, ,August 2026 ,Pages 241-253
One of the significant topics in the sciences of the Holy Qur’an is the issue of abrogation (naskh). In the terminology of usul al-fiqh scholars, abrogation is defined as “the annulment of a previous legal ruling by a subsequent legal proof.” The concept of abrogation has long been—and continues to be—a subject of interest, study, and scholarly research among Qur’anic exegetes, jurists, and other scholars, particularly in the modern era. It is well known that the majority of scholars, both classical and contemporary, have affirmed the existence of abrogation in the Holy Qur’an.
Nevertheless, in recent times, voices denying the existence of abrogation in the Qur’an have increasingly emerged within academic circles. Among contemporary scholars who have denied the occurrence of abrogation in the Qur’an is Dr. Mustafa al-Zalmi. In his book Al-Tibyān li-Rafʿ Ghumūḍ al-Naskh fī al-Qurʾān (Clarification for Removing the Ambiguity of Abrogation in the Qur’an), he argues that he found no single definitive proof establishing the existence of abrogation in the Holy Qur’an.
Al-Zalmi enumerates the arguments advanced in support of abrogation and subsequently refutes and critiques them. He examines the most well-known Qur’anic verses that have been claimed to be abrogated, studying them carefully and firmly asserting that they are decisive (muḥkam) rather than abrogated. Instead, he maintains that these verses fall under other interpretive categories, such as clarification (bayān), specification (takhṣīṣ), restriction (taqyīd), exception (istithnāʾ), legal concession (rukhsah), and gradual legislation (tadarruj), among others—all of which are fundamentally distinct from abrogation.
Moreover, as he explains in the introduction to his book, affirming the existence of abrogation strengthens the claims of Orientalists who have exploited the concept of abrogation to cast doubt on the finality of the divine revelations.
This study examines Shaykh Mustafa al-Zalmi’s scholarly efforts regarding the issue of abrogation through two main sections. The first presents a biographical account of Shaykh al-Zalmi, while the second analyzes his book Al-Tibyān li-Rafʿ Ghumūḍ al-Naskh fī al-Qurʾān. The study concludes with a summary of the main findings and
Associate Professor: Abdul Salam Mohsen Yusuf