Verse. 113

'Abdullāh Ibn 'Abbās / Muḥammad al-Fīrūzabādī

تفسير : then allah mentions what was abrogated of the qur'an and that which was not abrogated, as a direct reference to the claim of the quraysh who said to the prophet: o muhammad! why do you command us to do something and then forbid it, saying: (such of our revelations as we abrogate) we do not erase a verse that was acted upon before and which is now not acted upon (or cause to be forgotten) or leave unabrogated so that it is acted upon, (we bring one better) we send gabriel with that which more profitable and easier to act upon (or the like) in reward, benefit and action. (knowest thou not) o muhammad (that allah is able to do all things?) of the abrogated and unabrogated.

Jalāl al-Dīn al-Maḥallī

تفسير : when the disbelievers began to deride the matter of abrogation, saying that one day muhammad enjoins his companions to one thing and then the next day he forbids it, god revealed: and whatever verse (mā is the conditional particle), that has been revealed containing a judgement, we abrogate, either together with its recital or not [that is only its judgement, but its recital continues]; there is a variant reading, nunsikh, meaning ‘[whatever verse] we command you or gabriel to abrogate’, or postpone, so that we do not reveal the judgement contained in it, and we withhold its recital or retain it in the preserved tablet; a variant reading [of nunsi’hā] is nunsihā, from ‘to forget’: so ‘[whatever verse we abrogate] or we make you forget, that is, we erase from your heart’; the response to the conditional sentence [begun with mā] is: we bring [in place] a better, one that is more beneficial for [our] servants, either because it is easier [to implement] or contains much reward; or the like of it, in terms of religious obligation and reward; do you not know that god has power over all things?, including abrogating and substituting [verses]? (the interrogative here is meant as an affirmative).

Ali ibn Ahmad al-Wahidi

تفسير : (nothing of our revelation (even a single verse) do we abrogate or cause be forgotten, but we bring (in place) one better or the like thereof) [2:106]. the commentators of the qur’an said: “the idolaters said: ‘do you not see that muhammad commands his companions with something and then forbids them from the same and commands them to the exact opposite. one day he says something and the following day he retracts it. this qur’an is nothing but the speech of muhammad who has invented it. it is a speech that contradicts itself’. allah, exalted is he, therefore revealed this verse (and when we put a revelation in place of (another)…) [16:101] and also (nothing of our revelation (even a single verse) do we abrogate or cause be forgotten, but we bring (in place) one better or the like thereof…)”.