Naskh is the doctrine that Allah can replace one revealed ruling or verse with another. The main Qurʼān texts are Q 2:106 and Q 16:101.
Classical scholars accepted some form of naskh, but disagreed sharply on how many verses were affected. Modern reformists often restrict or reject broad abrogation, especially when later fighting verses are said to cancel earlier peaceful passages.
What the Qurʼān and scholars say
Two Qurʼān passages anchor the doctrine.
- Q 2:106 says Allah does not abrogate a verse or cause it to be forgotten except by bringing one better or similar.
- Q 16:101 speaks of substituting one verse in place of another.
Classical handbooks by Ibn Salāmah, al-Naḥḥās, and al-Suyūṭī discuss abrogated verses and categories such as ruling abrogated while wording remains, and wording abrogated while ruling remains.
Where the question gets more complicated
The number of abrogated verses ranges from ~5 (Shāh Walī Allāh) to ~200+ (Hibatullāh Ibn Salāmah) depending on the scholar. The most consequential category is naskh of peaceful verses by combative ones — al-Suyūṭī, for example, listed Q 9:5 as abrogating around 124 verses on tolerance and patience. Modern reformist Muslims (Mahmoud Mohamed Taha — executed in Sudan in 1985 for it; Fazlur Rahman; some Quranists) reject this kind of naskh. Classical Sunni fiqh requires it.
Two ways to understand the evidence
There are two broad ways Muslims handle naskh.
The classical doctrine view
A traditional reader may say:
Allah has the right to replace one ruling with another, and classical scholarship carefully identified cases where this happened.
This view treats naskh as a necessary part of Qurʼānic law.
The restricted-or-reformist view
Other Muslims say:
Broad abrogation can erase the Qurʼān’s ethical and peaceful passages, so naskh should be restricted or rethought.
This view is especially important when later fighting verses are said to cancel earlier verses about patience, tolerance, or no compulsion.
Sources to read
Click a source title to read it on an authoritative site (quran.com for the Qurʼān and tafsīr; sunnah.com for ḥadīth).
| Source | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Q 2:106 | The locus classicus on abrogation. |
| Q 16:101 | Companion verse on substituting one revelation for another. |
| al-Suyūṭī, al-Itqān (chapter on naskh) | Classical encyclopedic treatment with lists of abrogated verses. |
| Naskh (background) | Overview of the doctrine and the major classical and modern positions. |
| Mahmoud Mohamed Taha, The Second Message of Islam (1967) | The most prominent modern rejection of militant naskh. |
How to think about it
- Define naskh before debating it. Replacement of rulings, abrogated wording, and abrogated recitation are related but distinct.
- Notice the range of classical opinions. Scholars disagreed on the number of abrogated verses.
- Ask what broad naskh does to ethics. The debate matters most when peaceful passages are said to be cancelled by later fighting verses.
Common objections
- Isn’t abrogation normal if Allah reveals gradually?
That is the classical defense. The question is how broad the doctrine should be and which verses it affects.
- Do all Muslims accept the same list of abrogated verses?
No. Classical scholars differed widely, and modern reformists often restrict the doctrine much more.
Related questions
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