What is the validity of the position held by some scholars that there is not a single valid example of the Qur'an being abrogated by the Sunnah?

The questioner : What is the validity of the position held by some scholars that there is not a single valid, sound example of the Sunnah being abrogated by the Qur'an, or of the Sunnah abrogating the Qur'an?

The Shaykh : Ah, I mean the abrogation of the Qur'an by the Sunnah.

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh : Before answering, or rather, before giving a correct answer without evasion, before presenting the answer, we must offer a preamble. There is a type of abrogation acknowledged by all scholars, even those who say that it is not permissible for the Sunnah to abrogate the Qur'an. Even those who say that the Qur'an cannot be abrogated by the Sunnah affirm a type of abrogation: that is the general text and the specific text. The general text and the specific text fall within the terminology of the Salaf regarding the abrogating and the abrogated. This is because the general text has some of its parts abrogated from it. Thus, the matter becomes easy if someone asks, whether he is right or wrong, whether there is a text in the Qur'an, from its beginning to its end, a verse for example, short or long, that was abrogated by the Sunnah. What is the danger in this statement? They say that many, many parts of dozens of Qur'anic texts had some of their parts abrogated by authentic hadiths. I say this as a preamble, as I mentioned, if we can provide an example that convinces the deniers. You know His saying, the Exalted: at its end: , excuse me, before that is also not this, . This is undoubtedly an explicit ruling in this verse. . When the Companions of the Messenger, peace be upon him, heard this verse when he, peace and blessings be upon him, recited it, the matter was great for them, and indeed the matter is great. It is reported in "Sahih Muslim" that a man came to the Prophet, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him, and said: O Messenger of Allah, we find in ourselves things that we consider too great to speak about. He said: . He said: Yes. He said: . And as he, peace be upon him, said in another hadith: لا يزال الخلق يتساءلون حتى يقولوا : هذا الله خلق الخلق ؛ فَمَن خَلَقَ الله ؟ فإذا وجد أحدكم شيئًا من ذلك فليقل : قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ * اللَّهُ الصَّمَدُ The creation will keep asking until they say: This is Allah who created the creation; so who created Allah? So if one of you finds any of that, let him say: Say, He is Allah, the One. Allah, the Eternal Refuge, and other narrations on the subject. This is what a person finds in himself and keeps secret and hides. If Allah, Mighty and Majestic, were to hold people accountable for what is in their hearts, no one would be saved at all. Therefore, عظم الأمر على الصحابة ، فجاؤوا إلى النبي - صلى الله عليه وسلم - وجثوا على الركب ، فقالوا : يا رسول الله ، أُمِرنا بالصلاة فصلَّينا ، وبالصيام فَصُمْنا ، وبالحج وبكلِّ الفرائض ، أما أن يُؤاخذنا الله - عز وجل - بما في نفوسنا ؛ فهذا مما لا طاقة لنا به ! قال - عليه السلام - : أتريدون أن تقولوا كما قال قوم موسى لموسى : سَمِعْنَا وَعَصَيْنَا ؛ قولوا : سمعنا وأطعنا ، قولوا : سمعنا وأطعنا ؛ فما زالوا يقولونها حتى ذلَّتْ بها ألسنتهم وخضعت لها قلوبهم ، فأنزل الله - عز وجل - : لَا يُكَلِّفُ اللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ The matter was of great gravity to the Companions, so they came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and knelt on their knees, saying: “O Messenger of Allah, we have been commanded to pray, so we prayed; to fast, so we fasted; to perform Hajj, and to fulfill all the obligatory duties. But that Allah (Mighty and Majestic) should hold us accountable for what is in our hearts? That is something we have no capacity for!” He (peace be upon him) said: “Do you wish to say what the people of Moses said to Moses: ‘We heard and we disobeyed’? Say: ‘We heard and we obeyed.’ Say: ‘We heard and we obeyed.’” They kept saying it until their tongues became accustomed to it and their hearts submitted to it. Then Allah (Mighty and Majestic) revealed: “Allah does not burden a soul beyond that it can bear. For it is [only] what it has earned, and against it is [only] what it has acquired.” is an action, not an internal heart matter. . Allah, Mighty and Majestic, said: to the end of the verses. This is undoubtedly an abrogation of His saying, the Exalted: . Of this nature is also the verse of bequest to parents and close relatives. I think Imam al-Shafi'i, may Allah have mercy on him, says: "And perhaps it means the Salafi terminology I referred to earlier, where he said: 'Its abrogation is his, peace be upon him, saying: ' Bequest to parents, no bequest for an heir." So the important point is that if we do not find a Qur'anic text abrogated by a hadith, there is no wonder in that, because there are similar cases to what I mentioned earlier. This is what comes to my mind, and perhaps some of our brothers among the people of knowledge and virtue will extend their support to us, for a man is strong with his brother. In verses whose recitation was abrogated, do you think it is greater that the recitation was abrogated, or that the recitation is established and decisive but the ruling is abrogated? I see that the matter is the opposite, meaning that is completely correct. If verses were revealed and then lifted as a trial from Allah, Mighty and Majestic, for His servants, to test you, so He does likewise, as He said: . This is what I have, and Allah knows best.

The questioner : ... .

The Shaykh : No, I am not saying it this way. I am speaking from the philosophy of distinguishing between the Qur'an and the Sunnah.