🔍 How Do Muslims Know Which Verses Were Abrogated?

Muslims do not get that knowledge from the Qur’an itself (which never explicitly says “this verse cancels that one”). Instead, they rely on:

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✅ 1. Classical Tafsir (Qur’anic Commentaries)

Major tafsir works—especially those by Ibn Kathir, Al-Tabari, Al-Suyuti, Al-Nasafi, etc.—explicitly state which verses abrogate others. These scholars use a mix of:

• Chronological order of revelation (late Medinan verses override early Meccan ones),

• Thematic contradictions (e.g., peace vs. warfare),

• Hadith reports about Muhammad changing commands,

• Legal rulings from early jurists and companions (like Ibn Abbas or Umar ibn al-Khattab).

📘 Examples:

• Ibn Kathir says Q 2:256 (“no compulsion in religion”) was abrogated by Q 9:5 (the “Sword Verse”).

• Al-Suyuti claimed that Q 9:5 abrogated 124 other verses promoting peace and tolerance.

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✅ 2. Statements from Early Scholars and Companions

Muslim scholars record opinions from the Sahaba (companions of Muhammad) and Tabi’un (their students) who directly stated that a verse was abrogated.

👤 Examples:

• Ibn Abbas (often called “the interpreter of the Qur’an”) is frequently cited saying certain rulings were abrogated.

• Umar ibn al-Khattab stated that the stoning verse for adultery existed and abrogated the public recitation of its previous ruling (Q 24:2), though the verse itself was "lost."

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✅ 3. Usul al-Fiqh (Principles of Islamic Jurisprudence)

Islamic legal theory formalized “naskh” as a recognized category, especially in Sunni madhhabs (legal schools). Scholars like:

• Al-Shafi‘i (d. 820),

• Al-Ghazali (d. 1111),

• Ibn Qudamah (Hanbali),

• And others

…included abrogation as a central principle in deducing Sharia rulings from the Qur’an.

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✅ 4. Hadith Literature

Some hadiths explicitly record that Muhammad himself said, "this command has been replaced with that one."

⚖️ Example:

• In Sahih Muslim, a hadith (no. 1731) reports that Muhammad initially forbade visiting graves, then later permitted it — a classic example of abrogation in action.

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🚨 But Here's the Problem

There is no universally agreed list of which verses abrogate which. Scholars disagree wildly:

• Some say only 5 verses were abrogated.

• Others claim over 200 verses were.

• Al-Suyuti says 124 verses of peace were abrogated by Qur’an 9:5 alone.

This means that abrogation is subjective, man-made, and conflicted, making a mockery of the Qur’an’s claim to be clear and consistent (Q 39:28).

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💥 Bottom Line

We only "know" what verses are abrogated because later scholars said so—not because Allah clearly did.

That destroys the idea of:

• A self-contained, complete Qur’an.

• Clarity and preservation of Allah’s word.

• Eternal moral truth.

Instead, it proves that the Qur’an evolved, contradicted itself, and needed human interpreters to explain which parts to cancel.