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.
The abrogation of the Sunnah by the Qur’an, and the refutation of the report “Whatever comes to you from me, compare it with the Book of Allah”:
In this section Imam al-Shafi’i deals with a disputed issue in usul al-fiqh: is it permissible for the Sunnah to be abrogated by the Qur’an? He also refutes the well-known report “Whatever comes to you from me, compare it with the Book of Allah,” which some use as evidence that this is permissible.
The main points Imam al-Shafi’i addressed in this section:
- An example of the abrogating and the abrogated in the Sunnah: Imam al-Shafi’i gives a clear example of abrogation in the Sunnah: the change of the qiblah from Jerusalem to the Ka’bah. He explains that facing Jerusalem was right in its time, then it was abrogated by facing the Ka’bah, and that the Ka’bah is the qiblah until the Day of Resurrection. He affirms that denying abrogation is a misguided innovation that contradicts the Book, the Sunnah, and the consensus of the scholars of the nation.
- The wisdom behind the existence of the abrogating and the abrogated: Imam al-Shafi’i explains that the existence of the abrogating and the abrogated in the Book and the Sunnah shows that when Allah establishes a sunnah and then changes it to another, people must follow the abrogating ruling so as not to remain upon the abrogated one. He points out that the nation as a whole cannot be ignorant of the abrogating ruling, but some people may be unaware of it and remain upon the abrogated ruling while excused, as happened to some Companions who prayed toward Jerusalem after the command to face the Ka’bah had been revealed, because they did not know of the abrogating ruling.
- According to al-Shafi’i, the Sunnah is not abrogated by the Qur’an: Imam al-Shafi’i affirms that the Sunnah may not be abrogated by the Qur’an, because in his view the Sunnah explains the Qur’an, and a clarification of the Sunnah cannot be abrogated by the Qur’an alone. He explains that Allah established His proof against His creation in two ways: His Book, and then the Sunnah of His Prophet ﷺ; and that the Sunnah does not contradict the Book of Allah but follows it, either corresponding to what was revealed or clarifying a meaning Allah intended. He points out that most of the abrogating rulings in the Book of Allah are known only through an indication from the sunnahs of the Messenger of Allah.
- Conditions of abrogation: Imam al-Shafi’i explains the conditions of abrogation:
- An explicit statement of abrogation from the Prophet ﷺ: as in his saying: “I used to forbid you from visiting graves, but now visit them.”
- A conflict that cannot be reconciled, with the chronology established: so the later abrogates the earlier. He gives the example of the issue of ablution after eating what has been touched by fire, where some scholars see it as possible to reconcile the command to perform ablution with not performing it, by interpreting the command as recommendation and not performing it as showing permissibility, so abrogation is not resorted to.
- Refuting the report “Whatever comes to you from me, compare it with the Book of Allah”: Imam al-Shafi’i explains that this report was not narrated by anyone whose narration is accepted in anything, small or great, and that it is disconnected (munqati’) through an unknown man, so it is not accepted in anything. He affirms that this report contradicts the Book, as Allah the Exalted said: “And whatever the Messenger has given you - take; and what he has forbidden you - refrain from” (al-Hashr 59:7). It is reported from Yahya ibn Ma’in, al-Khattabi, and al-‘Ajluni that it is a fabricated report invented by the heretics (zanadiqah).
- Examples of the Sunnah clarifying the Qur’an: Imam al-Shafi’i gives examples of the Sunnah clarifying the Qur’an:
- Clarifying the manner of prayer, the number of prayers, their times, and their sunnahs.
- Clarifying the minimum threshold of zakah, what it is due on, and its time.
- Clarifying the manner of Hajj, and what is avoided and permitted in it.
- Specifying the generality of the verses on theft and fornication, where the Sunnah made clear that amputation is for the theft of a minimum value, and that flogging is for unmarried free persons, not for those who have been married or for slaves.
- The obligation of following the Sunnah: Imam al-Shafi’i affirms the obligation of following the Sunnah, and that whoever rejects the command of the Prophet ﷺ has brought hardship upon himself, because Allah made it obligatory on people to follow his command.
Additional clarifications:
- The importance of the Sunnah in legislation (reaffirmed): Imam al-Shafi’i explains the importance of the Prophetic Sunnah in Islamic legislation: it is the second source after the Noble Qur’an, and it clarifies, details, qualifies, and specifies the Qur’an.
- Kinds of clarification (reaffirmed): Imam al-Shafi’i points out that clarification comes in multiple ways, such as qualification, specification, detailing, and explanation.
- The difference between transmission by chain, by mass transmission, by widespread report, and by consensus (reaffirmed): Imam al-Shafi’i explains that the religion is transmitted from the Messenger ﷺ in multiple ways, such as transmission by chain of narration, mass transmission, widespread report, and consensus.
- Analogy in the Shariah (reaffirmed): Imam al-Shafi’i points to analogy as one of the sources of legislation, explaining that it is used to derive rulings from the legal texts.
Summary:
In this section Imam al-Shafi’i explains the issue of the abrogation of the Sunnah by the Qur’an, refutes the fabricated report “Whatever comes to you from me, compare it with the Book of Allah,” and affirms the obligation of following the Sunnah, and that it clarifies, details, qualifies, and specifies the Qur’an. He clarifies the conditions of abrogation and its examples, and explains that the Sunnah does not contradict the Qur’an but follows it.
All parts of Summary of the Explanation of al-Shafi'i's al-Risala by Dr. Yasir Burhami