One of the most salient passages in the Qur’an is 2:106, which shows us the basis for the doctrine of abrogation:
“We do not abrogate a verse or cause it to be forgotten except when we bring forth one better than earlier verse or similar to it. Do you not know that Allah is over all things competent?”
Abrogation has an impact on the arguments about the true nature of Islam. At endless interfaith dialogues, the early tolerant verses are quoted to show the nature of Islam as being peaceful. When both verses are quoted and then abrogation is applied, we see that the later violent verses trumps the earlier tolerant ones. Jihad abrogates tolerance. In general, the Medina Quran abrogates the Meccan Quran. There are several verses of tolerance that are abrogated by jihad against Christians.
But the earlier verse is still acceptable and in use. Abrogation does not negate the early verse. Indeed, the earlier “peaceful” verse that is abrogated is the one most apt to be used in public discourse.
This creates a logical problem, since if two things contradict each other, at least one of them must be false. This is a fundamental element of Western unitary logic. In Quranic logic, two statements can contradict each other and both are true. This is dualistic logic.
To put it simply, Allah changes revelations as he pleases, and the latter revelations supersede the earlier ones. There are deviations among Muslim theologians as to which verses have been abrogated and replaced, but the overall idea has been clear. When Muslims are weak and in a minority position, they should behave peacefully according to the Meccan passages (which reflect the early time when Muhammad was vulnerable and building his power base), and when strong, they are obligated to wage war according to the later Medina passages.
An alternative explanation is that the early verse is first stage in a process, like a seed, and the later verse is a second stage, like a plant.
There is truth to this, but the process model does not take into account the fact that both truths are available at the same time. To go back to the analogy, you don’t have the seed and the plant at the same time. The verses contradict each other and are both true at the same time. Again, this is dualistic logic. The contradictions are usually explained by abrogation, the classical doctrine, but the principle of abrogation is limited to the Quran. Duality includes the special case of abrogation and it explains how the entire doctrine of the Quran and Sunna work. It is not just the Quran that is contradictory, but the Sunna.
Another dualistic aspect of Islam is its ethics. One of the chief features of Islam is the doctrine of the kefir (unbeliever). It treats them dreadfully and horribly. No one would ever want to be treated as a kefir is treated in the Trilogy. This leads us to the Golden Rule. There is no Golden Rule in Islam because of the division of humanity into believer and kefir. The Golden Rule is to treat all people as you would be treated. Since no one wants be treated like a kefir, and the kefir is so central to Islamic doctrine, it proves that Islam has no Golden Rule. Islam has one set of rules for Muslims and another set of rules for kefirs. This is dualistic ethics.
Practicing Tolerance
We are told that it is only civil to respect or at least tolerate other peoples’ beliefs, even if you do not agree with them — a sort of live and let live attitude. As a general principle, this position is admirable. Yet there are exceptions. A case in point is when people say let Muslims believe what they want. I strongly disagree to let Muslims believe what they want to believe when they hold that I, as a non-Muslim, have no right to live. Or if I am to live, I must live a life subservient to Muslims. And wherever they are in power in the world, Muslims do everything they can to make non-believers’ lives dreadful and deadly.
I don’t tolerate these belief and practices, in the same vein as I reject fascism and all other exclusionary oppressive systems of belief.
As they say: tolerating evil is not tolerance, it is a crime.
mortimer says
Abrogation is Islam is similar to the BAIT-AND-SWITCH technique used by most criminals.
This is the equivalent of a sucker punch. Muslims imitate Mohammed who BAITED people by claiming Islam is peaceful. Once they were trusting, he ATTACKED THEM taking their lives, their property, their good reputation, their children, their real estate and their countries.
Islam is TOTALITARIAN and TOTALIZING.
The BAIT-AND-SWITCH technique in Islam is CRIMINAL, but it is NORMATIVE Islam, rather than an aberration.
gravenimage says
Jihad Abrogates Tolerance
……………………
Yes, it does.
The penultimate Qur’anic Sura includes the infamous “Sura of the Sword”, Qur’an 9:5:
“And when the sacred months have passed, then kill the polytheists wherever you find them and capture them and besiege them and sit in wait for them at every place of ambush…”
Ibrahim itace muhammed says
ignorant Amil imani always touches on subject areas of Islam he is incapable of digesting. Unknown to him “Nakh (abrogation) in sura 2:106)”does’nt mean that some verses or suras of the Quran cancel or repeal others. It simply means the Quran has Abrogated some ruling in the previous scriptures to the extent that any part of the previous scriptures like Injeel and Torah that is in Conflict with the ruling in the Quran, such ruling in the previous scriptures is deemed repealed. when it applies to conflicts between Quranic verses, it is a question of “tahsis (qualifying or exception) “of the general rule. There is nowhere in the meccan suras, which ignorant Amil said are peaceful and tolerant because muslims were weak, it is said there is no jihad fighting.Again ,it is from the madinan suras,which ignorant Amil said are violent and intolerant part of the Quran are found, that the general rule of peace and tolerance are derived. So, where is case of abrogation in the sense of later revelation Abrogating the earlier revelation here? Ignorant Amil imani just based his argument on repeating the assumption by the orientalists and mithraist christian evangelist liars who said since jihad fighting never took place while muslims were at mecca because they were weak until when they were madina when they became strong , it means the meccan revelations of peace and tolerance were Abrogated by madinan revelations of violence and intolerance. This is weak logic unsupported by the contents of the whole Quran itself. We expect these lazy liars to identify the contents of meccan suras and madinan suras to finger out specifically where madinan suras Abrogated meccan suras,not assumptions.
b.a. freeman says
inventing our own history now, ibrahim? i guess U know better than allah, since the only information about profit muhammed and the beginnings of the cult come from the quran, the kutub alsittah, and the sira (islamic scripture). what will U be calling your new religion … that is, if pious muslims don’t find U and torture U to death first?
Joe says
You might learn how to read and write, before calling someone else “ignorant”.
kuriakose says
Great article, Amil. Thanks.
Ibrahim itace muhammed says
b. a Freeman, it is your filthy mithraist christianity which is a cult of genocide having incorporated pagan doctrines from mithraism inspired by the satan. Reputed historians on mithraist christianity like Bart Erhman and Helen Ellerbe have established that, but still you close your eyes and insist on that cult because your destiny is to enter hottest lake of hellfire burning forever together with the satan you call Holy Spirit who misleads you you. Beware!!
don vito says
itace, ” Unknown to him “Nakh (abrogation) in sura 2:106)”does’nt mean that some verses or suras of the Quran cancel or repeal others. It simply means the Quran has Abrogated some ruling in the previous scriptures to the extent that any part of the previous scriptures like Injeel and Torah that is in Conflict with the ruling in the Quran, such ruling in the previous scriptures is deemed repealed.’ Well then,﷽
2:106
ﭑﭒ ﭓ ﭔ ﭕ ﭖ ﭗ ﭘ ﭙ ﭚ ﭛ ﭜ ﭝﭞ ﭟ ﭠ ﭡ ﭢ ﭣ ﭤ ﭥ ﭦ
DR. GHALI
In no way do We abrogate any ayah (i.e. verse, sign) whatsoever or cause it to be forgotten (except that) We come up with (i.e., bring) a more charitable one or the like of it. Do you not know that Allah is Ever-Determiner over everything?
MUHSIN KHAN
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?
PICKTHALL
Nothing of our revelation (even a single verse) do we abrogate or cause be forgotten, but we bring (in place) one better or the like thereof. Knowest thou not that Allah is Able to do all things?
SAHIH INTERNATIONAL
We do not abrogate a verse or cause it to be forgotten except that We bring forth [one] better than it or similar to it. Do you not know that Allah is over all things competent?
SHAKIR
Whatever communications We abrogate or cause to be forgotten, We bring one better than it or like it. Do you not know that Allah has power over all things?
YUSUF ALI
None of Our revelations do We abrogate or cause to be forgotten, but We substitute something better or similar: Knowest thou not that Allah Hath power over all things?
MUFTI TAQI USMANI
Whenever We abrogate a verse or cause it to be forgotten, We bring one better than it or one equal to it. Do you not know that Allah is powerful over everything?
ABUL ALA MAUDUDI(WITH TAFSIR)
(2:106) For whatever verse We might abrogate or consign to oblivion, We bring a better one or the like of it.9 Are you not aware that Allah is All-Powerful?
DR. MUSTAFA KHATTAB, THE CLEAR QURAN
If We ever abrogate a verse or cause it to be forgotten, We replace it with a better or similar one. Do you not know that Allah is Most Capable of everything?” None of these authorities are quoting you itace. Brazenly lying about allahs word, hope your brothers at your mosk don’t find out you are not respecting allah. Amil Imani’s post show he knows your deen better than you. -61 itace.
Ibrahim itace muhammed says
Don Vito, note:”aya “in sura 2 106 means previous revelation not a verse of the Quran as mufassirun (commentators) of the Quran explained .see Tafsir of Tantawy on this verse 106 of sura 2.
Thank you
gravenimage says
It seems that every Muslim–pretty much all of them–who believe that the violent verses of the Qur’an abrogate the peaceful ones is just wrong, then.
Were this true, why wouldn’t Ibrahim itace muhammed be out teaching his poor misguided coreligionists how terribly, terribly wrong they are, instead of pestering the good Infidels here at Jihad Watch?
AntiIslamicman says
The book of evil