Page 62 - Islam Denounces Terrorism

60 Islam Denounces Terrorism

The meaning here is therefore not "verses of the Qur'an" but
"signs, rules and Sharia" that went before it. According to this verse,
some practices and commandments applied by previous communities
to whom Divine books were sent down, that is, the Jews and the Chris-
tians, but which were forgotten in time, have either been recalled or
else abrogated by the Qur'an. A similar or better version has thus been
brought forth with the Qur'an.

We also need to concentrate on the words "cause it to be forgotten"
in the verse. In order for one commandment to abrogate another, the
earlier one has to have been "forgotten." Since the Qur'an has remained

unchanged for 1,400 years there can be no question of one verse replac-
ing another. The commandments that fanatics allege have been abro-
gated have not been forgotten; they are still in the Qur'an. This clearly
shows that the abrogation being referred to here is not of one verse by
another, but of commandments belonging to earlier communities that
have since been forgotten. Commands that have been sent down to ear-
lier societies but "forgotten" have been restored with the Qur'an, with

more auspicious or similar versions being sent down to those commu-
nities.