And when We substitute a verse in place of a verse – and Allah is most knowing of what He sends down – they say, “You, [O Muhammad], are but an inventor [of lies].” But most of them do not know.
Quran 16:101
Abrogated quran (called mansukh in Arabic) refers to the early Qur’anic verse whose ruling is no longer in effect because it is replaced or modified by a later Qur’anic verse called nasikh. Replacing previous revelations gives us the understanding that the god of Islam could commit mistakes. Below are some hadiths that narrate about abrogated verses.
1. [Sahih Bukhari Volume 6, Book 60, Number 33]: Narrated Nafi: Ibn ‘Umar recited: “They had a choice, either fast or feed a poor for every day …” and added, “This Verse is abrogated.”
2. [Sahih Bukhari Volume 6, Book 60, Number 34]: Narrated Salama: When the Divine Revelation: “For those who can fast, they had a choice either fast, or feed a poor for every day,” (2.184) was revealed, it was permissible for one to give a ransom and give up fasting, till the Verse succeeding it was revealed and abrogated it.
3. [Sahih Bukhari Volume 6, Book 60, Number 53]: Narrated Ibn Az-Zubair: I said to ‘Uthman bin ‘Affan (while he was collecting the Qur’an) regarding the Verse:– “Those of you who die and leave wives …” (2.240) “This Verse was abrogated by another Verse. So why should you write it? (Or leave it in the Qur’an)?” ‘Uthman said. “O son of my brother! I will not shift anything of it from its place.” (see also Number 60)
4. [Sahih Bukhari Volume 6, Book 60, Number 54]: Narrated Mujahi: (regarding the Verse):– “Those of you who die and leave wives behind. They – (their wives) — shall wait (as regards their marriage ) for four months and ten days).” (2.234) The widow, according to this Verse, was to spend this period of waiting with her husband’s family, so Allah revealed: “Those of you who die and leave wives (i.e. widows) should bequeath for their wives, a year’s maintenance and residences without turning them out, but if they leave (their residence), there is no blame on you for what they do with themselves provided it is honorable.’ (i.e. lawful marriage) (2.240). So Allah entitled the widow to be bequeathed extra maintenance for seven months and twenty nights, and that is the completion of one year. If she wished she could stay (in her husband’s home) according to the will, and she could leave it if she wished, as Allah says: “… without turning them out, but if they leave (the residence), there is no blame on you.” So the ‘Idda (i.e. four months and ten days as it) is obligatory for her. ‘Ata said: Ibn ‘Abbas said, “This Verse, i.e. the Statement of Allah: “…without turning them out …” cancelled the obligation of staying for the waiting period in her dead husband’s house, and she can complete this period wherever she likes.” ‘Ata’s aid: If she wished, she could complete her ‘Idda by staying in her dead husband’s residence according to the will or leave it according to Allah’s Statement:– “There is no blame on you for what they do with themselves.” ‘Ata’ added: Later the regulations of inheritance came and abrogated the order of the dwelling of the widow (in her dead husband’s house), so she could complete the ‘Idda wherever she likes. And it was no longer necessary to provide her with a residence. Ibn ‘Abbas said, “This Verse abrogated her (i.e. widow’s) dwelling in her dead husband’s house and she could complete the ‘Idda (i.e. four months and ten days) wherever she liked, as Allah’s Statement says:–“…without turning them out…”
5. [Sahih Bukhari Volume 6, Book 60, Number 68]: Narrated Ibn ‘Umar: This Verse:–“Whether you show what is in your minds or conceal it …” (2.284) was abrogated.
6. [Sahih Bukhari Volume 6, Book 60, Number 69]: Narrated Marwan Al-Asghar: A man from the companions of Allah’s Apostle who I think, was Ibn ‘Umar said, “The Verse:– ‘Whether you show what is in your minds or conceal it …’ was abrogated by the Verse following it.”
7. [Sahih Muslim Book 001, Number 0228]: It is reported on the authority of Abu Huraira that when it was revealed to the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him): To Allah belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth and whether you disclose that which is in your mind or conceal it, Allah will call you to account according to it. Then He forgives whom He pleases and chastises whom He Pleases; and Allah is over everything Potent” (ii. 284). the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) felt it hard and severe and they came to the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) and sat down on their knees and said: Messenger of Allah, we were assigned some duties which were within our power to perform, such as prayer, fasting, struggling (in the cause of Allah), charity. Then this (the above-mentioned) verse was revealed unto you and it is beyond our power to live up to it. The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: Do you intend to say what the people of two books (Jews and Christians) said before you: “We hear and disobey”? You should rather say: “We hear and we obey, (we seek) Thy forgiveness, our Lord! and unto Thee is the return.” And they said: “We hear and we obey, (we seek) Thy forgiveness, Our Lord! and unto Thee is the return.” When the people recited it and it smoothly flowed on their tongues, then Allah revealed immediately afterwards: “The Apostle believes in that which is sent down unto him from his Lord, and so do the believers. Each one believes in Allah and His Angels and His Books and His Apostles, saying: We differentiate not between any of His Apostles and they say: We hearken and we obey: (we seek) Thy forgiveness, our Lord! and unto Thee is the return” (ii. 285). When they did that, Allah abrogated this (verse) and the Great, Majestic Allah revealed: “Allah burdens not a soul beyond its capacity. It gets every good that it earns and it suffers every ill that it earns. Our Lord, punish us not if we forget or make a mistake.” (The Prophet said:) Yes, our Lord! do not lay on us a burden as Thou didst lay on those before us. (The Prophet said:) Yes, our Lord, impose not on us (burdens) which we have not the strength to bear (The Prophet said:) Yes, and pardon us and grant us protection! and have mercy on us. Thou art our Patron, so grant us victory over the disbelieving people” (ii. 286). He (the Lord) said: Yes.
8. [Sahih Muslim Book 003, Number 0675]: Abu al. ‘Ala’ b. al-Shikhkhir said: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) abrogated some of his commands by others, just as the Qur’an abrogates some part with the other.
9. [Sahih Muslim Book 004, Number 1317]: Al-Bara’ b. ‘Azib reported: This verse was revealed (in this way): “Guard the prayers and the ‘Asr prayer.” We recited it (in this very way) so long as Allah desired. Allah, then, abrogated it and it was revealed: “Guard the prayers, and the middle prayer.” A person who was sitting with Shaqiq (one of the narrators in the chain of transmitters) said: Now it implies the ‘Asr prayer. Upon this al-Bara’ said: I have already informed you how this (verse) was revealed and how Allah abrogated it, and Allah knows best. Imam Muslim said: Ashja’i narrated it from Sufyan al-Thauri, who narrated it from al-Aswad b. Qais, who narrated it from ‘Uqba, who narrated it from al-Bara’ b. ‘Azib who said: We recited with the Prophet (may peace be upon him) (the above-mentioned verse like this, i. e. instead of Salat al- Wusta, Salat al-‘Asr) for a certain period, as it has been mentioned (in the above-quoted hadith).
10. [Sahih Muslim Book 004, Number 1433]: Anas b. Malik reported that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) invoked curse in the morning (prayer) for thirty days upon those who killed the Companions (of the Holy Prophet) at Bi’r Ma’una. He cursed (the tribes) of Ri’l, Dhakwan, Lihyan, and Usayya, who had disobeyed Allah and His Messenger (may peace be upon him). Anas said: Allah the Exalted and Great revealed (a verse) regarding those who were killed at Bi’r Ma’una, and we recited it, till it was abrogated later on (and the verse was like this):, convey to it our people the tidings that we have met our Lord, and He was pleased with us and we were pleased with Him”.
11. [Sahih Muslim Book 043, Number 7173]: Sa’id b. Jubair reported: I said to Ibn Abbas: Will the repentance of that person be accepted who kills a believer intentionally? He said: No. I recited to him this verse of Sura al-Furqan (xix.): “And those who call not upon another god with Allah and slay not the soul which Allah has forbidden except in the cause of justice” to the end of the verse. He said: This is a Meccan verse which has been abrogated by a verse revealed at Medina: “He who slays a believer intentionally, for him is the requital of Hell-Fire where he would abide for ever,” and in the narration of Ibn Hisham (the words are): I recited to him this verse of Sura al-Furqan: “Except one who made repentance.” (see also Sahih al-Bukhari Volume 6, Book 60, Number 285)
12. [Sunan Abu Dawud Book 5, Number 1299]: Narrated Abdullah Ibn Abbas: In Surat al-Muzzammil (73), the verse: “Keep vigil at night but a little, a half thereof” (2-3) has been abrogated by the following verse: “He knoweth that ye count it not, and turneth unto you in mercy. Recite then of the Qur’an that which is easy for you” (v.20). The phrase “the vigil of the night” (nashi’at al-layl) means the early hours of the night. They (the companions) would pray (the tahajjud prayer) in the early hours of the night. He (Ibn Abbas) says: It is advisable to offer the prayer at night (tahajjud), prescribed by Allah for you (in the early hours of the night). This is because when a person sleeps, he does not know when he will awake. The words “speech more certain” (aqwamu qilan) means that this time is more suitable for the understanding of the Qur’an. He says: The verse: “Lo, thou hast by day a chain of business” (v.7) means engagement for long periods (in the day’s work).
13. [Sunan Abu Dawud Book 5, Number 1300:] Ibn ‘Abbas said: When the opening verses of Surah asl-muzzammil (lxxiii.), were revealed, the Companions would pray as long as they would pray during Ramadan until its last verses were revealed. The period between the revelation of its opening and the last verses was one year.
14. [Sunan Abu Dawud Book 12, Number 2275]: Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas: Women who are divorced shall wait, keeping themselves apart, three monthly courses; and then said: And for such of your women as despair of menstruation, if ye doubt, their period (of waiting) shall be three months. This was abrogated from the former verse. Again he said: (O ye who believe, if ye wed believing women) and divorce them before ye have touched them, then there is no period that ye should reckon.
15. [Malik’s Muwatta, Book 30, Number 30.3.17]: Yahya related to me from Malik from Abdullah ibn Abi Bakr ibn Hazm from Amra bint Abd ar-Rahman that A’isha, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “Amongst what was sent down of the Qur’an was ‘ten known sucklings make haram’ – then it was abrogated by ‘five known sucklings’. When the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, died, it was what is now recited of the Qur’an.” Yahya said that Malik said, “One does not act on this.”
16. [Malik’s Muwatta Book 37, Number 37.5.4b]: Yahya said that he heard Malik say, “This ayat is abrogated. It is the word of Allah, the Blessed, the Exalted, ‘If he leaves goods, the testament is for parents and kinsmen.’ What came down about the division of the fixed shares of inheritance in the Book of Allah, the Mighty, the Exalted, abrogated it”
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