verses better than those abrogated, for the comparison concerns things of the same kind. Thus, if someone says, ‘I never take a dinar from you without giving you something better than it,’ the unqualified statement can only be understood to mean a better dinar. Superiority is thus sought first within the same kind, and then in the benefit it offers. It cannot refer instead to a garment or some commodity other than a dinar.

The end of the verse also indicates that He intended the Quran, for He says:

‘Do you not know that Allah has power over all things?’

His description of Himself as powerful indicates that what He brings is something that belongs to Him alone, to the exclusion of others. Likewise, His words,

‘or like it,’

support what we have stated, because an unqualified comparison of likeness entails likeness in every respect. This is especially so since He uses a feminine pronoun referring to a verse. It is as though He said: ‘We bring a verse better than it, or a verse like it.’”

I say:

Furthermore, ‘better’ cannot mean that the prescribed action is easier, or that it is more difficult and carries a greater reward. These two descriptions apply to everything Allah commands, whether as an initial prescription or as an abrogating replacement. It is either easier than something else in this world, or more difficult and therefore greater in reward. Since this characteristic necessarily applies to all rulings, it would not be apt to say: ‘Whatever ruling We abrogate, We bring one better than it or like it.’ For, on this understanding, the abrogated ruling could likewise be better or equal. If they interpret ‘better’ as meaning easier, the abrogated ruling might be easier and thus better. If they interpret it as meaning greater in reward because of its difficulty, the abrogated ruling might also fit that description. Yet Allah has declared that He will necessarily bring something better than what He abrogates, or something like it; He does not bring something inferior to it.