Australian Islamist Monitor

Geoff Dickson recently wrote on AIM about keeping it simple when understanding the truth, and thus horrors, of Islam. One simple but important aspect of Islam to remember is that of "abrogation" in the Quran. Abrogation means the cancelling or replacement of one Quranic verse by another (where there is a contradiction between the two) and is critical to interpreting the Quran. It also highlights what a fatal mistake it is to assume that all verses in the Quran are somehow applicable today.

This is an oft written about subject and I note that Mumin Salih and Abul Kasem have written extensively on AIM in Islam - Basics about the contradictions and inconsistencies in the Quran. It is fascinating to learn from them the sheer delusion and rejection of logic that Muslims go through to convince themselves that Mohammed's hate manual is actually written by Big Al himself. Circe has also produced two excellent articles on abrogation for AIM in February and April 2008 which go into more detailed analysis than I intend to today.

My intention therefore is to provide a pointer to the materials already on this website and a summary refresher on this simple but significant concept. Importantly, understanding abrogation allows an immediate response to any Muslim's lie that Islam is "peaceful" or an apologist or misguided non-Muslim's assertion that the "peaceful" verses of the Quran justify their appeasement and support of Islam in Australia.

There are various other Muslim tools for dealing with errors and contradictions in the Quran like changing or adapting the meaning of verses, saying "you just don't understand the Arabic meaning" or "it's all open to interpretation" as well as the usual practice of disingenuously explaining away contradictions with flawed logic. Or, like with the "Satanic Verses", you just take out the offending verses and claim that Satan came down in the guise of Gabriel and revealed them to Mohammed as a trick.

We're focusing on abrogation though and the Quran itself evidences its author's appreciation that contradictions abound: Verse 2:106 states:

“Whatever verse (Revelations) do We abrogate or cause to be forgotten but We bring a better one or similar to it.” along with verse 16:101: And when We put a revelation in place of (another) revelation, - and Allah knoweth best what He revealeth - they say: Lo! thou art but inventing. Most of them know not.

Some Muslims claim that these two verses refer to the scriptures of the Jews and Christians being abrogated, not earlier verses of the Quran. Scrutiny of such verses and their context does not make this apparent at all and the Quran refers elsewhere to these scriptures with a different name 'kitab' to the term used in these verses.

Most Muslims though seem quite happy with the concept; the Quran says it is perfect, so it's perfect. If Allah wants to change his mind, he can change his mind! Where a contradiction is so blatantly obvious it must be spoke of, then it was just an improvement to suit the conditions of the time, forgetting that the Quran ought to be perfect and eternal if it's from Allah.

Zakaria Botros is a Coptic priest from Egypt. He is not a particularly popular figure throughout the Islamic world for his sharp  critiques of the Quran and other books of Islam.

In any event the Islamic study of abrogation is known as “Nasikh wa Mansukh”, the abrogators and the abrogated, so the concept is hardly controversial (except when you point out to a Muslim that it's proof God didn't write the Quran). The Encyclopedia of Islam states on abrogation: Rather than attempting to explain away the inconsistencies in passages...Kuran scholars and jurists came to acknowledge the differences, while arguing that the latest verse on any subject “abrogated” all earlier verses that contradicted it.

Possibly the most well know example of abrogation is the cancellation of verse 2:256 “there is no compulsion in religion”. We hear this verse a lot from the dhimmitude-willing and it's in the Quran, so do Muslims really force people to Islam? If so, why is this verse in the Quran then and why are we still worried?

Mohammed, along with many other charlatans of the day, initially preached his new religion in Mecca. However, after 13 years he had only 70-80 followers at most and the Meccans, knowing he was a false prophet, tired of him and sent him packing. During this 13 years Mohammed (or his poet mates) wrote the "peaceful" verses and if the Meccans had bought it (or killed Mohammed as some wanted to) well, just imagine the "what if".

However, he and his rabble of followers made their way to Medina, poor and desperate. Within a year of impoverished exile, he'd had enough and took a new approach, he began raiding merchant caravans and stealing the goods, raping and enslaving the women and subjecting the men to slavery or conversion. Allah kindly made provision for Mohammed to keep 20% of the booty too.

To keep his followers sweet, he promised rewards in paradise for obeying him and eternal hellfire (and a quick route to it) for those who didn't cooperate - it was Allah's commands. The raids got bigger and more plentiful; the slaves, women and converted kept snowballing in numbers. As the Pakistani Islamic Scholar and fanatical jihadist Al Maudoody said: “Mohammad became strong enough to move from the stage of weakness to the stage of Jihad”.

Eventually Mohammed became a powerful warlord, his followers an army of brainwashed thugs and criminals helping to carry out his territorial gains and crimes against humanity. With violence and intimidation came power, wealth and sexual gratification, he had none preaching "peaceful" verses, so the Quranic verses took an irreversible and sinister turn. The rest is history, and present and a likely future it seems.

Thus to accommodate the peaceful verses, the Quran cancels them out, as they contradict the will of Mohammed now he had found power through violence and jihad. There is also the simple fact that, a book written over 23-odd years, by multiple authors, might just contain the odd contradiction or two.

The importance of all this is understanding that later verses of the Quran (the violent ones) are all that matter when it comes to jihad and Muslim relations with non-Muslims. It is simple, the Medina verses abrogate the Mecca verses where there is any contradiction. Most Muslim scholars accept that Quran verse 9:5 alone, “the verse of the sword”, abrogates almost all the peaceful verses. Verse 9:5 states:

"Then, when the sacred months have passed, slay the idolaters wherever ye find them, and take them (captive), and besiege them, and prepare for them each ambush. But if they repent and establish worship and pay the jizya, then leave their way free. Lo! Allah is Forgiving, Merciful."

Below are more examples of early Meccan verses written when Mohammed was weak and those written in Medina after he became powerful (thanks to Faith Freedom International for the comparisons):

Meccan Verse: 2:256: There is no compulsion in religion. Medina verse: 9:123: Oh ye who believe! Murder those of the disbelievers and let them find harshness in you.

Meccan Verse: 73:10: Be patient with what they say, and part from them courteously. Medina verse: 8:12: I will instill terror into the hearts of the unbelievers: smite ye above their necks and smite all their finger-tips off.

Meccan Verse: 109:6: To you be your religion, and to me my religion. Medina verse: 3:85: Whoso desires another religion than Islam, it shall not be accepted of him; in the next world he shall be among the losers.

Meccan Verse: 10:99: If it had been thy Lord’s Will, they would all have believed, all who are on earth! Wilt thou then compel mankind against their will to believe! Medina verse: 2:193: Fight them on until there is no more tumult and religion becomes that of Allah.

Meccan Verse: 50:45: We well know what the infidels say: but you are not to compel them. Medina verse: 9:14: Fight them, and Allah will punish them by your hands, cover them with shame, help you (to victory) over them, heal the breasts of Believers.

Meccan Verse: 43:88,89: O Lord, these are people who do not believe,’ Bear with them and wish them ‘peace.’ In the end they shall know their folly. Medina verse: 47:4: When you meet the unbelievers, strike off their heads; then when you have made wide slaughter among them, carefully tie up the remaining captives.

Meccan Verse: 50:45: We know best what they say; and thou art not one to overawe them by force. Medina verse: 8:65: O Prophet! rouse the Believers to the fight. If there are twenty amongst you, patient and persevering, they will vanquish two hundred: if a hundred, they will vanquish a thousand of the Unbelievers.

Meccan Verse: 45:14: Tell those who believe, to forgive those who do not look forward to the Days of Allah. Medina verse: 8:60: Against them make ready your strength to the utmost of your power, including steeds of war, to strike terror into (the hearts of) the enemies, of Allah and your enemies.

For a detailed analysis of abrogated verses I also refer to "Abrogation in the Koran" by Anwarul Haqq published 16 June 2006. There are many more examples of abrogated verses painstakingly set out here.

So we have a lot to worry about and are left in no doubt of the intentions of Islam. At least though, armed with the concept of abrogation, the deceivers, misinformed and ignorant get a good history lesson when I'm told I need "understanding of Islam". This lesson from me is just part of the da'wah of my new religion. It doesn't have a name yet but it teaches peace and the rejection of all Satanic teachings of Mohammed. It's a work in progress but at least I have a mechanism for its perfection when I'm happy with it.