This section begins by stating, Whatever a Verse do we abrogate [withdraw] or cause to be forgotten, We bring a better one or similar to it. Know you not that Allah is able to do all things? (16:101 is congruent.)
Or does it? There is disagreement among Muslim interpreters about whether this verse refers to cases in which some parts of the Quran overrule other (earlier) parts of the Quran, or whether it refers to temporary signs (Ayat) in nature, or whether this verse refers to the Quran overruling earlier Scriptures, or whether this verse refers to some Hadith outweighing other Hadith.
At www.submission.org/abrogation.html part of a website promoting Khalifite teachings one may read a defense of the idea that nothing in the Quran withdraws any other part of the Quran. (The Khalifite apologist who wrote that essay seems willing to undermine Islamic teaching to save it; elsewhere, in the process of attempting to show that no one can deny that surah 54:1 refers to acts of the Apollo 11 astronauts, he explicitly rejects some Hadith the ones which state that the moon was split in two as a miracle supportive of Muhammad. He helpfully cites these Hadith near the bottom of the page at www.submission.org/miracle/moon.html (Sahih Muslim, Book 39, #6725-6726 and Sahih Bukhari, Vol. 6, Book 60, #387).)
Most Muslims, though, believe that some verses in the Quran overrule, or withdraw, other verses in the Quran, especially when two verses say two things; the later verse overrules the earlier one. A clear example of this is the withdraw of 2:62; that verse is regarded as overruled by 3:85. Another example is the withdraw of 2:109, where Muhammads hearers are told to forgive, and overlook, till Allah brings His command in regard to Jews and Christians who attempt to persuade Muslims that Muhammad is a false prophet. This has been abrogated by 9:29 (Fight against those who believe not in Allah).
The view that some parts of the Quran have been replaced with better parts has been promulgated for some time. A brief discussion of the subject may be found at www.youngmuslims.ca/online_library/books/ulum_al_quran/Ch5S3s7.htm .
The text narrows its focus to discuss the opponents of Muhammad. Those who claim that only Jews or Christians will enter Paradise are challenged to prove it. On Judgment Day, Allah will sort out whats what regarding the things about which the Jews, Christians, and pagans disagree.
Verse 115 states that Wherever you turn (probably the idea involves turning to pray) there is the throne of Allah. (The idea that you may pray in any direction is withdrawn later, though.) And Allah is all-sufficient for His creatures needs. That could be adapted to agree with Philippians 4:19 (And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in Christ Jesus and several verses in the Psalms).
Verse 116 explicitly rejects the statement that Allah has begotten a Son. Here I think it is a good idea to stop and give some background information. Though I have been using the term Christians throughout these remarks, bear in mind that the Christians encountered by Muhammad in Arabia had some rather unusual beliefs. All sorts of heresies had drifted away from the Byzantine Empire, including Nestorianism, Adoptionism, Choloridianism, and docetism. The degree to which the Christianity in Arabia in Muhammads era resembled the Christianity of most Christians in Muhammads time-period is probably about the same as the degree to which Mormonism resembles the Christianity of most Christians today.
Some Christians in Arabia may have taught that an angel, or a theophanous being (an incarnation of God which materialized on the spot for a particular purpose, as in Genesis 18) had intercourse with Mary, and that they were teaching that that was the reason why they called Jesus the Son of God. And even if they were not doing so, it seems likely that Muhammad interpreted them that way, perhaps because it was not readily obvious that when Greek-speaking Christians used the term "begotten," they used the term to convey that Jesus is the "exact representation of His [God's] glory," a la Hebrews 1:3, not to mean that God took a wife and conceived a son the way that men do.
Aberrant concepts of the Trinity may also account for the Qurans statement in 5:116, in which Allah is pictured asking Jesus, on the Day of Judgment, Did you say unto men, Worship me and my mother as two gods besides Allah? Unless 5:116 was intended to refute a claim that never existed, it would seem that when Muhammad rejected the Trinity, he rejected the tritheistic concept of Allah-Mother-Son, and when he denied that Jesus was the "begotten Son" of Allah, he rejected the heretical idea that Allah had performed bodily intercourse upon Mary. Needless to say, orthodox Christians deny both of these things too.
The surah continues: Muhammad is informed that neither the Jews nor the Christians will be persuaded to agree with him, but he is to warn them and remind them anyway. This is similar to Gods commands to some Old Testament prophets (see Ezekiel 33:1-9 for an example, in which God tells Ezekiel, "You shall hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me" which is similar to the phrase in 2:119, "We have sent you, a bringer of glad tidings, and a warner.").
2:123 basically repeats 2:48.
Yours in Christ,
Waterrock
Or does it? There is disagreement among Muslim interpreters about whether this verse refers to cases in which some parts of the Quran overrule other (earlier) parts of the Quran, or whether it refers to temporary signs (Ayat) in nature, or whether this verse refers to the Quran overruling earlier Scriptures, or whether this verse refers to some Hadith outweighing other Hadith.
At www.submission.org/abrogation.html part of a website promoting Khalifite teachings one may read a defense of the idea that nothing in the Quran withdraws any other part of the Quran. (The Khalifite apologist who wrote that essay seems willing to undermine Islamic teaching to save it; elsewhere, in the process of attempting to show that no one can deny that surah 54:1 refers to acts of the Apollo 11 astronauts, he explicitly rejects some Hadith the ones which state that the moon was split in two as a miracle supportive of Muhammad. He helpfully cites these Hadith near the bottom of the page at www.submission.org/miracle/moon.html (Sahih Muslim, Book 39, #6725-6726 and Sahih Bukhari, Vol. 6, Book 60, #387).)
Most Muslims, though, believe that some verses in the Quran overrule, or withdraw, other verses in the Quran, especially when two verses say two things; the later verse overrules the earlier one. A clear example of this is the withdraw of 2:62; that verse is regarded as overruled by 3:85. Another example is the withdraw of 2:109, where Muhammads hearers are told to forgive, and overlook, till Allah brings His command in regard to Jews and Christians who attempt to persuade Muslims that Muhammad is a false prophet. This has been abrogated by 9:29 (Fight against those who believe not in Allah).
The view that some parts of the Quran have been replaced with better parts has been promulgated for some time. A brief discussion of the subject may be found at www.youngmuslims.ca/online_library/books/ulum_al_quran/Ch5S3s7.htm .
The text narrows its focus to discuss the opponents of Muhammad. Those who claim that only Jews or Christians will enter Paradise are challenged to prove it. On Judgment Day, Allah will sort out whats what regarding the things about which the Jews, Christians, and pagans disagree.
Verse 115 states that Wherever you turn (probably the idea involves turning to pray) there is the throne of Allah. (The idea that you may pray in any direction is withdrawn later, though.) And Allah is all-sufficient for His creatures needs. That could be adapted to agree with Philippians 4:19 (And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in Christ Jesus and several verses in the Psalms).
Verse 116 explicitly rejects the statement that Allah has begotten a Son. Here I think it is a good idea to stop and give some background information. Though I have been using the term Christians throughout these remarks, bear in mind that the Christians encountered by Muhammad in Arabia had some rather unusual beliefs. All sorts of heresies had drifted away from the Byzantine Empire, including Nestorianism, Adoptionism, Choloridianism, and docetism. The degree to which the Christianity in Arabia in Muhammads era resembled the Christianity of most Christians in Muhammads time-period is probably about the same as the degree to which Mormonism resembles the Christianity of most Christians today.
Some Christians in Arabia may have taught that an angel, or a theophanous being (an incarnation of God which materialized on the spot for a particular purpose, as in Genesis 18) had intercourse with Mary, and that they were teaching that that was the reason why they called Jesus the Son of God. And even if they were not doing so, it seems likely that Muhammad interpreted them that way, perhaps because it was not readily obvious that when Greek-speaking Christians used the term "begotten," they used the term to convey that Jesus is the "exact representation of His [God's] glory," a la Hebrews 1:3, not to mean that God took a wife and conceived a son the way that men do.
Aberrant concepts of the Trinity may also account for the Qurans statement in 5:116, in which Allah is pictured asking Jesus, on the Day of Judgment, Did you say unto men, Worship me and my mother as two gods besides Allah? Unless 5:116 was intended to refute a claim that never existed, it would seem that when Muhammad rejected the Trinity, he rejected the tritheistic concept of Allah-Mother-Son, and when he denied that Jesus was the "begotten Son" of Allah, he rejected the heretical idea that Allah had performed bodily intercourse upon Mary. Needless to say, orthodox Christians deny both of these things too.
The surah continues: Muhammad is informed that neither the Jews nor the Christians will be persuaded to agree with him, but he is to warn them and remind them anyway. This is similar to Gods commands to some Old Testament prophets (see Ezekiel 33:1-9 for an example, in which God tells Ezekiel, "You shall hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me" which is similar to the phrase in 2:119, "We have sent you, a bringer of glad tidings, and a warner.").
2:123 basically repeats 2:48.
Yours in Christ,
Waterrock
