A summary of the concepts held by the Ahl al-Sunnah.
Abrogation (al-naskh).
Linguistically, abrogation means to lift or remove something.
Legally, it is the lifting of a legal ruling by a subsequent ruling that replaces it.
It is understood from this definition that one must know which ruling came first and which came later.
This is necessary to distinguish the abrogating ruling from the abrogated one.
The earlier ruling is the abrogated one.
The later ruling is the abrogating one.
This is established in both the Qur'an and the Sunnah.
The evidence for this from the Qur'an is the saying of Allah the Exalted:
“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?” (2:106)
“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?” (2:106)
And His saying, the Exalted:
“And when We put a revelation in place of (another) revelation, - and Allah knoweth best what He revealeth - they say: Lo! thou art but inventing. Most of them know not.” (16:101)
“And when We put a revelation in place of (another) revelation, - and Allah knoweth best what He revealeth - they say: Lo! thou art but inventing. Most of them know not.” (16:101)
Rather, most of them do not know.
A summary of the concepts held by the Ahl al-Sunnah.