Approaching the West — Page 142
A pproaching the West—142 exchange of guidance and punishment for forgiveness. How great is their endurance of Fire. That is because All ā h has sent down the Book with the truth; and surely, they who disagree concerning the Book are gone far in enmity. (2:175-177) Abrogation of some of the Signs! Based on certain statements in the Holy Qur’ ā n, the issue of “abrogation” of some revealed verses is discusses by scholars and commentators of the Qur’ ā n. Whatever Sign We abrogate or cause to be forgotten, We bring one better than that or the like thereof… (2:107) Misunderstanding the meaning of this verse, erroneous opinion was formed as if some of the verses of the Qur’ ā n were revealed to cancel out some other verses of the Qur’ ā n. But the upholders of this opinion could not agree among themselves how many verses of the Qur’ ā n are “abrogated. ” Some commentators claimed that up to five hundred verses were abrogated, but then there were others who thought that only five verses of the Qur’ ā n were abrogated! Furthermore, it was not clear whether the abrogated verses were still kept as an integral part of the text of the Qur’ ā n or they were completely deleted from the text. If these verses were not taken out of the Qur’ ā n, then what was the need to keep them in the text? However, a careful study of the Qur’ ā n makes it clear that the “replacement” or “abrogation” of the Signs is not in reference to the revealed verses of the Qur’ ā n