Abrogation

One of the profound aspects of the Quran is that it contains no contradictions.

[4:82] Why do they not study the Quran carefully? If it were from other than GOD, they would have found in it numerous contradictions.

(٨٢) أَفَلَا يَتَدَبَّرُونَ الْقُرْآنَ وَلَوْ كَانَ مِنْ عِنْدِ غَيْرِ اللَّهِ لَوَجَدُوا فِيهِ اخْتِلَافًا كَثِيرًا

This poses a major problem for those who want to uphold Hadith besides the Quran, as much of the Hadith literature contradicts verses from the Quran. Not only that, but the Quran itself repeatedly states that it should be the only source of religious law for its followers and that followers of the Quran are forbidden from following any other Hadith besides the Quran.

[6:114] Shall I seek other than GOD as a source of law, when He has revealed to you this book fully detailed? Those who received the scripture recognize that it has been revealed from your Lord, truthfully. You shall not harbor any doubt.

 أَفَغَيْرَ اللَّهِ أَبْتَغِي حَكَمًا وَهُوَ الَّذِي أَنْزَلَ إِلَيْكُمُ الْكِتَابَ مُفَصَّلًا وَالَّذِينَ آتَيْنَاهُمُ الْكِتَابَ يَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّهُ مُنَزَّلٌ مِنْ رَبِّكَ بِالْحَقِّ فَلَا تَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْمُمْتَرِينَ

[77:50] Which Hadith, other than this, do they uphold?

(٥٠) فَبِأَيِّ حَدِيثٍ بَعْدَهُ يُؤْمِنُونَ

A devilish scheme that many Hadith followers have adopted to eliminate the numerous contradictions that the Hadith cause to the verses of the Quran is by maliciously mistranslating a single word, ayah, in the following two verses.

[2:106] When we abrogate any ayah, or cause it to be forgotten, we produce a better one, or at least an equal one. Do you not recognize the fact that GOD is Omnipotent?

(١٠٦) مَا نَنْسَخْ مِنْ آيَةٍ أَوْ نُنْسِهَا نَأْتِ بِخَيْرٍ مِنْهَا أَوْ مِثْلِهَا أَلَمْ تَعْلَمْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ

[16:101] When we substitute one ayah in place of another, and GOD is fully aware of what He reveals, they say, “You made this up!” Indeed, most of them do not know.

(١٠١) وَإِذَا بَدَّلْنَا آيَةً مَكَانَ آيَةٍ وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا يُنَزِّلُ قَالُوا إِنَّمَا أَنْتَ مُفْتَرٍ بَلْ أَكْثَرُهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ

Meaning of Ayah

In modern-day Arabic, the term ayah is synonymous with the word verse, but in the Classical Arabic of the Quran, this is not the case. The root for the word ayat is ” ا ي ا “. This root occurs 382 times in the Quran and has the following derivative meanings:

More often than not ayah as used throughout the Quran means a sign or miracle. For instance, we see when Moses confronted Pharoah, he was asked to produce a sign (ayah) to prove his truthfulness, in which Moses turned his staff into a serpent by God’s leave.

[7:106] He said, “If you have an ayah (sign), then produce it, if you are truthful.”
[7:107] He threw down his staff, and it turned into a tremendous serpent.

(١٠٦) قَالَ إِنْ كُنْتَ جِئْتَ بِآيَةٍ فَأْتِ بِهَا إِنْ كُنْتَ مِنَ الصَّادِقِينَ
(١٠٧) فَأَلْقَىٰ عَصَاهُ فَإِذَا هِيَ ثُعْبَانٌ مُبِينٌ

This is further reinforced in the following verse where it states that Moses was given nine ayat (miracles). Obviously, Moses did not receive only nine verses. This would be inaccurate.

[17:101] We supported Moses with nine profound ayat (miracles)—ask the Children of Israel. When he went to them, Pharaoh said to him, “I think that you, Moses, are bewitched.”

 وَلَقَدْ آتَيْنَا مُوسَىٰ تِسْعَ آيَاتٍ بَيِّنَاتٍ فَاسْأَلْ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ إِذْ جَاءَهُمْ فَقَالَ لَهُ فِرْعَوْنُ إِنِّي لَأَظُنُّكَ يَامُوسَىٰ مَسْحُورًا

Ayah (Singular Form)

Ayah, آيَة, in the singular form, like it is used in 2:106, occurs 84 times in the Quran. Every single occurrence is either in reference to a sign, miracle, proof, or the entire Quran. Not once is this word in the singular form used in reference to a single verse of the Quran.

Here is a list of every occurance of ayah in the Quran in the singular form: 2:118, 2:145, 2:211, 2:248, 15:77, 21:5, 3:13, 3:41, 3:49, 3:50, 5:114, 6:4, 6:25, 6:35, 6:37, 6:109, 6:124, 7:73, 7:106, 7:132, 7:146, 7:203, 10:20, 10:92, 10:97, 11:64, 11:103, 12:105, 13:7, 13:27, 13:38, 15:77, 16:11, 16:13, 16:65, 16:67, 16:69, 16:101, 17:12, 19:10, 19:21, 20:22, 20:47, 20:133, 21:5, 21:91, 23:50, 25:37, 26:4, 26:8, 26:67, 26:103, 26:121, 26:128, 26:139, 26:154, 26:158, 26:174, 26:190, 26:197, 27:52, 29:15, 29:35, 29:44, 30:58, 34:9, 34:15, 36:33, 36:37, 36:41, 36:46, 37:14, 40:78, 43:48, 48:20, 51:37, 54:2, 54:15, 79:20.

One of the clearest examples that ayah in the singular form strictly means a sign, miracle, proof, or the entire Quran can be witnessed in the following verse.

[10:20] They say, “How come no miracle (ayah) came down to him from his Lord?” Say, “The future belongs to GOD; so wait, and I am waiting along with you.”

(٢٠) وَيَقُولُونَ لَوْلَا أُنْزِلَ عَلَيْهِ آيَةٌ مِنْ رَبِّهِ فَقُلْ إِنَّمَا الْغَيْبُ لِلَّهِ فَانْتَظِرُوا إِنِّي مَعَكُمْ مِنَ الْمُنْتَظِرِينَ

If we are to translate ayah as verse, then this would insinuate the prophet did not receive a verse from God, yet we know that he received 6346 verses from God. So this understanding cannot be true. Additionally, the disbelievers criticized that the Quran was not come through the prophet all at once, further confirming that this could also show that ayah can mean the entire Quran, and not just a single verse when referenced in the Quran.

[25:32] Those who disbelieved said, “Why did not the Quran come through him all at once?” We have released it to you gradually, in order to fix it in your memory. We have recited it in a specific sequence.

(٣٢) وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَوْلَا نُزِّلَ عَلَيْهِ الْقُرْآنُ جُمْلَةً وَاحِدَةً كَذَٰلِكَ لِنُثَبِّتَ بِهِ فُؤَادَكَ وَرَتَّلْنَاهُ تَرْتِيلًا

The reason ayah is never in reference to a single verse in the Quran is that the Quran is not a single verse. Instead, the Quran is a collection of 6346 verses that in aggregate create a complete book, which is the final scripture that God sent down to mankind. A person who believes in God and His scripture will accept every verse of His scripture and not try to create justifications to disregard some of the verses that don’t fit their narrative. Such a person who rejects even one verse of the Quran is by definition a rejector of the entire Quran.

[18:57] Who are more evil than those who are reminded of their Lord’s proofs (ayat), then disregard them, without realizing what they are doing. Consequently, we place shields on their hearts to prevent them from understanding it (the Quran), and deafness in their ears. Thus, no matter what you do to guide them, they can never ever be guided.

 وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنْ ذُكِّرَ بِآيَاتِ رَبِّهِ فَأَعْرَضَ عَنْهَا وَنَسِيَ مَا قَدَّمَتْ يَدَاهُ إِنَّا جَعَلْنَا عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ أَكِنَّةً أَنْ يَفْقَهُوهُ وَفِي آذَانِهِمْ وَقْرًا وَإِنْ تَدْعُهُمْ إِلَى الْهُدَىٰ فَلَنْ يَهْتَدُوا إِذًا أَبَدًا

So unless one wants to claim that the entire Quran has been abrogated then the appropriate way to translate 2:106 is the following.

[2:106] When we abrogate any miracle, or cause it to be forgotten, we produce a better one, or at least an equal one. Do you not recognize the fact that GOD is Omnipotent?

(١٠٦) مَا نَنْسَخْ مِنْ آيَةٍ أَوْ نُنْسِهَا نَأْتِ بِخَيْرٍ مِنْهَا أَوْ مِثْلِهَا أَلَمْ تَعْلَمْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ

[18:27] You shall recite what is revealed to you of your Lord’s scripture. Nothing shall substitute His words, and you shall not find any other source beside it.

(٢٧) وَاتْلُ مَا أُوحِيَ إِلَيْكَ مِنْ كِتَابِ رَبِّكَ لَا مُبَدِّلَ لِكَلِمَاتِهِ وَلَنْ تَجِدَ مِنْ دُونِهِ مُلْتَحَدًا