Surah Al Baqarah Tafseer

The Meaning of Naskh

Ayah says;

مَا نَنسَخْ مِنْ ايَةٍ أَوْ نُنسِهَا نَأْتِ بِخَيْرٍ مِّنْهَا أَوْ مِثْلِهَا

Whatever a verse (revelation) do Nansakh (We abrogate) or Nunsiha (cause to be forgotten), We bring a better one or similar to it.

Ibn Abi Talhah said that Ibn Abbas said that,

مَا نَنسَخْ مِنْ ايَةٍ

(Whatever a verse (revelation) do Nansakh) means,

"Whatever an Ayah We abrogate."

Also, Ibn Jurayj said that Mujahid said that,

مَا نَنسَخْ مِنْ ايَةٍ

(Whatever a verse (revelation) do Nansakh) means,

"Whatever an Ayah We erase."

Also, Ibn Abi Najih said that Mujahid said that,

مَا نَنسَخْ مِنْ ايَةٍ

(Whatever a verse (revelation) do Nansakh) means,

"We keep the words, but change the meaning."

He related these words to the companions of Abdullah bin Mas`ud.

Ibn Abi Hatim said that similar statements were mentioned by Abu Al-Aliyah and Muhammad bin Ka`b Al-Qurazi.

Also As-Suddi said that,

مَا نَنسَخْ مِنْ ايَةٍ

(Whatever a verse (revelation) do Nansakh) means,

"We erase it."

Further, Ibn Abi Hatim said that it means,

"Erase and raise it, such as erasing the following wordings (from the Qur'an), `The married adulterer and the married adulteress:stone them to death,' and, `If the son of Adam had two valleys of gold, he would seek a third."'

Ibn Jarir stated that,

مَا نَنسَخْ مِنْ ايَةٍ

(Whatever a verse (revelation) do Nansakh) means,

"Whatever ruling we repeal in an Ayah by making the allowed unlawful and the unlawful allowed."

The Nasakh only occurs with commandments, prohibitions, permissions, and so forth.

As for stories, they do not undergo Nasakh.

The word, `Nasakh' literally means, `to copy a book'.

The meaning of Nasakh in the case of commandments is removing the commandment and replacing it by another. And whether the Nasakh involves the wordings, the ruling or both, it is still called Nasakh.

Allah said next,

أَوْ نُنسِهَا

or Nunsiha (cause it to be forgotten).

Ali bin Abi Talhah said that Ibn Abbas said that,

مَا نَنسَخْ مِنْ ايَةٍ أَوْ نُنسِهَا

(Whatever a verse (revelation) do Nansakh or Nunsiha) means,

"Whatever Ayah We repeal or uphold without change."

Also, Mujahid said that the companions of Ibn Mas`ud (who read this word Nansa'ha) said that it means,

"We uphold its wording and change its ruling."

Further, Ubayd bin Umayr, Mujahid and Ata said, `Nansa'ha' means,

"We delay it (i.e., do not abrogate it)."

Further, Atiyah Al-Awfi said that the Ayah means,

"We delay repealing it."

This is the same Tafsir provided by As-Suddi and Ar-Rabi bin Anas.

Abdur-Razzaq said that Ma`mar said that Qatadah said about Allah's statement,

مَا نَنسَخْ مِنْ ايَةٍ أَوْ نُنسِهَا

(Whatever a verse (revelation) do We abrogate or cause to be forgotten),

"Allah made His Prophet forget what He willed and He abrogated what He will."

Allah's said,

نَأْتِ بِخَيْرٍ مِّنْهَا أَوْ مِثْلِهَا

We bring a better one or similar to it,

better, relates to the benefit provided for the one it addresses,

as reported from Ali bin Abi Talhah that Ibn Abbas said,

نَأْتِ بِخَيْرٍ مِّنْهَا

(We bring a better one) means,

"We bring forth a more beneficial ruling, that is also easier for you."

Also, As-Suddi said that,

نَأْتِ بِخَيْرٍ مِّنْهَا أَوْ مِثْلِهَا

(We bring a better one or similar to it) means,

"We bring forth a better Ayah, or similar to that which was repealed."

Qatadah also said that,

نَأْتِ بِخَيْرٍ مِّنْهَا أَوْ مِثْلِهَا

(We bring a better one or similar to it) means,

"We replace it by an Ayah more facilitating, permitting, commanding, or prohibiting."

Naskh occurs even though the Jews deny it

Allah said,

أَلَمْ تَعْلَمْ أَنَّ اللّهَ عَلَىَ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ

أَلَمْ تَعْلَمْ أَنَّ اللّهَ لَهُ مُلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالَارْضِ

وَمَا لَكُم مِّن دُونِ اللّهِ مِن وَلِيٍّ وَلَا نَصِيرٍ