The Statement of the Tabi‘i and Its Impact on the Realization of Abrogation: Selected Verses from the Holy Qur’an as a Model

Abstract

This study, titled “The Statements of the Tābi‘ī and Their Impact on Confirming Abrogation: Selected Verses from the Qur’an as a Model,” consists of two main sections. The first section addresses the concept of abrogation (naskh), its conditions, and the authority of the mursal (unattributed) reports and statements of the Tābi‘ī (the generation following the Companions of the Prophet). Scholars have differed on the authority of mursal reports from the Tābi‘īn, forming four primary opinions: some scholars reject them as evidence, others accept them unconditionally, while some accept them only if supported by additional corroborative reports or if the narrators are trustworthy and reliable. This section also examines the role of a Tābi‘ī’s statement in affirming consensus (ijmā‘), with scholars split on the issue: one view considers the statement of a mujtahid (independent jurist) Tābi‘ī as contributing to consensus, while the other view holds that consensus is not established if the Tābi‘īn disagree with the Companions.
In the second section, the study applies this framework to three instances from the Qur’an to evaluate the role of the Tābi‘ī’s statement in confirming abrogation. The study concludes that abrogation is not established in these verses solely based on the statements of the Tābi‘īn, as these statements contain possibilities rather than definitive indications of abrogation, and abrogation cannot be confirmed on such grounds. The study recommends further research on similar issues regarding the statements of the Companions and emphasizes the importance of the statements of the Tābi‘īn, as they serve as transmitters of the divine law passed down from the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them).