Spirituality

When the message of Islam was presented to the Arabs as something new, it was introduced in stages.


An-Nasikh - Abrogation

The Arabic word ‘nasikh’ is derived from the root word ‘nasakha’ which carries meanings such as ‘to abolish, to replace, to withdraw, to abrogate’.


The Quran on Naskh

The principle of naskh (abrogation) is referred to in the Quran itself and is not a later historical development:


‘None of Our revelations do We abrogate or cause it to be forgotten, but We substitute something better or similar: knowest thou that God has power over all things?’ (Quran 2: 106)


How it came about

When the message of Islam was presented to the Arabs as something new, and different from their way of life, it was introduced in stages. The Quran brought important changes gradually, to allow the people to adjust to the new prescriptions.


Example:

There are three verses in the Quran concerning drinking of wine. Wine drinking was very widespread in pre-Islamic times and, although a social evil, highly esteemed. The three verses which finally led to the prohibition of intoxicating substances were revealed in stages (4: 43, 2: 219; 5: 93-4).


Abrogation is a reality

However, it is clear from the Quran itself, (e.g. in the case of inheritance, 2:180; 4:7-9, etc.) that abrogation occurred occasionally. Hence it is wrong to completely ignore the subject.


Two schools of thought

• One school said there is nothing like that; God will not write a book and edit it later.

• The other school said, some things are there in the Quran that are fitting for certain period and once that period is over, another verse was revealed on permanent basis. e.g. a doctor prescribes certain medication to a patient for 10 days.


Dr. Mustafa Zaid wrote a book, “The Abrogation in Quran” in 1987, 3rd edition, 2 huge volumes. Modern thinkers like Al-Ghazali, Muhammad Asad, Fathi Osman, disapproved abrogation in the Quran.


What is Abrogated?

According to some scholars, the Quran abrogates only the Quran. They base their view on surahs 2: 106 and 16: 101. According to them, the Quran does not abrogate the sunnah nor does the sunnah abrogate the Quran. This is, in particular, the view held by Shafi’i.


Others are of the opinion that the Quran may abrogate the Quran as well as the sunnah. They base their view on Surah 53: 34.


There is also the view that there are four classes of naskh:

• Quran abrogates Quran.

• Quran abrogates sunnah.

• Sunnah abrogates Quran.

• Sunnah abrogates sunnah.


Why abrogation a BIG issue?

Extremists believe in An-nasikh. They considered the following verses to be ‘abrogated’ by other verses.

• Do not kill (Quran 5:32)

• No compulsion in religion (Quran 2: 255)

• Do not argue with the People of the Book (Quran 29:46)

• In Surah Tauba (9), they consider verse 5 abrogated many peaceful verses in their opinion.


But when the forbidden months are past, then fight and slay the Pagans wherever ye find them, and seize them, beleaguer them, and lie in wait for them in every stratagem (of war); but if they repent, and establish regular prayers and practice regular charity, then open the way for them: for Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful. (Quran 9:5)


If one amongst the Pagans ask thee for asylum, grant it to him, so that he may hear the word of Allah and then escort him to where he can be secure. That is because they are men without knowledge. (Quran 9:6)


Nobody said, verse 5 abrogated verse 6, not in a single occasion Prophet said so.


There are about 140 verses that are considered to be abrogated.


Sheikh Mohammad Ghazali described the abrogation as, “This is foolishness, which is adopted by those who are weak in doing dawah and we should kill them”.


Classification of An-nasikh

• Verse is there, but

- the ruling is abrogated.

- the meaning is abrogated

- meaning is abrogated by another meaning, but verse is valid

- the body of verse is not valid anymore, but its ruling is still binding.


When someone commits adultery, there is no stoning according to the Quran. It is clearly specified in this verse:


The woman and the man guilty of adultery or fornication,- flog each of them with a hundred stripes: Let not compassion move you in their case, in a matter prescribed by Allah, if ye believe in Allah and the Last Day: and let a party of the Believers witness their punishment. (Quran 24:2)


Some claim the Prophet ordered stoning based on the following hadith and consider this hadith as abrogating the Quran.

‘Abdullah bin ‘Abbas reported that ‘Umar bin Khattab sat on the pulpit of Allah’s messenger (may peace be upon him) and said: Verily Allah sent Muhammad (may peace be upon him) with truth and he sent down the book upon him, and the verse of stoning was included in what was sent down to him. We recited it, retained it in our memory and understood it. Allah’s messenger (may peace be upon him) awarded the punishment of stoning to death (to the married adulterer and adulteress) and after him, we also awarded the punishment of stoning. I am afraid that with the lapse of time, the people (may forget it) and may say: We do not find the punishment of stoning in the book of Allah, and thus go astray by abandoning this duty prescribed by Allah. Stoning is a duty laid down in Allah’s book for married men and women who commit adultery when proof is established, or if there is pregnancy or a confession. [Muslim, III, No. 4194; Bukhari, VIII, No. 816.]


For all reports concerning the text of the Quran, two independent witnesses are required. Only Umar reported that the verse of stoning had been included in the Quranic text. This legal ruling was not included in the Quran precisely because it was not considered reliable, being based on one witness only.


In Torah one can find stoning for committing adultery.

• Verse was revealed later correcting a Hadith and until then Torah was followed.


(The writer is Sr. Advisor, Muslim Public Affairs Council -MPAC)

During the golden Abbasid period, one of the scholars in Baghdad , the capital of Muslim caliphate at that time, was reputed to hold knowledge in high esteem.


One day an acquaintance met the great scholar and said, “Do you know what I just heard about your friend?” Scholar, “Hold on a minute, before telling me anything I’d like you to pass a little test. It’s called the Triple Filter Test.


The man: “Triple Filter Test?”

Scholar: “That’s right, before you talk to me about my friend, it might be a good idea to take a moment and filter what you’re going to say.”


Scholar continued, “That’s why I call it the triple filter test. The first filter is Truth. Have you made absolutely sure that what you are about to tell me is true.”


The man said, “No actually I just heard it and…..”


Scholar, “All right, so you don’t really know if it’s true or not. Now let’s try the second filter, the filter of Goodness. Is what you are about to tell me about my friend something good?”


The man said, “No, on the contrary….”


Scholar, “So you want to tell me something bad about him, but you’re not certain it’s true. You may still pass the test though, because there’s one filter left: the filter of Usefulness. Is what you want to tell me about my friend going to be useful to me?”


The man, “No, not really.”

Scholar, “Well if what you want to tell me is neither true nor good nor even useful, why tell it to me at all?”


“O you who believe! Avoid much suspicions, indeed some suspicions are sins. And spy not, neither backbite one another. Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother, you would hate it (so hate backbiting). And fear Allah. Verily, Allah is the One Who accepts repentance, Most Merciful.” (Al-Hujurat: 49:12)