God and Islam: 3.5.Quran Abrogation

ABROGATION IN the quran

1. What is the meaning of Abrogation (or Naskh)?

BillionBibles.org explained the concept of Abrogation or Naskh as follows:

Naskh or al-naskh can be explained in simple terms to change or repeal. According to Islam Naskh is the right to change or repeal God's previously given revelations that God supposedly gave to Muhammad. Over 220 surah in the Quran are abrogated by naskh.

Muhammad justified naskh with this surah in the Quran: "We do not abrogate a surah or cause it to be forgotten except that We bring forth [one] better than it or like it. Do you not know that Allah is over all things competent?" - Quran 2:106

In reality, naskh is a convenient but dubious excuse Muhammad made up in order to cover up the myriad errors in the Quran, changes his mind, and on at least three occasions, justify his sexual appetite.

For example, Muhammad initially limited all men to each have a maximum of four wives (see picture taken from the BillionBibles.com website)

"And if you fear that you will not deal justly with the orphan girls, then marry those that please you of [other] women, two or three or four. But if you fear that you will not be just, then [marry only] one or those your right hand possesses. That is more suitable that you may not incline [to injustice]." Quran 4:3

Naskh of the passage above with the one below granted Muhammad the sole privilege to take as many wives as he wanted.

"O Prophet, indeed We have made lawful to you your wives to whom you have given their due compensation and those your right hand possesses from what Allah has returned to you [of captives] and the daughters of your paternal uncles and the daughters of your paternal aunts and the daughters of your maternal uncles and the daughters of your maternal aunts who emigrated with you and a believing woman if she gives herself to the Prophet [and] if the Prophet wishes to marry her, [this is] only for you, excluding the [other] believers. We certainly know what We have made obligatory upon them concerning their wives and those their right hands possess, [but this is for you] in order that there will be upon you no discomfort. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful." - Quran 33:50

This website concluded that this prophet is… Muhammad a False Prophet:

2. How the Quran deals with Contradictions (Abrogation)

The Quran itself admonishes against abrogation (altering of the Quran texts).

- In Surahs 6:34 (and 10:65) which state, "...There is none that can alter the words (and decrees) of Allah".

- Surah 4:82 reads, "Do they not consider the Quran? Had it been from other than Allah, they would surely have found therein many discrepancies"

Yet, the Quran also Supports Abrogation (Contradictions).

- There is a ‘law of Abrogation’ within the Quran: Surah 2:106,108: "We substitute one revelation for another..."

- Surah 17:86 reads, "If it were Our Will, We could take away that which We have sent thee by inspiration"

- Surah 16:101 reads, "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?”

- Jalalu'd-Din claimed many verses abrogated, some claims around 225 verses: Some excuse it as ‘Progressive Revelation’, but in a period of 22 years?

3. List of Abrogated Quranic verses

There are many cases of Quranic abrogation and only a limit selection is given.

1. In sura 2:142-144, we find the change of the "Qibla", the direction of prayer, from Jerusalem to Mecca.

2. The change of punishment for adulteresses: life imprisonment (according to sura 4:15) was then changed to 100 strokes by flogging (according to sura 24:2). Yet, Islamic law prescribes stoning, based on the practice of Muhammad who commanded to stone those guilty of adultery. The punishment of stoning for adultery is seen as either an example of abrogation of the Quran by the Sunna, or as an example of a verse of which the reading has been abrogated (removed from the text of the Quran) but the meaning remains in force. On the other hand, verses 4:15 and 24:2 are abrogated in meaning while the text remains in the Quran for recitation.

3. The fighting ability of victory for Muslims is also abrogated by one verse following the next....

"Prophet, rouse the faithful to arms. If there are twenty steadfast men among you, they shall vanquish two hundred; and if there are a hundred, they shall rout a thousand unbelievers, for they are devoid of understanding. God has now lightened your burden, for He knows that you are weak. If there are a hundred steadfast men among you, they shall vanquish two hundred; and if there are a thousand, they shall, by God's will, defeat two thousand. God is with those that are steadfast." - Sura 8:65,66.

4. The Sword verses: the Call to "fight and slay the pagan (idolaters) wherever you find them" (sura 9:5); or "strike off their heads in battle" (sura 47:5); or "make war on the unbeliever in Allah, until they pay tribute" (sura 9:29); or "Fight then... until the religion be all of it Allah's" (sura 8:39); or "a grievous penalty against those who reject faith" (sura 9:3). All of these contradict "There is no compulsion in religion" (sura 2:256). Note here that sura 9 was one of the last suras to be "revealed to Muhammad". Logically, it should abrogate "there is no compulsion in Islam".

5. The night prayer performed by reciting the Quran ought to be half the time of the night (Sura 73:2). This was changed to as much as may be easy for you (verse 20).

4. More Examples of Abrogation’s (Contradictions) in the Quran

(Referring to lectures by Dr. Jay Smith; The Qur’an’s internal problems - Assessing the Internal Difficulties with the Qur’an, 2020)

· If the words of Allah cannot be changed (S. 6:34,115; 10:6), then how does Allah ‘substitute one revelation for another’ (S. 2:106, 16:101)?

· Does Allah's day equal to 1,000 human years (S. 22:47, 32:5) or 50,000 human years (S. 70:4)?

· Was the earth created in 6 days (S. 7:54; 25:59) or 8 days (S. 41:9-12)?

· Does the angel Gabriel bring the revelation from Allah to Muhammad (S. 2:97), or is it the Holy Spirit (S. 16:102)?

· If the Bible is considered authoritative (S. 4:136; 5:47-52,68; 10:95; 21:7; 29:46), then why is so much of it contradicted by the Quran (S. 5:73-75,116; 19:7; 28:9, etc...)?

· Is the punishment for an adulteress life imprisonment (S. 4:15) or 100 floggings (S. 24:2)?

· Why is it that Homosexuals are let off if they repent (S. 4:16), though the same allowance is not given for heterosexuals (S. 24:2; 4:15).

· Did Abraham confront his people and smash their idols (S. 21:51-59), or did he not, and leave the area after confronting them (S. 19:41-49, 6:74-83)?

· Were there 9 plagues, or signs (S. 17:101), or only 5 (S. 7:133)?

· Did Jesus not die (S. 4:157) or did he die, and rise again (S. 19:33, 3:55, 5:117)? [note: refer to Surah 19:15, which repeats the same words in 19:33 for Yahya]

· Could Allah have a son? Surah 39:4 says he could if he wished it, yet (Surah 6:101) denies it

· If the Quran is in pure Arabic (Surahs 12:2; 13:37; 16:103; 41:41,44) then why are there numerous foreign words in it (i.e., Egyptian, Acadian, Assyrian, Aramaic, Persian, Syriac, Hebrew, Greek, and Ethiopian)?

· If the Quran is in "clear Arabic," (S.16:103) and "men of understanding do grasp it," (S.3:7) then why can "none knows its interpretation, save only Allah’ (S.3:7)?

· In (S.30:2; 16:49-50) everything is devoutly obedient to Allah, yet what about the proud disobedience of Satan (S.7:11, 15:28-31, 17:61, 20:116, 38:71-74, 18:50)?

· Allah stipulates that those who break an oath do so on forfeit of their soul (S.48:10; 6:91-92), yet permits Muhammad to break an oath (S.66:1-2)

· Sometimes Allah allows the greatest of all sins, shirk to be forgiven (S.4:153, 25:68-71), while at other times it is unforgivable (S.4:48, 116)

· How many wings do angels have: 2, 3, or 4 pairs (S.35:1), and why does Gabriel have 600 wings (Sahih Bukhari, Volume 4, Book 54, Number 455)?

· Did the Israelites repent about making and worshiping the golden calf before Moses returned from the mountain (S.7:148-150), or after Moses came back (S.20:91)?

· Were there several angels (S.3:42-45) announcing the birth of Jesus to Mary, or only one (S.19:17-21; 3:47)?

· If wine is Satan's handiwork. (S. 5:90; 2:219); yet there are rivers of wine in paradise (S.47:15; 83:25), then how does Satan's handiwork get into Paradise?

5. What is the history of the law of Abrogation

in Islam?

A Post, found in a Facebook Post from ... I am an Ex-Muslim, explained another side of the issue at hand (Referring to the book "Islam and the Jews" by Mark Gabriel, who earned a doctorate degree in Islamic history and culture from Al-Azhar University in Egypt.)

The reason why the Quran was filled with such contradictions is...because about halfway through his time of leadership in Islam, Muhammad had a significant change of attitude. The Law of Abrogation means that the later (more violent) verses of the Quran cancel out the earlier more tolerant verses. Have you ever wondered why there are pleasant verses, but also violent verses? This created the scores of contradictions we see today in the Quran.

For example: Muhammad is kind to the Jews and Christians for a start (Pleasant verses)

Quran 2:47 "O Children of Israel! Remember My Favour which I bestowed upon you and that I preferred you to the Alamin (mankind and jinn)"

Other pleasant verses are Surah 28:4-6; 5:20; 2:62; 5:44.

These verse were first written in Mecca and his first year in Medina. He was trying to make Islam attractive to the Jews and Christians so they would accept him as a prophet and join his religion. He presented stories from the Bible as part of his strategy to win over the Jews and Christians. However, the Jews did not respond in the way he had hoped. When Muhammad’s teachings contradicted their own Scriptures, the Jews began to mock Muhammad and ask for a miracle. As he couldn't perform any, he covered his embarrassment by conveniently getting a 'revelation'. Surah 29:50-51 and 20:133 tell the story!

So now we see the 'revelations' of Muhammad turning nasty and his hatred surfacing. He took every opportunity to curse them.

Quran 4:46 "Allah has cursed them for their disbelief, so they believe not except for a few"

Some more aggressive verses: Surah 5:78 (compare 2:47); 5:82; 2:120; 7:166; 5:60; 2:65; 5:64; 9:30; 2:96 Muhammad wanted to see Jews turn into monkeys apparently!'

Now Muhammad starts to elevate his religion above all others and demands Islam to act more superior. Surah 3:85 (compare 2:62)

Then come the allegations (in the form of new revelations) the Jews had corrupted the Torah (Taurat) Surah 2:75; 5:13. This was so Muslims would have an answer why Muhammad wasn't mentioned in the Bible and why there were contradictions between the Quran and the Bible. The Qurans statements about the Jews became increasingly aggressive and hostile.

This is called the Law of Abrogation - the later (more violent) verses of the Quran cancel out the earlier more tolerant verses.

Today many Muslims do not know this history. The decent tolerant Muslims tend to follow and focus on the earlier verses and the radical, militant Muslims the latter, violent verses.

So, who is following Islam more accurately? As the latter verses cancel out the former ones - by the law of abrogation - it is the radical and violent Muslims who are!

6. A last Question to rethink about Abrogation:

Muslims claim the The Endless Love of Jesus Ministries: Quran is eternal and uncreated, unchanged. So how could it be uncreated if abrogation is part of the doctrine? Wouldn't Allah have brought a finished Quran without Abrogation? The Quran was revealed to Muhammad and was abrogated during his lifetime. So, Allah changed his thoughts within at most just a few years.

So indeed, the eternal Quran cannot exist. God would not change his mind just like that and not negotiate about prayers, or not know that the Quran had to come in 7 dialects etc. etc. The Quran does not come from God. Satan yes, God no! Let us pray for them that Christ Jesus opens their eyes and fills them with His precious Holy Spirit to be born again and saved from Hell.

7. bUT WHY DOES THE QURAN CONTAIN THOSE ERRORS?

The Standard Islamic Narrative agrees that Muhammad was illiterate and therefore could not read the Bible for himself. He had only a vague and often incorrect knowledge of the Bible (see Bible vs. Quran) from what others told and read to him.

That alone can be the reason why the end result - the Quran - contain those errors.

Or is the ultimate reason that Muhammad was a false prophet who confessed to mistake the voice of Satan as God's and who tried to cover up these and other embarrassing errors with Abrogation or Naskh.

Moreover, didn’t Muhammad himself confessed to be a false prophet - "I have fabricated things against Allah and have imputed to him words which he has not spoken." (Al Tabari, The History of Al-Tabari, vol. 6, p.111) - who even admitted to having mistaken the words of "Satan" (Ibn Ishaq, Sirat Rasul Allah, pp.165-166) as Allah's.