Tabari (1 passage)

1. Full Dutch translation of Tabari's text

   The explanation of the saying of the Exalted: مَا نَنْسَخ مِنْ آيَة (Whatever verse We abrogate).

   He — exalted be His praise — means by His words مَا نَنْسَخ مِنْ آيَة (Whatever verse We abrogate) [the transition] to something else, so that We replace and change it. That entails that the permitted (ḥalāl) is made forbidden (ḥarām) and the forbidden permitted, and the lawful into something prohibited and the prohibited into something lawful. And this can occur only with regard to command and prohibition, with prohibition and dispensation, with restriction and permission. As for the reports (al-akhbār), within them there can be no abrogating (nāsikh) nor abrogated (mansūkh) element.

   The origin of the word nasḫ (abrogation) comes from "nasḫ al-kitāb" (the copying of a writing), namely the transferring of it from one copy to another, different from the first. So likewise is the meaning of the abrogating of a ruling to something else: it is merely the transposing of it and the transferring of the wording thereof to something else.

   Now when this is the meaning of the abrogating of a verse, then it makes no difference — when its ruling has been abrogated, its obligation changed and replaced, and the obligation resting upon the servants that had been imposed upon them thereby has been shifted — whether its writing remains confirmed and is preserved, or whether its trace has been effaced, so that it is remitted and forgotten; for it is then abrogated (mansūkh) in both cases. And the newly introduced ruling, by which the first ruling is replaced and to which the obligation of the servants has been shifted, is the abrogating one (nāsikh). One says of that: "Allah abrogated (nasakha) such-and-such verse, He abrogates it (yansakhu), abrogation (nasḫan)," and al-nusḫa is the noun.

   And in accordance with what we have said about this, al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī used to speak.

   1448 — Sawwār ibn ʿAbdallāh al-ʿAnbarī related to us, saying: Khālid ibn al-Ḥārith related to us, saying: ʿAwf related to us, on the authority of al-Ḥasan, that he said concerning His words مَا نَنْسَخ مِنْ آيَة أَوْ نُنْسِهَا نَأْتِ بِخَيْرِ مِنْهَا (Whatever verse We abrogate or cause to be forgotten, We bring something better than it): "A Qurʾān[-text] was recited to your Prophet ﷺ, and then he forgot it, so that it was nothing anymore. And among the Qurʾān is that which has already been abrogated, while you nevertheless [still] recite it."

   The commentators differed concerning the explanation of His words مَا نَنْسَخ (Whatever We abrogate). Some of them said, as in:

   1449 — Mūsā ibn Hārūn related it to me, saying: ʿAmr ibn ʿAmmār related to us, saying: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī: مَا نَنْسَخ مِنْ آيَة (Whatever verse We abrogate) — as for the abrogating of it, that is the removing of it.

   And others said, as in:

   1450 — Al-Muthannā related it to me, saying: ʿAbdallāh ibn Ṣāliḥ related to us, saying: Muʿāwiya ibn Ṣāliḥ related to me, on the authority of ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭalḥa, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, [concerning] His words مَا نَنْسَخ مِنْ آيَة (Whatever verse We abrogate), he says: whatever verse We replace.

   And others said, as in:

   1451 — Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, saying: ʿĪsā related to us, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of the disciples of ʿAbdallāh ibn Masʿūd, that they said: مَا نَنْسَخ مِنْ آيَة (Whatever verse We abrogate) — We confirm its writing and replace its ruling.

   * And al-Muthannā related to me, saying: Abū Ḥudhayfa related to us, saying: Shibl related to us, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid: مَا نَنْسَخ مِنْ آيَة (Whatever verse We abrogate) — We confirm its writing and replace its ruling; it was related to me on the authority of the disciples of Ibn Masʿūd.

   * Al-Muthannā related to me, saying: Isḥāq related to us, saying: Bakr ibn Shawdhab related to me, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, on the authority of the disciples of Ibn Masʿūd: مَا نَنْسَخ مِنْ آيَة (Whatever verse We abrogate) — We confirm its writing.

   ## أَوْ نُنْسِهَا (Or cause to be forgotten)

   The explanation of the saying of the Exalted: أَوْ نُنْسِهَا (Or cause to be forgotten).

   The recitations differed over this saying. The reciters of Medina and Kūfa read it: أَوْ نُنْسِهَا (or cause to be forgotten). And for the recitation of him who read it thus there are two possible interpretations. The first of them is that the explanation is: "Whatever, O Muḥammad, We abrogate of a verse, so that We change its ruling, or cause to be forgotten." And it has already been mentioned that in the muṣḥaf of ʿAbdallāh it stands as: مَا نُنْسِك مِنْ آيَة أَوْ نَنْسَخهَا نَجِئْ بِمِثْلِهَا (Whatever verse We cause you to forget or abrogate, We bring something like it). That, then, is the interpretation of forgetting (al-nisyān). And with this interpretation a group of the commentators spoke.

   Mention of who said that:

   1452 — Bishr ibn Muʿādh related to us, saying: Yazīd ibn Zurayʿ related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, [concerning] His words مَا نَنْسَخ مِنْ آيَة أَوْ نُنْسِهَا نَأْتِ بِخَيْرِ مِنْهَا أَوْ مِثْلهَا (Whatever verse We abrogate or cause to be forgotten, We bring something better than it or something like it): He used to abrogate the one verse by the verse after it, and the Prophet of Allah ﷺ used to recite the verse — or more than that — and then it was caused to be forgotten and removed.

   * Al-Ḥasan ibn Yaḥyā related to us, saying: ʿAbd al-Razzāq informed us, saying: Maʿmar informed us, on the authority of Qatāda concerning His words مَا نَنْسَخ مِنْ آيَة أَوْ نُنْسِهَا (Whatever verse We abrogate or cause to be forgotten), he said: Allah — exalted be His remembrance — used to cause His Prophet ﷺ to forget what He willed and to abrogate what He willed.

   1453 — Al-Muthannā related to me, saying: Abū Ḥudhayfa related to us, saying: Shibl related to us, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, he said: ʿUbayd ibn ʿUmayr used to say: نُنْسِهَا (We cause it to be forgotten) — We remove it from you.

   1454 — Sawwār ibn ʿAbdallāh related to us, saying: Khālid ibn al-Ḥārith related to us, saying: ʿAwf related to us, on the authority of al-Ḥasan, that he said concerning His words أَوْ نُنْسِهَا (Or cause to be forgotten): "A Qurʾān[-text] was recited to your Prophet ﷺ, and then he forgot it."

   And in the same manner Saʿd ibn Abī Waqqāṣ used to explain the verse, except that he read it: أَوْ تَنْسَهَا (or you forget it), in the sense of an address to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, as if he meant: "or you forget it, O Muḥammad."

   Mention of the reports about this:

   1455 — Yaʿqūb ibn Ibrāhīm related to me, saying: Hushaym related to us, saying: Yaʿlā ibn ʿAṭāʾ informed us, on the authority of al-Qāsim, he said: I heard Saʿd ibn Abī Waqqāṣ say: مَا نَنْسَخ مِنْ آيَة أَوْ تَنْسَهَا (Whatever verse We abrogate or you forget it). I said to him: "Saʿīd ibn al-Musayyib reads it: أَوْ تَنْسَهَا." He said: Then Saʿd said: "Verily, the Qurʾān was not sent down upon al-Musayyib nor upon the family of al-Musayyib. Allah has said: سَنُقْرِئُك فَلَا تَنْسَى (We shall make you recite, and you will not forget) (87:6) [and] وَاذْكُرْ رَبّك إذَا نَسِيت (And remember your Lord when you forget) (18:24)."

   * Al-Ḥasan ibn Yaḥyā related to us, saying: ʿAbd al-Razzāq informed us, saying: Hushaym informed us, saying: Yaʿlā ibn ʿAṭāʾ related to us, saying: Al-Qāsim ibn Rabīʿa ibn Qānif al-Thaqafī related to us, saying: I heard Ibn Abī Waqqāṣ mention something similar.

   * Muḥammad ibn al-Muthannā and Ādam al-ʿAsqalānī related to us, both together, on the authority of Shuʿba, on the authority of Yaʿlā ibn ʿAṭāʾ, he said: I heard al-Qāsim ibn Rabīʿa al-Thaqafī say: I said to Saʿd ibn Abī Waqqāṣ: "Verily, I have heard Ibn al-Musayyib read: مَا نَنْسَخ مِنْ آيَة أَوْ تَنْسَهَا (Whatever verse We abrogate or you forget it)." Then Saʿd said: "Verily, Allah did not send down the Qurʾān upon al-Musayyib nor upon his son. It is only: مَا نَنْسَخ مِنْ آيَة أَوْ تَنْسَهَا (Whatever verse We abrogate or you forget it), O Muḥammad." Then he recited: سَنُقْرِئُك فَلَا تَنْسَى (We shall make you recite, and you will not forget) (87:6) [and] وَاذْكُرْ رَبّك إذَا نَسِيت (And remember your Lord when you forget) (18:24).

   1456 — Al-Muthannā related to me, saying: Isḥāq related to us, saying: Ibn Abī Jaʿfar related to us, on the authority of his father, on the authority of al-Rabīʿ concerning His words مَا نَنْسَخ مِنْ آيَة أَوْ نُنْسِهَا (Whatever verse We abrogate or cause to be forgotten), he says: نُنْسِهَا (We cause it to be forgotten): We remove it; and Allah — blessed and exalted is He — had sent down matters from the Qurʾān and then removed them.

   And the other of the two [interpretations] is that it has the meaning of leaving/abandoning (al-tark), according to the word of Allah — exalted be His praise —: نَسُوا اللَّه فَنَسِيَهُمْ (They forgot Allah, so He forgot them) (9:67), by which He means: they abandoned Allah, so He abandoned them. Then the explanation of the verse according to this interpretation is: "Whatever verse We abrogate, so that We change its ruling and replace its obligation, We bring something that is better than that which We have abrogated, or something that is like it." And according to this interpretation a group of the commentators explained it.

   Mention of who said that:

   1457 — Al-Muthannā related to me, saying: ʿAbdallāh ibn Ṣāliḥ related to us, saying: Muʿāwiya related to me, on the authority of ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭalḥa, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās concerning His words أَوْ نُنْسِهَا (Or cause to be forgotten), he says: or We leave it without replacing it.

   1458 — Mūsā related to me, saying: ʿAmr related to us, saying: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī, [concerning] His words أَوْ نُنْسِهَا (Or cause to be forgotten): We leave it without abrogating it.

   1459 — Abū Kurayb related to us, saying: Hushaym related to us, saying: Juwaybir informed us, on the authority of al-Ḍaḥḥāk concerning His words مَا نَنْسَخ مِنْ آيَة أَوْ نُنْسِهَا (Whatever verse We abrogate or cause to be forgotten), he said: The abrogating and the abrogated.

   He said: And ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Zayd used to say concerning this what:

   1460 — Yūnus ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related it to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said concerning His words نُنْسِهَا (We cause it to be forgotten): We efface it.

   And others read it: أَوْ نَنْسَأهَا (or We defer it), with a fatḥa on the nūn and a hamza after the sīn, in the sense of "We defer it," derived from your expression: "I deferred this matter (nasaʾtu), I defer it (ansaʾuhu), deferment (nasʾan and nasāʾan)" when you defer it. And it is derived from their expression: "I sold it bi-nasāʾ," that is: with deferment [of payment]. And to this belongs the saying of Ṭarafa ibn al-ʿAbd:

   > By your life, verily death, so long as it defers the youth (mā ansaʾa l-fatā), > is like a slackened rein whose two ends are held in the hand.

   By his expression ansaʾa he means: it deferred.

   And among those who read it thus is a group of the Companions (ṣaḥāba) and the Successors (tābiʿūn), and it was read thus by a group of the reciters of Kūfa and of Baṣra, and it was explained thus by a group of the commentators.

   Mention of who said that:

   1461 — Abū Kurayb and Yaʿqūb ibn Ibrāhīm related to us, they said: Hushaym related to us, saying: ʿAbd al-Malik informed us, on the authority of ʿAṭāʾ concerning His words مَا نَنْسَخ مِنْ آيَة أَوْ نَنْسَأهَا (Whatever verse We abrogate or defer), he said: We defer it.

   1462 — Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to us, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, saying: ʿĪsā related to us, saying: I heard Ibn Abī Najīḥ say concerning the word of Allah أَوْ نَنْسَأهَا (Or defer), he said: We postpone it.

   1463 — Al-Muthannā related to me, saying: Abū Ḥudhayfa related to us, saying: Shibl related to us, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid: أَوْ نَنْسَأهَا (Or defer) — We postpone it and defer it.

   1464 — Aḥmad ibn Isḥāq al-Ahwāzī related to us, saying: Abū Aḥmad al-Zubayrī related to us, saying: Fuḍayl related to us, on the authority of ʿAṭiyya: أَوْ نَنْسَأهَا (Or defer), he said: We defer it without abrogating it.

   1465 — Al-Qāsim related to us, saying: al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Ḥajjāj related to me, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, he said: ʿAbdallāh ibn Kathīr informed me, on the authority of ʿUbayd al-Azdī, on the authority of ʿUbayd ibn ʿUmayr: أَوْ نَنْسَأهَا (Or defer) — the postponing and the deferring of it. Thus al-Qāsim related to us, on the authority of ʿAbdallāh ibn Kathīr, on the authority of ʿUbayd al-Azdī. But it is in reality on the authority of ʿAlī al-Azdī.

   * Aḥmad ibn Yūsuf related to me, saying: al-Qāsim ibn Sallām related to us, saying: Ḥajjāj related to us, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, on the authority of ʿAbdallāh ibn Kathīr, on the authority of ʿAlī al-Azdī, on the authority of ʿUbayd ibn ʿUmayr, that he read it: نَنْسَأهَا (We defer it).

   He said: The explanation of him who read it thus is therefore: "Whatever verse We replace that We have sent down to you, O Muḥammad, so that We invalidate its ruling but confirm its writing, or We defer it so that We postpone it and leave it standing, so that We do not change it and do not invalidate its ruling — We bring something that is better than it or something that is like it."

   And some of them read it: مَا نَنْسَخ مِنْ آيَة أَوْ تَنْسَهَا (Whatever verse We abrogate or you forget it). And the explanation of this recitation is equal to the explanation of the recitation of him who read أَوْ نُنْسِهَا, except that the meaning of أَوْ نُنْسِهَا here is: "you, O Muḥammad."

   And some of them read: مَا نُنْسِخ مِنْ آيَة (Whatever verse We cause you to abrogate), with a ḍamma on the nūn and a kasra on the sīn, in the sense: "Whatever, O Muḥammad, We cause you to abrogate of a verse," derived from ansakhtuka (I caused you to abrogate), so that fa-anā ansakhuka. That, however, according to us is an error in the recitation, because it deviates from that for which the proof has been established from the recitation via widespread transmission. And likewise is the recitation of him who read تُنْسَهَا or تُنْسَهَا [erroneous], because of its anomaly and its deviation from the recitation for which the proof has been established by the reciters of the community.

   And the most correct of the recitations in His words أَوْ نُنْسِهَا is that of him who read: أَوْ نُنْسِهَا in the sense "We leave it"; for Allah — exalted be His praise — has informed His Prophet ﷺ that, whenever He replaces or changes any ruling, or does not replace it and does not change it, He brings something that is better than it or something that is like it. And what is most fitting to the verse — since that is its meaning — is that, when He puts first the report about what He does if He changes and replaces the ruling of a verse, He follows that with the report about what He does if He does not replace it and does not change it. The report that must therefore follow upon His words مَا نَنْسَخ مِنْ آيَة (Whatever verse We abrogate) is His saying: "or We leave off abrogating it," since that is what is known and current in the speech of the people.

   In addition to this, when it is read thus in the meaning that I have described, it encompasses [both] the meaning of causing-to-forget (al-insāʾ), which has the meaning of leaving (al-tark), [and] the meaning of deferring (al-nasāʾ), which has the meaning of postponing (al-taʾkhīr) — since everything that is left, is in a certain sense also deferred, so long as it is left.

   And a group has rejected the recitation of him who read أَوْ تُنْسَهَا, when by it forgetting (al-nisyān) is meant, and they said: It is not permissible that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ should have forgotten anything of the Qurʾān that was not abrogated, unless he forgot something of it and then [again] remembered it. They said: Moreover, if he had forgotten something of it, then it would be impossible that they, among his Companions who had recited it and memorized it, should all [together] forget it. They said: And in the word of Allah — exalted be His praise —: وَلَئِنْ شِئْنَا لَنَذْهَبَنَّ بِاَلَّذِي أَوْحَيْنَا إلَيْك (And if We willed, We would surely take away that which We have revealed to you) (17:86) there is an indication that Allah — exalted be His remembrance — did not cause His Prophet to forget anything of the knowledge that He had granted him.

   Abū Jaʿfar [al-Ṭabarī] says: This is a statement whose falsity and untenability is testified to by the abundantly transmitted reports of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and his Companions, along the lines of what we have said.

   1466 — Bishr ibn Muʿādh related to us, saying: Yazīd ibn Zurayʿ related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, he said: Anas ibn Mālik related to us: Verily, concerning those seventy of the Anṣār who were killed at the well of Maʿūna, we used to recite over them and concerning them a writing: "Inform on our behalf our people that we have met our Lord, and He was pleased with us and made us content." Then that was removed.

   And what we have mentioned on the authority of Abū Mūsā al-Ashʿarī, that they used to recite: "If the son of Adam were to possess two valleys of wealth, then he would surely desire a third in addition to the two; and nothing fills the belly of the son of Adam but the dust; and Allah turns [in forgiveness] to him who turns repentant to Him" — then it was removed. And what resembles this of reports, the enumeration of which would make the book [too] long.

   And it is not impossible in the natural disposition of one with sound reason, nor on the basis of the proof of a report, that Allah should cause His Prophet ﷺ to forget a part of what He had already sent down to him. And when that is not impossible by either of these two ways, then it is not permissible for any speaker to say that that is not admissible.

   As for His words وَلَئِنْ شِئْنَا لَنَذْهَبَنَّ بِاَلَّذِي أَوْحَيْنَا إلَيْك (And if We willed, We would surely take away that which We have revealed to you): He — exalted be His praise — did not inform that He takes away nothing of it; He only informed that He, if He willed, would take away the whole of it. But He did not take it away — praise be to Allah —; rather, He took away only that for which they had no need, and that is so because what is abrogated of it is something for which the servants have no need. And Allah — exalted be His remembrance — has said: سَنُقْرِئُك فَلَا تَنْسَى إلَّا مَا شَاءَ اللَّه (We shall make you recite, and you will not forget, except what Allah wills) (87:6-7). He thus informed that He causes His Prophet to forget of it what He wills, so that what has gone away of it is that which Allah has excepted.

   As for us: we have chosen the explanation that we have chosen merely out of the pursuit of coherence of the words in an orderly connection in meaning — not out of denial that Allah — exalted be His remembrance — truly caused His Prophet to forget a part of what is abrogated of His revelation to him and His sending-down.

   ## نَأْتِ بِخَيْرٍ مِنْهَا أَوْ مِثْلِهَا (We bring something better than it or something like it)

   The explanation of the saying of the Exalted: نَأْتِ بِخَيْرِ مِنْهَا أَوْ مِثْلهَا (We bring something better than it or something like it).

   The commentators differed concerning the explanation of His words نَأْتِ بِخَيْرِ مِنْهَا أَوْ مِثْلهَا. Some of them said, as in:

   1467 — Al-Muthannā related to me, saying: ʿAbdallāh ibn Ṣāliḥ related to us, saying: Muʿāwiya ibn Ṣāliḥ related to me, on the authority of ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭalḥa, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās: نَأْتِ بِخَيْرِ مِنْهَا أَوْ مِثْلهَا (We bring something better than it or something like it), he says: better for you with respect to benefit and easier for you.

   And others said, as in:

   1468 — Al-Ḥasan ibn Yaḥyā related it to me, saying: ʿAbd al-Razzāq informed us, saying: Maʿmar informed us, on the authority of Qatāda concerning His words نَأْتِ بِخَيْرِ مِنْهَا أَوْ مِثْلهَا (We bring something better than it or something like it), he says: a verse in which there is alleviation, in which there is mercy, in which there is a command, in which there is a prohibition.

   And others said: We bring something that is better than that which We have abrogated, or something that is better than that which We have left and have not abrogated.

   Mention of who said that:

   1469 — Mūsā related to me, saying: ʿAmr related to us, saying: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī: نَأْتِ بِخَيْرِ مِنْهَا (We bring something better than it), he says: We bring something that is better than that which We have abrogated, or something that is like it, or something that is like that which We have left. So the hāʾ and the alif that are in His words مِنْهَا ("than it") refer back, according to this statement, to the verse in His words مَا نَنْسَخ مِنْ آيَة (Whatever verse We abrogate), and the hāʾ and the alif that are in His words أَوْ مِثْلهَا ("or something like it") refer back to the hāʾ and the alif that are in His words أَوْ نُنْسِهَا (or cause to be forgotten).

   And others said, as in:

   1470 — Al-Muthannā related it to me, saying: Abū Ḥudhayfa related to us, saying: Shibl related to us, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, he said: ʿUbayd ibn ʿUmayr used to say: نُنْسِهَا (We cause it to be forgotten) — We remove it from you, We bring something that is like it or something that is better than it.

   1471 — Al-Muthannā related to me, saying: Isḥāq related to us, saying: Ibn Abī Jaʿfar related to us, on the authority of his father, on the authority of al-Rabīʿ: أَوْ نُنْسِهَا (Or cause to be forgotten) — We remove it, We bring something that is better than it or something that is like it.

   1472 — And al-Muthannā related to me, saying: Isḥāq related to us, saying: Bakr ibn Shawdhab related to us, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, on the authority of the disciples of Ibn Masʿūd, something similar.

   And the correct statement concerning the meaning of that is, according to us: "Whatever ruling of a verse We replace, so that We change it, or whose replacement We leave off, so that We leave it in its state — We bring something that is better for you than the ruling of the verse that We have abrogated, whose ruling We have changed — whether in the present life because of its lightness for you, since it is the lifting of an obligation that rested upon you, so that He has removed its heaviness from you — and that is like that which rested upon the believers of the obligation of the night prayer (qiyām al-layl), which was then abrogated and removed from them, which was better for them in their present life because of the falling away of its burden and its heavy bearing from them; — or in the hereafter because of the greatness of its reward owing to the heaviness of bearing it and the weight of its burden upon the bodies, as that which rested upon them of the fasting of a small number of days in the year, which was then abrogated and there was imposed upon them in its place the fasting of a complete month in every year. The obligation of fasting a complete month every year was heavier upon the bodies than the fasting of a small number of days. However, although that is so, the reward for it is more abundant and the recompense for it greater, because of its greater heaviness for him who is charged with it above the fasting of a small number of days. So that, although it is heavier upon the bodies, is nevertheless better than the first in the hereafter, because of the superiority of its reward and the greatness of its recompense, of which there was no equal for the fasting of the small number of days.

   That, then, is the meaning of His words نَأْتِ بِخَيْرِ مِنْهَا (We bring something better than it), because it is either better than it in the present life owing to its lightness for him who is charged with it, or in the hereafter owing to the greatness of its reward and the abundance of its recompense. Or it is like it with respect to heaviness upon the body and the equality of the recompense and the reward for it — comparable to the abrogation by Allah — exalted be His remembrance — of the obligation of the prayer in the direction of the House of Jerusalem (Bayt al-Maqdis), [changed] to the obligation of it in the direction of the Sacred Mosque (al-Masjid al-Ḥarām). For the turning toward the direction of the House of Jerusalem, although it differs from the turning toward the direction of the [Sacred] Mosque, [requires] the same exertion of turning toward whichever of the two one turns; for the effort that rests upon him who turns toward the direction of the Sacred House of exertion in his turning thither, is equal to the effort that rests upon his body of exertion in his turning toward the direction of the Kaʿba — exactly the same. That, then, is the meaning of the "like" (al-mithl) that He — exalted be His praise — meant by أَوْ مِثْلهَا (or something like it).

   And He — exalted be His praise — meant by His words مَا نَنْسَخ مِنْ آيَة أَوْ نُنْسِهَا (Whatever verse We abrogate or cause to be forgotten) only: whatever ruling of a verse We abrogate or cause to be forgotten. However, since for those addressed by the verse its meaning was comprehensible, it was sufficed with the reference by the mention of the verse in place of the mention of its ruling. And that is comparable to all the other examples that we have earlier mentioned in this book of ours, such as His words: وَأُشْرِبُوا فِي قُلُوبهمْ الْعِجْل (And their hearts were made to drink the calf) (2:93), in the sense of: the love of the calf, and the like.

   The explanation of the verse is therefore: "Whatever ruling of a verse We change, so that We replace it, or which We leave so that We do not replace it — We bring for you, O believers, a ruling that is better than it, or a ruling that is equal to its ruling in lightness and heaviness and in recompense and reward."

   Now if someone were to say: "We already know that the calf cannot be drunk in the hearts, and that for him who hears His words وَأُشْرِبُوا فِي قُلُوبهمْ الْعِجْل (And their hearts were made to drink the calf) it is not obscure that the meaning of it is: 'and their hearts were made to drink the love of the calf' — what is there, then, that indicates that His words مَا نَنْسَخ مِنْ آيَة أَوْ نُنْسِهَا نَأْتِ بِخَيْرِ مِنْهَا (Whatever verse We abrogate or cause to be forgotten, We bring something better than it) are comparable to that?" — then it is answered: That which indicates that it is so, is His words نَأْتِ بِخَيْرِ مِنْهَا أَوْ مِثْلهَا (We bring something better than it or something like it); for it is not permissible that anything of the Qurʾān should be better than anything [else], since the whole of it is the word of Allah, and it is not permissible with regard to the attributes of Allah — exalted be His remembrance — to say that some of them are more excellent than others and some of them are better than others.

   ## أَلَمْ تَعْلَمْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ (Do you not know that Allah is capable of all things?)

   The explanation of the saying of the Exalted: أَلَمْ تَعْلَم أَنَّ اللَّه عَلَى كُلّ شَيْء قَدِير (Do you not know that Allah is capable of all things?).

   He — exalted be His praise — means by His words أَلَمْ تَعْلَم أَنَّ اللَّه عَلَى كُلّ شَيْء قَدِير (Do you not know that Allah is capable of all things?): "Do you not know, O Muḥammad, that I am capable of recompensing you for that which I have abrogated of My rulings and changed of My obligations that I had imposed upon you, with what I will of that which is better for you and for My believing servants with you, and more beneficial for you and for them — whether immediately in this worldly life, or later in the hereafter? Or that I set for you and for them in its place something that is like it in benefit for them, immediately in this worldly life and later in the hereafter, and that resembles it in lightness for you and for them? Know, then, O Muḥammad, that I am capable of that and of all things."

   And the meaning of His word قَدِير (capable) in this place is: powerful (qawiyy). One says of that: "I have been capable of such-and-such (qad qadartu ʿalā kadhā wa-kadhā)" when you are powerful for it — "I am capable of it (aqdiru ʿalayhi and aqduru ʿalayhi), capability (qudra), capability (qidrān) and capability (maqdira)." And the Banū Murra of Ghaṭafān say: "qadirtu ʿalayhi" with a kasra on the dāl. As for the determining/measuring (al-taqdīr), from the expression of the speaker "I measured the thing (qadartu l-shayʾa)," of that one says: "I measured it (qadartuhu), I measure it (aqdiruhu), measure (qadran and qadaran)."

   Show original Arabic

   الْقَوْل فِي تَأْوِيل قَوْله تَعَالَى : { مَا نَنْسَخ مِنْ آيَة } يَعْنِي جَلّ ثَنَاؤُهُ بِقَوْلِهِ : { مَا نَنْسَخ مِنْ آيَة } إلَى غَيْره , فَنُبَدِّلهُ وَنُغَيِّرهُ . وَذَلِك أَنْ يُحَوِّل الْحَلَال حَرَامًا وَالْحَرَام حَلَالًا , وَالْمُبَاح مَحْظُورًا وَالْمَحْظُور مُبَاحًا ; وَلَا يَكُون ذَلِكَ إلَّا فِي الْأَمْر وَالنَّهْي وَالْحَظْر وَالْإِطْلَاق وَالْمَنْع وَالْإِبَاحَة , فَأَمَّا الْأَخْبَار فَلَا يَكُون فِيهَا نَاسِخ وَلَا مَنْسُوخ . وَأَصْل النَّسْخ مِنْ " نَسْخ الْكِتَاب " وَهُوَ نَقْله مِنْ نُسْخَة إلَى أُخْرَى غَيْرهَا , فَكَذَلِكَ مَعْنَى نَسْخ الْحُكْم إلَى غَيْره إنَّمَا هُوَ تَحْوِيله وَنَقْل عِبَارَته عَنْهُ إلَى غَيْره . فَإِذَا كَانَ ذَلِكَ مَعْنَى نَسْخ الْآيَة فَسَوَاء - إذَا نُسِخَ حُكْمهَا فَغُيِّرَ وَبُدِّلَ فَرْضهَا وَنُقِلَ فَرْض الْعِبَاد عَنْ اللَّازِم كَانَ لَهُمْ بِهَا - أَأُقِرُّ خَطّهَا فَتُرِكَ , أَوْ مُحِيَ أَثَرهَا , فَعُفِيَ وَنُسِيَ , إذْ هِيَ حِينَئِذٍ فِي كِلْتَا حَالَتَيْهَا مَنْسُوخَة . وَالْحُكْم الْحَادِث الْمُبَدَّل بِهِ الْحُكْم الْأَوَّل وَالْمَنْقُول إلَيْهِ فَرْض الْعِبَاد هُوَ النَّاسِخ , يُقَال مِنْهُ : نَسَخَ اللَّه آيَة كَذَا وَكَذَا يَنْسَخهُ نَسْخًا , وَالنُّسْخَة الِاسْم . وَبِمِثْلِ الَّذِي قُلْنَا فِي ذَلِكَ كَانَ الْحَسَن الْبَصْرِيّ يَقُول . 1448 - حَدَّثَنَا سَوَّار بْن عَبْد اللَّه الْعَنْبَرِيّ , قَالَ : ثنا خَالِد بْن الْحَارِث , قَالَ : ثنا عَوْف , عَنْ الْحَسَن أَنَّهُ قَالَ فِي قَوْله : { مَا نَنْسَخ مِنْ آيَة أَوْ نُنْسِهَا نَأْتِ بِخَيْرِ مِنْهَا } قَالَ : إنَّ نَبِيّكُمْ صَلَّى اللَّه عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أُقْرِئ قُرْآنًا ثُمَّ نَسِيَهُ فَلَا يَكُنْ شَيْئًا , وَمِنْ الْقُرْآن مَا قَدْ نُسِخَ وَأَنْتُمْ تَقْرَءُونَهُ . اخْتَلَفَ أَهْل التَّأْوِيل فِي تَأْوِيل قَوْله : { مَا نَنْسَخ } فَقَالَ بَعْضهمْ بِمَا : 1449 - حَدَّثَنِي بِهِ مُوسَى بْن هَارُونَ , قَالَ : ثنا عَمْرو بْن عَمَّار , قَالَ : ثنا أَسْبَاط , عَنْ السُّدِّيّ : { مَا نَنْسَخ مِنْ آيَة } أَمَّا نَسْخهَا فَقَبْضهَا . وَقَالَ آخَرُونَ بِمَا : 1450 - حَدَّثَنِي بِهِ الْمُثَنَّى , قَالَ : ثنا عَبْد اللَّه بْن صَالِح , قَالَ : حَدَّثَنِي مُعَاوِيَة بْن صَالِح , عَنْ عَلِيّ بْن أَبِي طَلْحَة , عَنْ ابْن عَبَّاس قَوْله : { مَا نَنْسَخ مِنْ آيَة } يَقُول : مَا نُبَدِّل مِنْ آيَة . وَقَالَ آخَرُونَ بِمَا : 1451 - حَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّد بْن عَمْرو , قَالَ : ثنا أَبُو عَاصِم , قَالَ : ثنا عِيسَى , عَنْ ابْن أَبِي نَجِيح , عَنْ أَصْحَاب عَبْد اللَّه بْن مَسْعُود أَنَّهُمْ قَالُوا : { مَا نَنْسَخ مِنْ آيَة } نُثْبِت خَطّهَا وَنُبَدِّل حُكْمهَا . * وَحَدَّثَنِي الْمُثَنَّى , قَالَ : ثنا أَبُو حُذَيْفَة , قَالَ : ثنا شِبْل , عَنْ ابْن أَبِي نَجِيح , عَنْ مُجَاهِد : { مَا نَنْسَخ مِنْ آيَة } نُثْبِت خَطّهَا , وَنُبَدِّل حُكْمهَا , حُدِّثْت بِهِ عَنْ أَصْحَاب ابْن مَسْعُود . * حَدَّثَنِي الْمُثَنَّى , قَالَ : ثنا إسْحَاق , قَالَ : حَدَّثَنِي بَكْر بْن شَوْذَب , عَنْ ابْن أَبِي نَجِيح , عَنْ مُجَاهِد , عَنْ أَصْحَاب ابْن مَسْعُود : { مَا نَنْسَخ مِنْ آيَة } نُثْبِت خَطّهَا . أَوْ نُنْسِهَا الْقَوْل فِي تَأْوِيل قَوْله تَعَالَى : { أَوْ نُنْسِهَا } . اخْتَلَفَتْ الْقِرَاءَة فِي قَوْله ذَلِكَ , فَقَرَأَهَا قُرَّاء أَهْل الْمَدِينَة وَالْكُوفَة : { أَوْ نُنْسِهَا } وَلِقِرَاءَةِ مَنْ قَرَأَ ذَلِكَ وَجْهَانِ مِنْ التَّأْوِيل , أَحَدهمَا : أَنْ يَكُون تَأْوِيله : مَا نَنْسَخ يَا مُحَمَّد مِنْ آيَة فَنُغَيِّر حُكْمهَا أَوْ نُنْسِهَا . وَقَدْ ذُكِرَ أَنَّهَا فِي مُصْحَف عَبْد اللَّه : { مَا نُنْسِك مِنْ آيَة أَوْ نَنْسَخهَا نَجِئْ بِمِثْلِهَا } , فَذَلِكَ تَأْوِيل النِّسْيَان . وَبِهَذَا التَّأْوِيل قَالَ جَمَاعَة مِنْ أَهْل التَّأْوِيل . ذِكْر مَنْ قَالَ ذَلِكَ : 1452 - حَدَّثَنَا بِشْر بْن مُعَاذ , قَالَ : ثنا يَزِيد بْن زُرَيْعٍ , قَالَ : ثنا سَعِيد , عَنْ قَتَادَة قَوْله : { مَا نَنْسَخ مِنْ آيَة أَوْ نُنْسِهَا نَأْتِ بِخَيْرِ مِنْهَا أَوْ مِثْلهَا } كَانَ يَنْسَخ الْآيَة بِالْآيَةِ بَعْدهَا , وَيَقْرَأ نَبِيّ اللَّه صَلَّى اللَّه عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ الْآيَة أَوْ أَكْثَر مِنْ ذَلِكَ ثُمَّ تُنْسَى وَتُرْفَع . * حَدَّثَنَا الْحَسَن بْن يَحْيَى , قَالَ : أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْد الرَّزَّاق , قَالَ : أَخْبَرَنَا مَعْمَر , عَنْ قَتَادَة فِي قَوْله : { مَا نَنْسَخ مِنْ آيَة أَوْ نُنْسِهَا } قَالَ : كَانَ اللَّه تَعَالَى ذِكْره يُنْسِي نَبِيّه صَلَّى اللَّه عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مَا شَاءَ وَيَنْسَخ مَا شَاءَ . 1453 - حَدَّثَنِي الْمُثَنَّى , قَالَ : ثنا أَبُو حُذَيْفَة , قَالَ : ثنا شِبْل , عَنْ ابْن أَبِي نَجِيح , عَنْ مُجَاهِد , قَالَ : كَانَ عُبَيْد بْن عُمَيْر يَقُول : { نُنْسِهَا } نَرْفَعهَا مِنْ عِنْدكُمْ . 1454 - حَدَّثَنَا سَوَّار بْن عَبْد اللَّه , قَالَ : ثنا خَالِد بْن الْحَارِث , قَالَ : ثنا عَوْف , عَنْ الْحَسَن أَنَّهُ قَالَ فِي قَوْله : { أَوْ نُنْسِهَا } قَالَ : إنَّ نَبِيّكُمْ صَلَّى اللَّه عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أُقْرِئَ قُرْآنًا , ثُمَّ نَسِيَهُ . وَكَذَلِك كَانَ سَعْد بْن أَبِي وَقَّاص يَتَأَوَّل الْآيَة إلَّا أَنَّهُ كَانَ يَقْرَؤُهَا : { أَوْ تَنْسَهَا } بِمَعْنَى الْخِطَاب لِرَسُولِ اللَّه صَلَّى اللَّه عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ , كَأَنَّهُ عَنَى أَوْ تَنْسَهَا أَنْت يَا مُحَمَّد . ذِكْر الْأَخْبَار بِذَلِكَ : 1455 - حَدَّثَنِي يَعْقُوب بْن إبْرَاهِيم , قَالَ : ثنا هُشَيْم , قَالَ : أَخْبَرَنَا يَعْلَى بْن عَطَاء , عَنْ الْقَاسِم , قَالَ : سَمِعْت سَعْد بْن أَبِي وَقَّاص يَقُول : { مَا نَنْسَخ مِنْ آيَة أَوْ تَنْسَهَا } قُلْت لَهُ : فَإِنَّ سَعِيد بْن الْمُسَيِّب يَقْرَؤُهَا : { أَوْ تَنْسَهَا } قَالَ : فَقَالَ سَعْد : إنَّ الْقُرْآن لَمْ يَنْزِل عَلَى الْمُسَيِّب وَلَا عَلَى آل الْمُسَيِّب , قَالَ اللَّه : { سَنُقْرِئُك فَلَا تَنْسَى } 87 6 { وَاذْكُرْ رَبّك إذَا نَسِيت } . 18 24 * حَدَّثَنَا الْحَسَن بْن يَحْيَى , قَالَ : أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْد الرَّزَّاق , قَالَ : أَخْبَرَنَا هُشَيْم , قَالَ : ثنا يَعْلَى بْن عَطَاء , قَالَ : ثنا الْقَاسِم بْن رَبِيعَة بْن قَانِف الثَّقَفِيّ , قَالَ : سَمِعْت ابْن أَبِي وَقَّاص يَذْكُر نَحْوه . * حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّد بْن الْمُثَنَّى وَآدَم الْعَسْقَلَانِيّ قَالَا جَمِيعًا , عَنْ شُعْبَة , عَنْ يَعْلَى بْن عَطَاء , قَالَ : سَمِعْت الْقَاسِم بْن رَبِيعَة الثَّقَفِيّ يَقُول : قُلْت لِسَعْدِ بْن أَبِي وَقَّاص : إنِّي سَمِعْت ابْن الْمُسَيِّب يَقْرَأ : { مَا نَنْسَخ مِنْ آيَة أَوْ تَنْسَهَا } فَقَالَ سَعْد : إنَّ اللَّه لَمْ يُنْزِل الْقُرْآن عَلَى الْمُسَيِّب وَلَا عَلَى ابْنه , إنَّمَا هِيَ : { مَا نَنْسَخ مِنْ آيَة أَوْ تَنْسَهَا } يَا مُحَمَّد . ثُمَّ قَرَأَ : { سَنُقْرِئُك فَلَا تَنْسَى } 87 6 { وَاذْكُرْ رَبّك إذَا نَسِيت } . 18 24 1456 - حَدَّثَنِي الْمُثَنَّى , قَالَ : ثنا إسْحَاق , قَالَ : ثنا ابْن أَبِي جَعْفَر , عَنْ أَبِيهِ , عَنْ الرَّبِيع فِي قَوْله : { مَا نَنْسَخ مِنْ آيَة أَوْ نُنْسِهَا } يَقُول : نُنْسِهَا : نَرْفَعهَا ; وَكَانَ اللَّه تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى أَنْزَلَ أُمُورًا مِنْ الْقُرْآن ثُمَّ رَفَعَهَا . وَالْوَجْه الْآخَر مِنْهُمَا أَنْ يَكُون بِمَعْنَى التَّرْك , مِنْ قَوْل اللَّه جَلّ ثَنَاؤُهُ : { نَسُوا اللَّه فَنَسِيَهُمْ } 9 67 يَعْنِي بِهِ تَرَكُوا اللَّه فَتَرَكَهُمْ . فَيَكُون تَأْوِيل الْآيَة حِينَئِذٍ عَلَى هَذَا التَّأْوِيل : مَا نَنْسَخ مِنْ آيَة فَنُغَيِّر حُكْمهَا وَنُبَدِّل فَرْضهَا نَأْتِ بِخَيْرِ مِنْ الَّتِي نَسَخْنَاهَا أَوْ مِثْلهَا . وَعَلَى هَذَا التَّأْوِيل تَأَوَّلَ جَمَاعَة مِنْ أَهْل التَّأْوِيل . ذِكْر مَنْ قَالَ ذَلِكَ : 1457 - حَدَّثَنِي الْمُثَنَّى , قَالَ : ثنا عَبْد اللَّه بْن صَالِح , قَالَ : حَدَّثَنِي مُعَاوِيَة , عَنْ عَلِيّ بْن أَبِي طَلْحَة , عَنْ ابْن عَبَّاس فِي قَوْله : { أَوْ نُنْسِهَا } يَقُول : أَوْ نَتْرُكهَا لَا نُبَدِّلهَا . 1458 - حَدَّثَنِي مُوسَى , قَالَ : ثنا عَمْرو , قَالَ : ثنا أَسْبَاط , عَنْ السُّدِّيّ قَوْله : { أَوْ نُنْسِهَا } نَتْرُكهَا لَا نَنْسَخهَا . 1459 - حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو كُرَيْب , قَالَ : ثنا هُشَيْم , قَالَ : أَخْبَرَنَا جُوَيْبِر , عَنْ الضَّحَّاك فِي قَوْله : { مَا نَنْسَخ مِنْ آيَة أَوْ نُنْسِهَا } قَالَ : النَّاسِخ وَالْمَنْسُوخ . قَالَ : وَكَانَ عَبْد الرَّحْمَن بْن زَيْد يَقُول فِي ذَلِكَ مَا : 1460 - حَدَّثَنِي بِهِ يُونُس بْن عَبْد الْأَعْلَى , قَالَ : أَخْبَرَنَا ابْن وَهْب , قَالَ : قَالَ ابْن زَيْد فِي قَوْله : { نُنْسِهَا } نَمْحُهَا . وَقَرَأَ ذَلِكَ آخَرُونَ : { أَوْ نَنْسَأهَا } بِفَتْحِ النُّون وَهَمْزَة بَعْد السِّين بِمَعْنَى نُؤَخِّرهَا , مِنْ قَوْلك : نَسَأْت هَذَا الْأَمْر أَنْسَؤُهُ نَسَأَ وَنَسَاء إذَا أَخَّرْته , وَهُوَ مِنْ قَوْلهمْ : بِعْته بِنَسَاءِ , يَعْنِي بِتَأْخِيرِ . وَمِنْ ذَلِكَ قَوْل طَرَفَة بْن الْعَبْد : لَعُمْرك إنَّ الْمَوْت مَا أَنْسَأَ الْفَتَى لَكَالطَّوْلِ الْمُرْخَى وَثَنَيَاهُ بِالْيَدِ يَعْنِي بِقَوْلِهِ أَنْسَأَ : أَخَّرَ . وَمِمَّنْ قَرَأَ ذَلِكَ جَمَاعَة مِنْ الصَّحَابَة وَالتَّابِعِينَ , وَقَرَأَهُ جَمَاعَة مِنْ قُرَّاء الْكُوفِيِّينَ وَالْبَصْرِيِّينَ , وَتَأَوَّلَهُ كَذَلِكَ جِمَاع مِنْ أَهْل التَّأْوِيل . ذِكْر مَنْ قَالَ ذَلِكَ : 1461 - حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو كُرَيْب , وَيَعْقُوب بْن إبْرَاهِيم , قَالَا : ثنا هُشَيْم , قَالَ : أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْد الْمَلِك . عَنْ عَطَاء فِي قَوْله : { مَا نَنْسَخ مِنْ آيَة أَوْ نَنْسَأهَا } قَالَ : نُؤَخِّرهَا . 1462 - حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّد بْن عَمْرو , قَالَ : ثنا أَبُو عَاصِم , قَالَ : ثنا عِيسَى , قَالَ : سَمِعْت ابْن أَبِي نَجِيح , يَقُول فِي قَوْل اللَّه : { أَوْ نَنْسَأهَا } قَالَ : نُرْجِئهَا . 1463 - حَدَّثَنِي الْمُثَنَّى , قَالَ : ثنا أَبُو حُذَيْفَة , قَالَ : ثنا شِبْل , عَنْ ابْن أَبِي نَجِيح , عَنْ مُجَاهِد : { أَوْ نَنْسَأهَا } نُرْجِئهَا وَنُؤَخِّرهَا . 1464 - حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَد بْن إسْحَاق الْأَهْوَازِيّ , قَالَ : ثنا أَبُو أَحْمَد الزُّبَيْرِيّ , قَالَ : ثنا فُضَيْل , عَنْ عَطِيَّة : { أَوْ نَنْسَأهَا } قَالَ : نُؤَخِّرهَا فَلَا نَنْسَخهَا . 1465 - حَدَّثَنَا الْقَاسِم , قَالَ : ثنا الْحُسَيْن , قَالَ : حَدَّثَنِي حَجَّاج , عَنْ ابْن جُرَيْجٍ , قَالَ : أَخْبَرَنِي عَبْد اللَّه بْن كَثِير عَنْ عُبَيْد الْأَزْدِيّ , عَنْ عُبَيْد بْن عُمَيْر { أَوْ نَنْسَأهَا } إرْجَاؤُهَا وَتَأْخِيرهَا . هَكَذَا حَدَّثَنَا الْقَاسِم عَنْ عَبْد اللَّه بْن كَثِير , عَنْ عُبَيْد الْأَزْدِيّ . وَإِنَّمَا هُوَ عَنْ عَلِيّ الْأَزْدِيّ . * حَدَّثَنِي أَحْمَد بْن يُوسُف , قَالَ : ثنا الْقَاسِم بْن سَلَّام , قَالَ : حَدَّثَنَا حَجَّاج , عَنْ ابْن جُرَيْجٍ , عَنْ عَبْد اللَّه بْن كَثِير , عَنْ عَلِيّ الْأَزْدِيّ , عَنْ عُبَيْد بْن عُمَيْر أَنَّهُ قَرَأَهَا : { نَنْسَأهَا } . قَالَ : فَتَأْوِيل مَنْ قَرَأَ ذَلِكَ كَذَلِكَ : مَا نُبَدِّل مِنْ آيَة أَنْزَلْنَاهَا إلَيْك يَا مُحَمَّد , فَنُبْطِل حُكْمهَا وَنُثْبِت خَطّهَا , أَوْ نُؤَخِّرهَا فَنُرْجِئهَا وَنُقِرّهَا فَلَا نُغَيِّرهَا وَلَا نُبْطِل حُكْمهَا ; نَأْتِ بِخَيْرِ مِنْهَا أَوْ مِثْلهَا . وَقَدْ قَرَأَ بَعْضهمْ ذَلِكَ : { مَا نَنْسَخ مِنْ آيَة أَوْ تَنْسَهَا } وَتَأْوِيل هَذِهِ الْقِرَاءَة نَظِير تَأْوِيل قِرَاءَة مَنْ قَرَأَ { أَوْ نُنْسِهَا } إلَّا أَنَّ مَعْنَى { أَوْ نُنْسِهَا } أَنْت يَا مُحَمَّد . وَقَدْ قَرَأَ بَعْضهمْ : { مَا نُنْسِخ مِنْ آيَة } بِضَمِّ النُّون وَكَسْر السِّين , بِمَعْنَى : مَا نَنْسَخَك يَا مُحَمَّد نَحْنُ مِنْ آيَة , مِنْ أَنْسَخْتُك فَأَنَا أَنْسَخُك . وَذَلِك خَطَأ مِنْ الْقِرَاءَة عِنْدنَا لِخُرُوجِهِ عَمَّا جَاءَتْ بِهِ الْحُجَّة مِنْ الْقِرَاءَة بِالنَّقْلِ الْمُسْتَفِيض . وَكَذَلِك قِرَاءَة مَنْ قَرَأَ { تُنْسَهَا } أَوْ { تُنْسَهَا } لِشُذُوذِهَا وَخُرُوجهَا عَنْ الْقِرَاءَة الَّتِي جَاءَتْ بِهَا الْحُجَّة مِنْ قُرَّاء الْأُمَّة . وَأُولَى الْقِرَاءَات فِي قَوْله : { أَوْ نُنْسِهَا } بِالصَّوَابِ مَنْ قَرَأَ : { أَوْ نُنْسِهَا } , بِمَعْنَى نَتْرُكهَا ; لِأَنَّ اللَّه جَلّ ثَنَاؤُهُ أَخْبَرَ نَبِيّه صَلَّى اللَّه عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنَّهُ مَهْمَا بَدَّلَ حُكْمًا أَوْ غَيَّرَهُ أَوْ لَمْ يُبَدِّلهُ وَلَمْ يُغَيِّرهُ , فَهُوَ آتِيه بِخَيْرِ مِنْهُ أَوْ بِمِثْلِهِ . فَاَلَّذِي هُوَ أَوْلَى بِالْآيَةِ إذْ كَانَ ذَلِكَ مَعْنَاهَا , أَنْ يَكُون إذْ قَدِمَ الْخَبَر عَمَّا هُوَ صَانِع إذَا هُوَ غَيَّرَ وَبَدَّلَ حُكْم آيَة أَنْ يُعْقِب ذَلِكَ بِالْخَبَرِ عَمَّا هُوَ صَانِع , إذَا هُوَ لَمْ يُبَدِّل ذَلِكَ وَلَمْ يُغَيِّر . فَالْخَبَر الَّذِي يَجِب أَنْ يَكُون عَقِيب قَوْله : { مَا نَنْسَخ مِنْ آيَة } قَوْله : أَوْ نَتْرُك نَسْخهَا , إذْ كَانَ ذَلِكَ الْمَعْرُوف الْجَارِي فِي كَلَام النَّاس . مَعَ أَنَّ ذَلِكَ إذَا قُرِئَ كَذَلِكَ بِالْمَعْنَى الَّذِي وَصَفْت , فَهُوَ يَشْتَمِل عَلَى مَعْنَى الْإِنْسَاء الَّذِي هُوَ بِمَعْنَى التَّرْك , وَمَعْنَى النَّسَاء الَّذِي هُوَ بِمَعْنَى التَّأْخِير , إذْ كَانَ كُلّ مَتْرُوك فَمُؤَخَّر عَلَى حَال مَا هُوَ مَتْرُوك . وَقَدْ أَنْكَرَ قَوْم قِرَاءَة مَنْ قَرَأَ : { أَوْ تُنْسَهَا } إذَا عُنِيَ بِهِ النِّسْيَان , وَقَالُوا : غَيْر جَائِز أَنْ يَكُون رَسُول اللَّه صَلَّى اللَّه عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ نَسِيَ مِنْ الْقُرْآن شَيْئًا مِمَّا لَمْ يُنْسَخ إلَّا أَنْ يَكُون نَسَى مِنْهُ شَيْئًا ثُمَّ ذَكَرَهُ . قَالُوا : وَبَعْد , فَإِنَّهُ لَوْ نَسِيَ مِنْهُ شَيْئًا لَمْ يَكُنْ الَّذِينَ قَرَءُوهُ وَحَفِظُوهُ مِنْ أَصْحَابه بِجَائِزِ عَلَى جَمِيعهمْ أَنْ يَنْسَوْهُ . قَالُوا : وَفِي قَوْل اللَّه جَلّ ثَنَاؤُهُ : { وَلَئِنْ شِئْنَا لَنَذْهَبَنَّ بِاَلَّذِي أَوْحَيْنَا إلَيْك } 17 86 مَا يُنْبِئ عَنْ أَنَّ اللَّه تَعَالَى ذِكْره لَمْ يُنْسِ نَبِيّه شَيْئًا مِمَّا آتَاهُ مِنْ الْعِلْم . قَالَ أَبُو جَعْفَر : وَهَذَا قَوْل يَشْهَد عَلَى بُطُوله وَفَسَاده الْأَخْبَار الْمُتَظَاهِرَة عَنْ رَسُول اللَّه صَلَّى اللَّه عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَأَصْحَابه بِنَحْوِ الَّذِي قُلْنَا . 1466 - حَدَّثَنَا بِشْر بْن مُعَاذ , قَالَ : حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيد بْن زُرَيْعٍ , قَالَ : حَدَّثَنَا سَعِيد , عَنْ قَتَادَة , قَالَ : حَدَّثَنَا أَنَس بْن مَالِك : إنَّ أُولَئِكَ السَّبْعِينَ مِنْ الْأَنْصَار الَّذِينَ قُتِلُوا بِبِئْرِ مَعُونَة قَرَأْنَا بِهِمْ وَفِيهِمْ كِتَابًا : " بَلِّغُوا عَنَّا قَوْمنَا أَنَّا لَقِينَا رَبّنَا فَرَضِيَ عَنَّا وَأَرْضَانَا " . ثُمَّ إنَّ ذَلِكَ رُفِعَ . فَاَلَّذِي ذَكَرْنَا عَنْ أَبِي مُوسَى الْأَشْعَرِيّ أَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا يَقْرَءُونَ : " لَوْ أَنَّ لِابْنِ آدَم وَادِيَيْنِ مِنْ مَال لَابْتَغَى لَهُمَا ثَالِثًا , وَلَا يَمْلَأ جَوْف ابْن آدَم إلَّا التُّرَاب , وَيَتُوب اللَّه عَلَى مَنْ تَابَ " ثُمَّ رُفِعَ ; وَمَا أَشْبَه ذَلِكَ مِنْ الْأَخْبَار الَّتِي يَطُول بِإِحْصَائِهَا الْكِتَاب . وَغَيْر مُسْتَحِيل فِي فِطْرَة ذِي عَقْل صَحِيح وَلَا بِحُجَّةِ خَبَر أَنْ يُنْسِي اللَّه نَبِيّه صَلَّى اللَّه عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بَعْض مَا قَدْ كَانَ أَنْزَلَهُ إلَيْهِ . فَإِذَا كَانَ ذَلِكَ غَيْر مُسْتَحِيل مِنْ أَحَد هَذَيْنِ الْوَجْهَيْنِ , فَغَيْر جَائِز لِقَائِلِ أَنْ يَقُول ذَلِكَ غَيْر جَائِز . وَأَمَّا قَوْله : { وَلَئِنْ شِئْنَا لَنَذْهَبَنَّ بِاَلَّذِي أَوْحَيْنَا إلَيْك } فَإِنَّهُ جَلّ ثَنَاؤُهُ لَمْ يُخْبِر أَنَّهُ لَا يَذْهَب بِشَيْءِ مِنْهُ , وَإِنَّمَا أَخْبَرَ أَنَّهُ لَوْ شَاءَ لَذَهَبَ بِجَمِيعِهِ , فَلَمْ يَذْهَب بِهِ وَالْحَمْد لِلَّهِ ; بَلْ إنَّمَا ذَهَبَ بِمَا لَا حَاجَة بِهِمْ إلَيْهِ مِنْهُ , وَذَلِك أَنَّ مَا نُسِخَ مِنْهُ فَلَا حَاجَة بِالْعِبَادِ إلَيْهِ , وَقَدْ قَالَ اللَّه تَعَالَى ذِكْره : { سَنُقْرِئُك فَلَا تَنْسَى إلَّا مَا شَاءَ اللَّه } 87 6 - 7 فَأَخْبَرَ أَنَّهُ يُنْسِي نَبِيّه مِنْهُ مَا شَاءَ , فَاَلَّذِي ذَهَبَ مِنْهُ الَّذِي اسْتَثْنَاهُ اللَّه . فَأَمَّا نَحْنُ فَإِنَّمَا اخْتَرْنَا مَا اخْتَرْنَا مِنْ التَّأْوِيل طَلَب اتِّسَاق الْكَلَام عَلَى نِظَام فِي الْمَعْنَى , لَا إنْكَار أَنْ يَكُون اللَّه تَعَالَى ذِكْره قَدْ كَانَ أَنْسَى نَبِيّه بَعْض مَا نُسِخَ مِنْ وَحْيه إلَيْهِ وَتَنْزِيله . نَأْتِ بِخَيْرٍ مِنْهَا أَوْ مِثْلِهَا الْقَوْل فِي تَأْوِيل قَوْله تَعَالَى : { نَأْتِ بِخَيْرِ مِنْهَا أَوْ مِثْلهَا } . اخْتَلَفَ أَهْل التَّأْوِيل فِي تَأْوِيل قَوْله : { نَأْتِ بِخَيْرِ مِنْهَا أَوْ مِثْلهَا } , فَقَالَ بَعْضهمْ بِمَا : 1467 - حَدَّثَنِي الْمُثَنَّى , قَالَ : حَدَّثَنَا عَبْد اللَّه بْن صَالِح , قَالَ : حَدَّثَنِي مُعَاوِيَة بْن صَالِح , عَنْ عَلِيّ بْن أَبِي طَلْحَة , عَنْ ابْن عَبَّاس : { نَأْتِ بِخَيْرِ مِنْهَا أَوْ مِثْلهَا } يَقُول : خَيْر لَكُمْ فِي الْمَنْفَعَة وَأَرْفَق بِكُمْ . وَقَالَ آخَرُونَ بِمَا : 1468 - حَدَّثَنِي بِهِ الْحَسَن بْن يَحْيَى , قَالَ : أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْد الرَّزَّاق , قَالَ : أَخْبَرَنَا مَعْمَر , عَنْ قَتَادَة فِي قَوْله : { نَأْتِ بِخَيْرِ مِنْهَا أَوْ مِثْلهَا } يَقُول : آيَة فِيهَا تَخْفِيف , فِيهَا رَحْمَة , فِيهَا أَمْر , فِيهَا نَهْي . وَقَالَ آخَرُونَ : نَأْتِ بِخَيْرِ مِنْ الَّتِي نَسَخْنَاهَا , أَوْ بِخَيْرِ مِنْ الَّتِي تَرَكْنَاهَا فَلَمْ نَنْسَخهَا . ذِكْر مَنْ قَالَ ذَلِكَ : 1469 - حَدَّثَنِي مُوسَى , قَالَ : حَدَّثَنَا عَمْرو , قَالَ : حَدَّثَنَا أَسْبَاط , عَنْ السُّدِّيّ : { نَأْتِ بِخَيْرِ مِنْهَا } يَقُول : نَأْتِ بِخَيْرِ مِنْ الَّتِي نَسَخْنَاهَا أَوْ مِثْلهَا أَوْ مِثْل الَّتِي تَرَكْنَاهَا . فَالْهَاء وَالْأَلِف اللَّتَانِ فِي قَوْله : { مِنْهَا } عَائِدَتَانِ عَلَى هَذِهِ الْمَقَالَة عَلَى الْآيَة فِي قَوْله : { مَا نَنْسَخ مِنْ آيَة } وَالْهَاء وَالْأَلِف اللَّتَانِ فِي قَوْله : { أَوْ مِثْلهَا } عَائِدَتَانِ عَلَى الْهَاء وَالْأَلِف اللَّتَيْنِ فِي قَوْله : { أَوْ نُنْسِهَا } . وَقَالَ آخَرُونَ بِمَا : 1470 - حَدَّثَنِي بِهِ الْمُثَنَّى , قَالَ : حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو حُذَيْفَة , قَالَ : حَدَّثَنَا شِبْل , عَنْ ابْن أَبِي نَجِيح , عَنْ مُجَاهِد , قَالَ : كَانَ عُبَيْد بْن عُمَيْر يَقُول : { نُنْسِهَا } نَرْفَعهَا مِنْ عِنْدكُمْ , نَأْتِ بِمِثْلِهَا أَوْ خَيْر مِنْهَا . 1471 - حَدَّثَنِي الْمُثَنَّى , قَالَ : حَدَّثَنَا إسْحَاق , قَالَ : حَدَّثَنَا ابْن أَبِي جَعْفَر , عَنْ أَبِيهِ , عَنْ الرَّبِيع : { أَوْ نُنْسِهَا } نَرْفَعهَا نَأْتِ بِخَيْرِ مِنْهَا أَوْ بِمِثْلِهَا . 1472 - وَحَدَّثَنِي الْمُثَنَّى , قَالَ : حَدَّثَنَا إسْحَاق , قَالَ : حَدَّثَنَا بَكْر بْن شَوْذَب , عَنْ ابْن أَبِي نَجِيح , عَنْ مُجَاهِد , عَنْ أَصْحَاب ابْن مَسْعُود , مِثْله . وَالصَّوَاب مِنْ الْقَوْل فِي مَعْنَى ذَلِكَ عِنْدنَا : مَا نُبَدِّل مِنْ حُكْم آيَة فَنُغَيِّرهُ أَوْ نَتْرُك تَبْدِيله فَنُقِرّهُ بِحَالِهِ , نَأْتِ بِخَيْرِ مِنْهَا لَكُمْ مِنْ حُكْم الْآيَة الَّتِي نَسَخْنَا فَغَيَّرْنَا حُكْمهَا , إمَّا فِي الْعَاجِل لِخَفَّتِهِ عَلَيْكُمْ , مِنْ أَجْل أَنَّهُ وَضْع فَرْض كَانَ عَلَيْكُمْ فَأَسْقَطَ ثِقَله عَنْكُمْ , وَذَلِكَ كَاَلَّذِي كَانَ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ مِنْ فَرْض قِيَام اللَّيْل , ثُمَّ نُسِخَ ذَلِكَ فَوُضِعَ عَنْهُمْ , فَكَانَ ذَلِكَ خَيْرًا لَهُمْ فِي عَاجِلهمْ لِسُقُوطِ عِبْء ذَلِكَ وَثِقَل حَمْله عَنْهُمْ ; وَإِمَّا فِي الْآجِل لِعِظَمِ ثَوَابه مِنْ أَجْل مَشَقَّة حَمْله وَثِقَل عِبْئِهِ عَلَى الْأَبْدَان , كَاَلَّذِي كَانَ عَلَيْهِمْ مِنْ صِيَام أَيَّام مَعْدُودَات فِي السَّنَة , فَنُسِخَ وَفُرِضَ عَلَيْهِمْ مَكَانه صَوْم شَهْر كَامِل فِي كُلّ حَوْل , فَكَانَ فَرْض صَوْم شَهْر كَامِل كُلّ سَنَة أَثْقَل عَلَى الْأَبْدَان مِنْ صِيَام أَيَّام مَعْدُودَات . غَيْر أَنَّ ذَلِكَ وَإِنْ كَانَ كَذَلِكَ , فَالثَّوَاب عَلَيْهِ أَجْزَل وَالْأَجْر عَلَيْهِ أَكْثَر , لِفَضْلِ مَشَقَّته عَلَى مُكَلَّفِيهِ مِنْ صَوْم أَيَّام مَعْدُودَات , فَذَلِكَ وَإِنْ كَانَ عَلَى الْأَبْدَان أَشَقّ فَهُوَ خَيْر مِنْ الْأَوَّل فِي الْآجِل لِفَضْلِ ثَوَابه وَعِظَم أَجْره الَّذِي لَمْ يَكُنْ مِثْله لِصَوْمِ الْأَيَّام الْمَعْدُودَات . فَذَلِكَ مَعْنَى قَوْله : { نَأْتِ بِخَيْرِ مِنْهَا } لِأَنَّهُ إمَّا بِخَيْرِ مِنْهَا فِي الْعَاجِل لِخَفَّتِهِ عَلَى مَنْ كُلِّفَهُ , أَوْ فِي الْآجِل لِعِظَمِ ثَوَابه وَكَثْرَة أَجْره . أَوْ يَكُون مِثْلهَا فِي الْمَشَقَّة عَلَى الْبَدَن وَاسْتِوَاء الْأَجْر وَالثَّوَاب عَلَيْهِ , نَظِير نَسْخ اللَّه تَعَالَى ذِكْره فَرْض الصَّلَاة شَطْر بَيْت الْمَقْدِس إلَى فَرْضهَا شَطْر الْمَسْجِد الْحَرَام . فَالتَّوَجُّه شَطْر بَيْت الْمَقْدِس , وَإِنْ خَالَفَ التَّوَجُّه شَطْر الْمَسْجِد , فَكُلْفَة التَّوَجُّه شَطْر أَيّهمَا تَوَجَّهَ شَطْره وَاحِدَة ; لِأَنَّ الَّذِي عَلَى الْمُتَوَجِّه شَطْر الْبَيْت الْمُقَدَّس مِنْ مُؤْنَة تَوَجُّهه شَطْره , نَظِير الَّذِي عَلَى بَدَنه مُؤْنَة تَوَجُّهه شَطْر الْكَعْبَة سَوَاء . فَذَلِكَ هُوَ مَعْنَى الْمِثْل الَّذِي قَالَ جَلّ ثَنَاؤُهُ : { أَوْ مِثْلهَا } . وَإِنَّمَا عَنَى جَلّ ثَنَاؤُهُ بِقَوْلِهِ : { مَا نَنْسَخ مِنْ آيَة أَوْ نُنْسِهَا } مَا نَنْسَخ مِنْ حُكْم آيَة أَوْ نُنْسِهِ . غَيْر أَنَّ الْمُخَاطَبِينَ بِالْآيَةِ لَمَّا كَانَ مَفْهُومًا عِنْدهمْ مَعْنَاهَا اُكْتُفِيَ بِدَلَالَةِ ذِكْر الْآيَة مِنْ ذِكْر حُكْمهَا . وَذَلِك نَظِير سَائِر مَا ذَكَرْنَا مِنْ نَظَائِره فِيمَا مَضَى مِنْ كِتَابنَا هَذَا , كَقَوْلِهِ : { وَأُشْرِبُوا فِي قُلُوبهمْ الْعِجْل } 2 93 بِمَعْنَى حُبّ الْعِجْل وَنَحْو ذَلِكَ . فَتَأْوِيل الْآيَة إذًا : مَا نُغَيِّر مِنْ حُكْم آيَة فَنُبَدِّلهُ أَوْ نَتْرُكهُ فَلَا نُبَدِّلهُ , نَأْتِ بِخَيْرِ لَكُمْ أَيّهَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ حُكْمًا مِنْهَا , أَوْ مِثْل حُكْمهَا فِي الْخِفَّة وَالثِّقَل وَالْأَجْر وَالثَّوَاب . فَإِنَّ قَالَ قَائِل : فَإِنَّا قَدْ عَلِمْنَا أَنَّ الْعِجْل لَا يُشْرَب فِي الْقُلُوب وَأَنَّهُ لَا يَلْتَبِس عَلَى مَنْ سَمِعَ قَوْله : { وَأُشْرِبُوا فِي قُلُوبهمْ الْعِجْل } أَنَّ مَعْنَاهُ : وَأُشْرِبُوا فِي قُلُوبهمْ حُبّ الْعِجْل , فَمَا الَّذِي يَدُلّ عَلَى أَنَّ قَوْله : { مَا نَنْسَخ مِنْ آيَة أَوْ نُنْسِهَا نَأْتِ بِخَيْرِ مِنْهَا } لِذَلِكَ نَظِير ؟ قِيلَ : الَّذِي دَلَّ عَلَى أَنَّ ذَلِكَ كَذَلِكَ قَوْله : { نَأْتِ بِخَيْرِ مِنْهَا أَوْ مِثْلهَا } وَغَيْر جَائِز أَنْ يَكُون مِنْ الْقُرْآن شَيْء خَيْر مِنْ شَيْء ; لِأَنَّ جَمِيعه كَلَام اللَّه , وَلَا يَجُوز فِي صِفَات اللَّه تَعَالَى ذِكْره أَنْ يُقَال بَعْضهَا أَفْضَل مِنْ بَعْض وَبَعْضهَا خَيْر مِنْ بَعْض . أَلَمْ تَعْلَمْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ الْقَوْل فِي تَأْوِيل قَوْله تَعَالَى : { أَلَمْ تَعْلَم أَنَّ اللَّه عَلَى كُلّ شَيْء قَدِير } . يَعْنِي جَلّ ثَنَاؤُهُ بِقَوْلِهِ : { أَلَمْ تَعْلَم أَنَّ اللَّه عَلَى كُلّ شَيْء قَدِير } أَلَمْ تَعْلَم يَا مُحَمَّد أَنِّي قَادِر عَلَى تَعْوِيضك مِمَّا نَسَخْت مِنْ أَحْكَامِي وَغَيَّرْته مِنْ فَرَائِضِي الَّتِي كُنْت افْتَرَضْتهَا عَلَيْك مَا أَشَاء مِمَّا هُوَ خَيْر لَك وَلِعِبَادِي الْمُؤْمِنِينَ مَعَك وَأَنْفَع لَك وَلَهُمْ , إمَّا عَاجِلًا فِي الدُّنْيَا وَإِمَّا آجِلًا فِي الْآخِرَة . أَوْ بِأَنْ أُبَدِّل لَك وَلَهُمْ مَكَانه مِثْله فِي النَّفْع لَهُمْ عَاجِلًا فِي الدُّنْيَا وَآجِلًا فِي الْآخِرَة وَشَبِيهه فِي الْخِفَّة عَلَيْك وَعَلَيْهِمْ . فَاعْلَمْ يَا مُحَمَّد أَنِّي عَلَى ذَلِكَ وَعَلَى كُلّ شَيْء قَدِير . وَمَعْنَى قَوْله : { قَدِير } فِي هَذَا الْمَوْضِع : قَوِيّ , يُقَال مِنْهُ : " قَدْ قَدَرْت عَلَى كَذَا وَكَذَا " . إذَا قَوِيت عَلَيْهِ " أَقْدِرُ عَلَيْهِ وَأَقْدُرُ عَلَيْهِ قُدْرَة وَقِدْرَانًا وَمَقْدِرَة " . وَبَنُو مُرَّة مِنْ غَطَفَانَ تَقُول : " قَدِرْت عَلَيْهِ " بِكَسْرِ الدَّال . فَأَمَّا مِنْ التَّقْدِير مِنْ قَوْل الْقَائِل : " قَدَرْت الشَّيْء " فَإِنَّهُ يُقَال مِنْهُ : " قَدَرْته أَقْدِرُهُ قَدْرًا وَقَدَرًا " .