In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful, and may blessings and peace be upon the noblest of the prophets and messengers, our Prophet Muhammad, and upon all his family and companions.
This is a summary of what was presented in this part of the explanation of Imam al-Shafi’i’s al-Risala, focusing on the important points and clarifications.
Speech among the Arabs (informative and performative):
- Informative speech (khabar): speech that admits of truth and falsehood. The reports of Allah the Exalted and the reports of the Prophet ﷺ are all true.
- Performative speech (insha’): includes requesting a thing or forbidding it, and asking questions. For example: “Open the door,” “Do not eat this food,” “Have you seen so-and-so?”
- Abrogation applies to rulings, not reports: Abrogation in the sense of removal does not occur in reports; it occurs only in rulings.
- A report that carries the meaning of a request or a ruling: A report may carry the meaning of a request (such as the supplication of Ayyub, peace be upon him: “Indeed, adversity has touched me, and You are the most merciful of the merciful” (Al-Anbiya 21:83)), or it may carry the meaning of a ruling (such as “O Prophet, urge the believers to battle” (Al-Anfal 8:65)).
- How is abrogation known? Abrogation is known by two things:
- An explicit text: such as the verse “Now, Allah has lightened [the hardship] for you, and He knows that among you is weakness” (Al-Anfal 8:66), the saying of the Prophet ﷺ “I used to forbid you from visiting graves; now visit them,” and the hadith of temporary marriage (mut’ah).
- An explicit statement of a Companion: such as the saying of ‘A’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her: “Among what was revealed was ten known breastfeedings that make marriage unlawful; then they were abrogated by five known ones.”
- Reconciling apparently conflicting texts: If it is possible to reconcile apparently conflicting texts, that takes precedence over abrogation, because reconciliation puts the texts into effect while abrogation sets them aside, and putting into effect takes precedence over setting aside. Example: the hadith of ‘A’ishah, “Whoever tells you that Muhammad urinated standing has lied,” and the hadith of Hudhayfah, “I saw the Prophet ﷺ urinating while standing.” The reconciliation: the default is to urinate sitting, and it is permissible standing when there is need.
Imam al-Shafi’i’s position on abrogation:
- In summary: Abrogation occurs only by something of the same kind: the Qur’an by the Qur’an, and the Sunnah by the Sunnah. The Sunnah is not abrogated by the Qur’an, and the Qur’an is not abrogated by the Sunnah.
- Response to those who permitted abrogating the Sunnah by consensus (ijma’): Imam al-Shafi’i opposes this view, because Allah did not give any human being after the Prophet ﷺ what He gave him.
- Response to those who claimed the Sunnah is abrogated without a recognized abrogating text: If that were permissible, most of the Sunnahs would be lost. “No obligation is ever abrogated except that another obligation is established in its place.” Example: the abrogation of Bayt al-Maqdis as the qiblah and the establishment of the Ka’bah.
- Is the mass-transmitted (mutawatir) Sunnah abrogated by a solitary report (khabar al-ahad)? There are two views on this, and the correct one is that such abrogation is permissible.
Some observations on Imam al-Shafi’i’s style:
- Using verbal nouns in place of verbs.
- Frequent parenthetical clauses.
- The predicate coming late, after several clauses.
Some important benefits:
- Abrogation occurs only in rulings; as for reports, abrogation does not enter them.
- A report may carry the meaning of a request or a ruling.
- Caution in the matter of breastfeeding: whenever a child latches onto a breast, the prohibition (of marriage) is established as a precaution.
- Reconciling the evidences is preferable to abrogation when possible.
- Legal responsibility for the Sunnah applies to the Muslim who is adult, sane, and able.
We ask Allah the Exalted for acceptance and ease.
All parts of Summary of the Explanation of al-Risala by Shaykh Dr. Ahmad al-Naqeeb