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 Post subject: Did 73:20 abrogate 73:1-4?
PostPosted: 05 Jan 2010, 13:25 
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Your example, Pragmatic, of the fifty prayers is spot on.

Another example of easing of requirements is in Chapter 73,

In that verse, the worship practice of the prophet, peace be upon him, and many of his followers is eased by God. God has required that level of worship from the prophet initially,


So, is that an example of abrogation? It has merit, because in 73:20 God uses the words علم أن لن تحصوه فتاب عليكم (He knew you couldn't do it so He eased the requirement on you). We don't know in this case if the reward for praying most of the night is given also to those who pray a brief portion of it. What do you think?

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 Post subject: Re: Did 73:20 abrogate 73:1-4?
PostPosted: 06 Jan 2010, 04:56 
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Linguistic wrote:
So, is that an example of abrogation? It has merit, because in 73:20 God uses the words علم أن لن تحصوه فتاب عليكم (He knew you couldn't do it so He eased the requirement on you). We don't know in this case if the reward for praying most of the night is given also to those who pray a brief portion of it. What do you think?

IMHO, the question of abrogation when it applies to a command that is particular to the Prophet PBUH and his companions is moot. You can call it abrogation, or you can call it history. The crux of the matter is that even if the command was not 'abrogated' it does not apply to us. Quran was dynamic only during the time of the Prophet PBUH, but it is static since then.

The question that is crucial is whether a verse that has a specific ruling whose language applies to us, is no longer valid by reason of abrogation.

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 Post subject: Re: Did 73:20 abrogate 73:1-4?
PostPosted: 06 Jan 2010, 05:12 
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Pragmatic wrote:
IMHO, the question of abrogation when it applies to a command that is particular to the Prophet PBUH and his companions is moot. You can call it abrogation, or you can call it history. The crux of the matter is that even if the command was not 'abrogated' it does not apply to us. Quran was dynamic only during the time of the Prophet PBUH, but it is static since then.

The question that is crucial is whether a verse that has a specific ruling whose language applies to us, is no longer valid by reason of abrogation.

Hadn't thought of that, but are you saying that 73:20 addresses the early Muslims only? I doubt that because its injunctions are quite general in scope and apply to today's Muslims as well, such as traveling through the land seeking business.

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 Post subject: Re: Did 73:20 abrogate 73:1-4?
PostPosted: 06 Jan 2010, 05:32 
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Linguistic wrote:
Hadn't thought of that, but are you saying that 73:20 addresses the early Muslims only? I doubt that because its injunctions are quite general in scope and apply to today's Muslims as well, such as traveling through the land seeking business.

Yes, I believe that 73:20 addresses the early Muslims only, because the opening of the verse leaves no doubt about who is the subject of the verse. The fact that the companions were asked to do activities that others also would do, in and of itself, would not contradict that the companions were exclusively the addressees in this particular verse.

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 Post subject: Did 73:20 abrogate 73:1-4?
PostPosted: 06 Jan 2010, 07:11 
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I researched this to find out where the possible abrogation was, and now I understand it. Basically, verse 73:20, which came about a year after the first verses 73:1-4, relieved the Prophet (PBUH) from the obligation to stay up for a good part of the night to pray, which had been mandated to him in the first verses. In the intervening year, that obligation had taken quite a toll on the Prophet and on those of his companions who followed suit (despite the original command being directed singly at the Prophet).

The abrogation case, and its counterargument, are somewhat similar to the ones used for verses 33:50 and 33:52 which were discussed earlier. The command in 73:1-4 is singly for the Prophet (PBUH), hence it does not apply to anyone alive today. As far as we are concerned, the verses are telling us about the history of the Prophet, and how he endured initiation hardships as part of his grooming for the task ahead, then was relieved of these hardships after the benefit was achieved. It shows us an example of the recurring theme where obedience, not suffering, is the goal of God's commands. When obedience is securely in place, God's mercy comes with the relief.

Similar to 33:50 and 33:52, there is no contradiction between 73:1-4 and 73:20 that needs to be resolved by invoking abrogation, since the verses collectively mandate the following consistent rule "the Prophet (PBUH) is obliged to stay up praying for a good part of the night during the period between the two revelations of these verses."

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 Post subject: Who said what
PostPosted: 22 Jan 2010, 18:23 
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For:
Ibn Abbaas,
Qataada,
`Aa'isha (in one report),
Al-Hasan Al-Basri and Ibn Seereen: They said it's the length of the required night prayer that was abrogated, but not the mandate.
Ash-Shaafi`i,
Ibn Al`Arabi,
Al-Fakhr Ar-Raazi (implied by one report),
An-Nahhaas,
Ibn Khuzayma,
Makki,
Ibn Salaama,
Ibn Al-Jawzi,
Abu-Abdillah Shu`la (implied),
An-Nasfi: He also said that the five prayers abrogated 73:20,
Ibn Al-Baarizi,
Aş-Şa`di,
Az-Zurqaani,
As-Suyooti,
Shah Waliullah Dehlvi,
Muhammad Al-Khudhari (Bek) (implied),
As-Saayis (quoted by Nada, from his book تفسير آيات الأحكام, page 116),
Dr. Mustafa Zayd,
Ali Hasan Al-Areedh,
Abdul-Qaahir Al-Baghdaadi and Dr. Hilmi Abdul-Haadi (according to Haani Taahir).

Against:
`Aa'isha (in another report),
Ka'b Al-Ahbar and Al-Suddi (according to Burton),
Al-Hasan Al-Basri and Ibn Seereen: They maintain that night prayer remains a mandate but the length of it was reduced.
Al-Asfahaani,
Ibn Katheer (implied),
Ar-Raazi (implied by another report),
Jamaal-ud-Deen Al-Qaasimi (in his exegesis محاسن التأويل, according to Haani Taahir),
Az-Zurqaani (quoted bu Nada from his book مناهل العرفان, volume 2, page 165),
Muhammad Al-Khudhari (Bek) (according to Jamaal `Ataaya and quoted by Nada),
Muhammad Al-Ghazali,
M. M. Nada,
Dr. Az-Zalmi (who said it's a case of license after resolution),
Husaam Al-Ghaali,
Dr. Muhammad Saalih Ali Mustafa,
Dr. N.A. Tantaawi,
Ihab Hasan Abduh,
Dr. Ali Jum`a,
Haani Taahir,
Jamaal `Ataaya.

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 Post subject: Re: Did 73:20 abrogate 73:1-4?
PostPosted: 29 Jan 2010, 11:44 
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It just occurred to me that the reasoning in


confirms the wisdom of having different requirements on the Prophet (PBUH) revealed in the Quran at different times, in order to match his spiritual needs at the time. The verses 73:1-4 and 73:20 are a case in point.

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 Post subject: Re: Did 73:20 abrogate 73:1-4?
PostPosted: 29 Jan 2010, 16:39 
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Pragmatic wrote:
It just occurred to me that the reasoning in 25:32 confirms the wisdom of having different requirements on the Prophet (PBUH) revealed in the Quran at different times, in order to match his spiritual needs at the time. The verses 73:1-4 and 73:20 are a case in point.

Great point. Many claims of abrogation are failure to understand the gradual nature of rulings during the life of the prophet, peace be upon him. Rulings got augmented, explained and specified as events unfolded in order to be well understood by Muslims. That's not abrogation. Abrogation is when rulings are rescinded, reversed or replaced. The only true example of abrogation I can think of is that the Quran abrogated the Torah, which the consensus of scholars stated was the circumstances of revelation of 2:106.

What's your take on this example from the Sunna? The prophet (PBUH) said, "I had prohibited you from visiting graves. Go ahead and visit them for they remind you of death." The initial prohibition was because people were still used to pre-Islamic customs of wailing at graves and such. When they adopted Islamic teachings about etiquette at grave sites, the initial command was no longer necessary and that's why it was reversed. It wasn't that the prophet (PBUH) thought it wasn't a good idea initially and now he saw it differently. He was inspired in both situations.

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 Post subject: Re: Did 73:20 abrogate 73:1-4?
PostPosted: 29 Jan 2010, 19:08 
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Linguistic wrote:
What's your take on this example from the Sunna? The prophet (PBUH) said, "I had prohibited you from visiting graves. Go ahead and visit them for they remind you of death." The initial prohibition was because people were still used to pre-Islamic customs of wailing at graves and such. When they adopted Islamic teachings about etiquette at grave sites, the initial command was no longer necessary and that's why it was reversed. It wasn't that the prophet (PBUH) thought it wasn't a good idea initially and now he saw it differently. He was inspired in both situations.

Somehow, the change in Sunna doesn't bother me ideologically. I cannot quite pinpoint why it doesn't, but I think I am not alone in this view. If 2:106 was never revealed, I believe people would have accepted the graves rules you mention without difficulty. Only when people wanted to substantiate the Quranic abrogation doctrine that the Sunna cases became notable.

For the record, I fully believe in the Sunna as an integral part of the religion. Nonetheless, the Sunna is not the Quran. In this project, we are only addressing abrogated verses in the Quran, and we have to be extra careful not to drag the argument into the Quran versus Sunna debate.

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 Post subject: Re: Did 73:20 abrogate 73:1-4?
PostPosted: 30 Jan 2010, 18:12 
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Pragmatic wrote:
In this project, we are only addressing abrogated verses in the Quran, and we have to be extra careful not to drag the argument into the Quran versus Sunna debate.

I support that. What I meant was: do you see this as an example of abrogation, or as an example of one contingent command ending and another starting? In other words, if a command is given for a reason, and then the reason goes away and the command is reversed or rescinded, is that abrogation? Personally, I say it's not, because, to me, abrogation is altering a command while its reasons are still there.

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