“Whatever verse We abrogate,” it refers to what has already been revealed of the Quran; the two understood this as referring to transcription. “Or defer it” means: We delay it so that it is not forthcoming—namely, what has not been revealed.

This interpretation, however, is questionable. Ibn Abī Hātim narrated through an established chain of transmission from ʿAtāʾ concerning “Whatever verse We abrogate”: “As for what has been abrogated, it is what was left of the Quran”—turika, “was left” (with the letter kāf). It seems that someone misread this as nazala (“was revealed”), from nuzūl (“revelation”), since the expression “was left” is ambiguous. Thus Ibn Abī Hātim said: “He means that it was left unrevealed to Muhammad.”

Yet this is not what ʿAtāʾ meant. Rather, he meant that it was left written and recited, while its ruling was abrogated, as previously reported from others. What Allah deferred is what He delayed and did not reveal. Saʿīd and ʿAtāʾ were among the most knowledgeable of the Successors; this would not have escaped them.

Ibn ʿĀmir read, “Mā nansakh min āyah” (“Whatever verse We abrogate”). Abū Hātim claimed that he had erred, but that is not so. Some interpreted it in this sense, explaining: “Whatever We transcribe” means “We cause you to transcribe it,” just as one says, “I had him write this.”

Another explanation is that ansakha means “to make something abrogated,” just as qabarahu is used to mean burying someone, whereas aqbarahu means providing him with a grave; and taradahu means banishing someone, whereas atradahu means making him an outcast. This is closer to the reading of the majority.

The correct interpretation of “or defer it” is: We hold it back with Us and do not reveal it. The meaning is: whatever We abrogate of the verses We have revealed, or defer revealing of the verses We have not yet revealed, “We bring one better than it or similar to it.” Just as He provides them with a replacement for what has been withdrawn, He provides them with a replacement for what is awaited and has not yet been revealed, until He sends it down