Reading the abrogated verse

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Question:
Honorable Shaykh, is it permissible to recite an abrogated verse?

Answer:
No, it is not permissible to recite it, except if it is solely for the purpose of learning. However, reciting it along with the Qur'an in prayer is not permissible. If its wording has been abrogated, it is not permissible to recite it. As for what is abrogated in its ruling but not in its wording, it is permissible to recite it. If the abrogation is of the ruling but not the wording, it is permissible, such as the verse

And those who are taken in death among you and leave wives behind - they, [the wives, shall] wait

وَالَّذِينَ يُتَوَفَّوْنَ مِنكُمْ وَيَذَرُونَ أَزْوَاجًا يَتَرَبَّصْنَ بِأَنفُسِهِنَّ

[Al-Baqarah 2:234]

And those who are taken in death among you and leave wives behind - for their wives is a bequest: maintenance for one year

وَالَّذِينَ يُتَوَفَّوْنَ مِنكُمْ وَيَذَرُونَ أَزْوَاجًا وَصِيَّةً لِّأَزْوَاجِهِم مَّتَاعًا إِلَى الْحَوْلِ

[Al-Baqarah 2:240]

. The waiting period for a widow was a full year in the early days of Islam, then Allah abrogated it by His saying, the Exalted:

And those who are taken in death among you and leave wives behind - they, [the wives, shall] wait four months and ten [days]

وَالَّذِينَ يُتَوَفَّوْنَ مِنكُمْ وَيَذَرُونَ أَزْوَاجًا يَتَرَبَّصْنَ بِأَنفُسِهِنَّ أَرْبَعَةَ أَشْهُرٍ وَعَشْرًا

[Al-Baqarah 2:234]

. So if the abrogation is of the ruling but not the recitation, it is permissible. But if the abrogation is of the wording but not the ruling, such as the verse on stoning, then it is not permissible to recite it.

Source شرح بلوغ المرام من أدلة الأحكام [ صالح الفوزان ]، تتمة باب حد الزاني — islamhouse.com (1:15:19)

The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.

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