A Critical Analysis of 'Real Islam'. Its People ... - Bukti dan Saksi

The Encyclopedia of Islam, [3] , states on abrogation:
Rather than attempting to explain away the inconsistencies in passages giving regulations for the Muslim
community, Kuran scholars and jurists came to acknowledge the differences, while arguing that the latest verse
on any subject "abrogated" all earlier verses that contradicted it. A classic example involves the Kuranic
teaching or regulation on drinking wine, where V, 90, which has a strong statement against the practice, came to
be interpreted as a prohibition, abrogating II, 219, and IV, 43, which appear to allow it.
Therefore, because of the changing circumstances in Muhammad’s time, various Qur’anic passages
are recognized as having been abrogated, and it is normal that some Islamic doctrine changes over time.
As such, rules that were once correctly applied to one set of circumstances, may not necessarily apply to a
different reality at a later date. This concept is unusual by Western religious standards in its scope, and
there are even minor disagreements within Islam regarding which teaching or doctrine abrogates another.
In general, Muslims recognize more recent passages and writings as the most applicable, abrogating
earlier references on the same subject matter. Therefore, when discussing Islam and Jihad, what must be
considered most applicable are Muhammad’s final teachings and commands, especially what his last
wishes and instructions were regarding Jihad and violence. From the viewpoint of the non-Muslim world,
we must know which Qur’anic passages are still in force today for the Muslim community, and which are
not. Earlier statements related to peace may or may not have been abrogated by later statements related to
violence, or visa versa. We must carefully examine the context of the texts to know which Jihadic
directions are acceptable and in force today.
The revered work "al-Nasikh wal-Mansukh" (The Abrogator and the Abrogated) deals in great detail
with many subject matters addressed in the Qur’an wherein there appears to be some conflict or
contradiction. The book goes through every sura (chapter), pointing out in full detail every verse which
has been canceled, and the verse(s) which replace it. The author notes that out of 114 suras, there are only
43 which were not affected by this concept. As an example of the scope of abrogation in the Qur’an: there
are 125 versus that call for tolerance and patience which have been canceled and replaced by sura 9:5:
"Fight and slay the Pagans wherever ye find them, and seize them, beleaguer them, and lie in wait for
them in every stratagem (of war)....." and sura 5:33: "For those who do not submit to Allah their
punishment is . . . execution or crucifixion, or the cutting off of hands and feet, from the opposite sides, or
exile from the land".
[See: Ibn Hazm al-Andalusi, An-Nasikh wal- Mansukh, Dar al-Kotob al-'Elmeyah, birute, 1986 p.27]
Muslim activists universally fail to reveal to Westerners this major doctrine, hiding the fact that
earlier conciliatory passages have been rendered null and void for over 1300 years. When Westerners
discover it on their own they complain we misinterpret such writings or misapply their impact. Muslim
promoters prefer to polish Islam's image by quoting the earlier abrogated Meccan passages that call for
patience and forbearance. Spokespersons hide or omit Medinan passages that clearly call for killing and
maiming. When hearing people explain Islam claiming the earlier more peaceful verses are dominant in
Islamic philosophy, one must judge between two options; Either the presenter is completely ignorant of
genuine Islamic doctrine, or he is practicing officially sanctioned Islamic deceit.
Because opinions with regard to proper conduct between believers and non-believers varies widely,
the question of which Qur’anic verses are ‘alive’ and being applied today, is critical to understanding
‘Real Islam’, and potentially to our own survival. Ibn Warraq summarizes the Muslim concept of
abrogation as follows:
"Contradictions do abound in the Koran, and the early Muslims were perfectly well aware of them; indeed they
devised the science of abrogation to deal with them. It is a very convenient doctrine that, as one Christian
unkindly put it, ‘fell in with that law of expediency which appears to be the salient feature in Muhammad’s
prophetic career’. According to this doctrine, certain passages of the Koran are abrogated by verses revealed
afterward, with a different or contrary meaning. This was supposedly taught by Muhammad himself, at Sura 2,
verse 105: 'Whatever verses we cancel or cause you to forget, we bring a better or its like.' …Now we can see
how useful and convenient the doctrine of abrogation is in bailing scholars out of difficulties- though, of course,
it does pose problems for apologists of Islam, since all the passages preaching tolerance are found in Meccan
(i.e., early suras), and all the passages recommending killing, decapitating and maiming, the so-called Sword
Verses are Medinan (i.e., later); ‘tolerance’ has been abrogated by ‘intolerance’. For, the famous Sword verse,