The Abrogative and Abrogated Suras of the Qur’an

The Abrogative and Abrogated Suras of the Qur’an:
Al-Nasikh wa al-Mansukh

Al-Baqarah 2:106
Nothing of our revelation (even a single verse) do we abrogate or cause be forgotten, but we bring (in place) one better or the like thereof. Knowest thou not that Allah is Able to do all things?	مَا نَنسَخْ مِنْ آيَةٍ أَوْ نُنسِهَا نَأْتِ بِخَيْرٍ مِّنْهَا أَوْ مِثْلِهَا أَلَمْ تَعْلَمْ أَنَّ اللّهَ عَلَىَ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ	Ayat mana saja yang Kami nasakhkan, atau Kami jadikan (manusia) lupa kepadanya, Kami datangkan yang lebih baik daripadanya atau yang sebanding dengannya. Tiadakah kamu mengetahui bahwa sesungguhnya Allah Maha Kuasa atas segala sesuatu?
Ma nansakh min ayatin aw nunsiha na/ti bikhayrin minha aw mithliha alam taAAlam anna Allaha AAala kulli shay-in qadeerun. Transliteration al-Baqarah 2:106

The Arabic words ‘nasikh‘ and ‘mansukh‘ are both derived from the same root word ‘nasakha‘ which carries meanings such as ‘to abolish, to replace, to withdraw, to abrogate’.

The word nasikh (an active participle) means ‘the abrogating’, while mansukh (passive) means ‘the abrogated’. In technical language these terms refer to certain parts of the Qur’anic revelation, which have been ‘abrogated’ by others. Naturally the abrogated passage is the one called ‘mansukh‘ while the abrogating one is called ‘nasikh‘.¹

Sura	al-Mansukh	Sura	Al-Nasikh	Sura	Al-Nasikh and al-Mansukh
6	al-An’am	48	al-Fath	2	al-Baqarah
7	al-A’raf	59	al-Hashr	3	al-‘Imran
10	Yunus	63	al-Munafiqun	4	an-Nisa
11	Hud	64	at-Taghabun	5	al-Ma’idah
13	ar-Ra’d	65	at-Talaq	8	al-Anfal
15	al-Hijr	87	al-A’la	9	at-Taubah
16	An-Nahl	Total 6 Suras		14	Ibrahim
17	al-Isra’			18	al-Kahf
18	al-Kahf			19	Maryam
20	Ta Ha			21	al-Anbiya’
23	al-Mu’minum			22	al-Hajj
27	an-Naml			24	an-Nur
28	al-Qasas			25	al-Furqan
29	al-‘Ankabut			26	ash-Shu’ara
30	ar-Rum			33	al-Ahzab
31	Luqman			34	Saba
32	as-Sajdah			40	al-Mu’min (Ghafir)40
35	Fatir			42	ash-Shura
37	as-Saffat			51	az-Zariyat
38	Sad			52	at-Tur
39	az-Zumar			56	al-Waqi’ah
43	az-Zukhruf			58	al-Mujadilah
44	ad-Dukhan			73	al-Muzzammil
45	al-Jathiya			103	al-‘Asr
46	al-Ahqaf			108	al-Kauthar
47	Muhammad			Total 25 Suras
50	Qaf
53	an-Najm
54	al-Qamar
60	al-Mumtahinah
68	al-Qalam
70	al-Ma’arij
74	al-Muddaththir
75	al-Qiyamah
76	al-Insan
80	‘Abasa
86	at-Tariq
88	al-Ghashiyah
95	at-Tin
109	al-Kafirun
Total 40 Suras

The Suras That have neither nasikh nor mansukh (“abrogative” nor abrogated”) are 43 in number.²

May 18, 2001

The Abrogative and Abrogated Suras of the Qur’an

The Abrogative and Abrogated Suras of the Qur’an:Al-Nasikh wa al-Mansukh

The Abrogative and Abrogated Suras of the Qur’an:
Al-Nasikh wa al-Mansukh