In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. All praise is due to Allah. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, alone, without partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger ﷺ.
Chapter: The abrogating and the abrogated (continuation and clarification):
In this section Imam al-Shafi’i, may Allah have mercy on him, continues discussing the issue of abrogation, focusing especially on the relationship between the Sunnah and the Qur’an in this context.
The main points Imam al-Shafi’i addressed in this section:
- The Sunnah is abrogated only by the Sunnah or by the Qur’an: Imam al-Shafi’i affirms that a sunnah of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ is abrogated only by another sunnah of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, or by the Qur’an. He explains that this is the position of the people of knowledge, and that it is not permissible to abrogate the Sunnah by the statements of the Companions, by their ijtihad, or by the ijtihad of a scholar.
- The example of the abrogation of the qiblah: Imam al-Shafi’i cites the example of the abrogation of the qiblah from Jerusalem (Bayt al-Maqdis) to the Ka’bah, and explains that this abrogation took place through the Qur’an, even though the Sunnah confirmed it. He cites the saying of Allah the Exalted: “We have certainly seen the turning of your face, [O Muhammad], toward the heaven, and We will surely turn you to a qiblah with which you will be pleased. So turn your face [i.e., yourself] toward al-Masjid al-Haram” (al-Baqarah 2:144).
- Refuting those who hold that the Qur’an abrogates the Sunnah: Imam al-Shafi’i refutes those who hold that the Qur’an may abrogate the Sunnah, explaining that this view leads to rejecting many authentic sunnahs on the claim that they may have been abrogated by the Qur’an. He clarifies that the Sunnah explains, specifies, and qualifies the Qur’an, and does not contradict it. He stresses the obligation of reconciling the evidence and not setting parts of it against others.
- It is not permissible to claim a sunnah is abrogated merely because there is a verse on its subject: Imam al-Shafi’i affirms that it is not permissible to claim that a sunnah is abrogated merely because there is a verse on its subject with a slight difference between them; rather, they must be reconciled wherever possible, through specification, qualification, or other methods of reconciliation.
- Refuting those who allow that an established sunnah may be abrogated with the abrogating evidence unknown: Imam al-Shafi’i refutes those who say that an established sunnah may have been abrogated while the abrogating evidence is unknown. He explains that this is not permissible, because it leads to abandoning practice of the authentic Sunnah on the claim that it may have been abrogated. He clarifies that Allah has preserved this religion, and nothing of its rulings can be lost.
- The obligation of venerating the Sunnah: Imam al-Shafi’i stresses the obligation of venerating the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, that it clarifies on behalf of Allah the Exalted, and that it may not be rejected under any circumstances.
Additional clarifications:
- The disagreement over abrogating the Qur’an by the Sunnah: The disagreement on this issue is well known among the scholars, and the preponderant view is that it is permissible, because both the Qur’an and the Sunnah are revelation from Allah the Exalted. An example of the Sunnah being abrogated by the Qur’an: the abrogation of facing Jerusalem, which had been established by the Sunnah, by the saying of Allah the Exalted: “and We will surely turn you to a qiblah with which you will be pleased.” An example of the Qur’an being abrogated by the Sunnah: the abrogation of the verse of ten known sucklings establishing the prohibition of marriage, by the mass-transmitted Sunnah.
- Reconciling the evidence: The principle among the scholars is to reconcile the evidence wherever possible, and abrogation is resorted to only when reconciliation is impossible. The methods of reconciliation are many, including specification, qualification, interpreting the unrestricted in light of the restricted, and interpreting the general in light of the specific.
- The importance of knowing the abrogating and the abrogated: Knowing the abrogating and the abrogated is among the most important sciences of the Shariah, because it enables one to act upon the correct rulings and not upon abrogated ones.
Summary:
In this chapter Imam al-Shafi’i explains the importance of the Prophetic Sunnah and its standing in Islamic legislation, clarifies its relationship to the Noble Qur’an in the matter of abrogation, and affirms the obligation of following it and the impermissibility of opposing or rejecting it under any circumstances. He warns against laxity in claiming abrogation, because it leads to the loss of many legal rulings.
All parts of Summary of the Explanation of al-Shafi'i's al-Risala by Dr. Yasir Burhami