bit and Insh a Allah I will keep posting though slowly for more benefit.


Alhamdulelah Rubel a`lameen and prayer and peace be upon His Messenger

[umm Zachariah]

Bismillah,


Assalamu aleikum,


MashaAllah sister, please continue, slowly, bit by bit, this is so benefitting [img]style_emoticons/default/smile.gif[/img]


Jazaki Allah Khieran dear sister

[Muslimah]

Bismillah


Alhamdulelah Umm may Allah Accept.