Copying in the Qur’an

This paper deals with the topic of “Naskh” in the Holy Qur’an from a critical and analytical angle that moves away from traditional jurisprudential conceptualizations and reconstructs the concept within the internal Qur’anic context. The researcher starts from the central premise that the concept of “naskh” as mentioned in the Qur’an does not mean erasure or abrogation, but rather “proof” and “transfer” from one book to another, as evidenced by the three places where this root is mentioned in the Qur’anic text: (Al-Jathiyah 29, Al-A’raf 154, and Al-Hajj 52).

The researcher refutes the common views that the Qur’an contains mansukh verses in the sense of legislatively abrogated verses, and shows that this perception is based on weak narratives, such as the “Graneeq” narrative, misinterpretation of terminology, and neglect of the overall Qur’anic context. He also refutes the use of al-Baqarah (106) and al-Nahl (101) as evidence for the existence of legislative transcription, explaining that the verses in these verses refer to cosmic signs or miracles, not legislative rulings.

The research goes on to deconstruct the use of the word “ayah” in the Qur’an and shows that it has three different connotations: (miracle, sign, and cosmic sign), and that the failure to distinguish between them has led to confusion of concepts and the expansion of the circle of copying without argument.

The researcher also reviews the most famous places where naskh has been claimed, such as: He shows that these claims are based on a careful disregard for the context, an overlap in terminology, and a failure to distinguish between a “foundational provision” and a “social commandment.” In addition, the researcher shows that these claims are based on a careful disregard for the context, an overlap in terminology, and a failure to distinguish between a “foundational provision” and a “social commandment.

The research concludes that the claim that there are forgotten verses in the Qur’an constitutes an implicit challenge to the perfection of the book and the completeness of its revelation, and opens the door to tampering with the text. This perception contradicts the Qur’anic perception itself, which emphasizes that this book is a divinely preserved mental verse, transcending time and space, and that it cannot be contradictory in its provisions, as if it were from other than God “they would find much difference” (al-Nisa: 82).