Majmu' al-Fatawa - Ibn Taimiya - (17/189)

Majmu' al-FatawaIbn Taimiya

for wisdom has required that its revelation be delayed. He therefore provides them, at that time, with something like it or better, until the time comes for its revelation. He then reveals it as well, alongside what came before, while what He provided in its place before its revelation is like it or better.

As for what He has revealed to them and has not abrogated, it needs no replacement. Were Allah to bring something better or similar in place of everything He had not abrogated, this would entail an endless succession of revelations. Likewise, if the intended meaning were that He postpones its abrogation until a certain time and then abrogates it, then, as long as it remains with them, it needs no replacement that is like it or better. A replacement is needed only for what they do not have: what they have been made to forget, or what He has delayed revealing and has not yet revealed. Hence, He does not provide a replacement for everything He has not revealed, but rather for what He has deferred, delaying its revelation. For if everything not yet revealed were to have a replacement, this would entail an endless succession of revelations. Rather, whatever was known to be forthcoming, but whose revelation He delayed, remains unavailable to them until it is revealed, just as they lose what was revealed and then abrogated. Thus He, glorified be He, provides a replacement for each of these.

As for what He has revealed and left with them, postponing its abrogation until a certain time, this needs no replacement, since it itself remains.

If this were the intended meaning, then, for every Quranic passage He abrogated, something like it or better would have to be revealed before its abrogation. Then, upon abrogating it, He would bring something better or similar. Every abrogated passage would thus have two replacements: one before its abrogation and another after it. The replacement preceding its abrogation would have no designated time for its revelation to begin, so it would have to be revealed from the very outset. This would entail all of that being revealed at the very beginning of revelation, and this is false

فَإِنَّ الْحِكْمَةَ اقْتَضَتْ تَأْخِيرَ نُزُولِهِ فَيُعَوِّضُهُمْ بِمِثْلِهِ أَوْ خَيْرٍ مِنْهُ فِي ذَلِكَ الْوَقْتِ إلَى أَنْ يَجِيءَ وَقْتُ نُزُولِهِ فَيُنْزِلُهُ أَيْضًا مَعَ مَا تَقَدَّمَ وَيَكُونُ مَا عَوَّضَهُ مِثْلَهُ أَوْ خَيْرًا مِنْهُ قَبْلَ نُزُولِهِ. وَأَمَّا مَا أَنْزَلَهُ إلَيْهِمْ وَلَمْ يَنْسَخْهُ فَهَذَا لَا يَحْتَاجُ إلَى بَدَلٍ وَلَوْ كَانَ كُلُّ مَا لَمْ يَنْسَخْهُ اللَّهُ يَأْتِ بِخَيْرٍ مِنْهُ أَوْ مِثْلِهِ لَزِمَ إنْزَالُ مَا لَا نِهَايَةَ لَهُ. وَكَذَلِكَ إنْ قُدِّرَ أَنَّ الْمُرَادَ يُؤَخِّرُ نَسْخَهُ إلَى وَقْتٍ ثُمَّ يَنْسَخُهُ فَإِنَّهُ مَا دَامَ عِنْدَهُمْ لَمْ يَحْتَجْ إلَى بَدَلٍ يَكُونُ مِثْلَهُ أَوْ خَيْرًا مِنْهُ وَإِنَّمَا الْبَدَلُ لِمَا لَيْسَ عِنْدَهُمْ مِمَّا أَنْسَوْهُ أَوْ أَخَّرَ نُزُولَهُ فَلَمْ يُنْزِلْهُ بَعْدُ وَلِهَذَا لَمْ يَجْعَلْ الْبَدَلَ لِكُلِّ مَا لَمْ يُنْزِلْهُ بَلْ لِمَا نَسَأَهُ فَأَخَّرَ نُزُولَهُ إذْ لَوْ كَانَ كُلُّ مَا لَمْ يَنْزِلْ يَكُونُ لَهُ بَدَلٌ لَزِمَ إنْزَالُ مَا لَا نِهَايَةَ لَهُ بَلْ مَا كَانَ يُعْلَمُ أَنَّهُ سَيُنْزِلُهُ وَقَدْ أَخَّرَ نُزُولَهُ يَكُونُونَ فَاقِدِيهِ إلَى حِينِ يَنْزِلُ كَمَا يَفْقِدُونَ مَا نَزَلَ ثُمَّ نُسِخَ فَيَجْعَلُ سُبْحَانَهُ لِهَذَا بَدَلًا وَلِهَذَا بَدَلًا. وَأَمَّا مَا أَنْزَلَهُ وَأَقَرَّهُ عِنْدَهُمْ وَأَخَّرَ نُسَخَهُ إلَى وَقْتٍ فَهَذَا لَا يَحْتَاجُ إلَى بَدَلٍ فَإِنَّهُ نَفْسُهُ بَاقٍ. وَلَوْ كَانَ هَذَا مُرَادًا لَكَانَ كُلُّ قُرْآنٍ قَدْ نَسَخَهُ يَجِبُ أَنْ يَنْزِلَ قَبْلَ نَسْخِهِ مَا هُوَ مِثْلُهُ أَوْ خَيْرٌ مِنْهُ ثُمَّ إذَا نَسَخَهُ يَأْتِي بِخَيْرٍ مِنْهُ أَوْ مِثْلِهِ فَيَكُونُ لِكُلِّ مَنْسُوخٍ بَدَلَانِ: بَدَلٌ قَبْلَ نَسْخِهِ وَبَدَلٌ بَعْدَ نَسْخِهِ. وَالْبَدَلُ الَّذِي قَبْلَ نَسْخِهِ لَا ابْتِدَاءَ لِنُزُولِهِ فَيَجِبُ أَنْ يَنْزِلَ مِنْ أَوَّلِ الْأَمْرِ فَيَلْزَمُ نُزُولُ ذَلِكَ كُلِّهِ فِي أَوَّلِ الْوَحْيِ وَهَذَا بَاطِلٌ