Source: http://www.islamandquran.org/research/abrogation-and-punishment-of-stoning.html
Timestamp: 2019-04-18 20:52:42+00:00

Document:
Naskh, in its literal context, means the act of “bringing two things side by side, and transferring the text in one to the other”. Naskh is also “superseding something, to be substituted by another.” This is the case where a judgment in a verse is alleviated by another verse. This first verse is called the mansukh, and the later is the nasikh .
شَرَعَ لَكُمْ مِنَ الدِّينِ مَا وَصَّى بِهِ نُوحًا وَالَّذِي أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْكَ وَمَا وَصَّيْنَا بِهِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَمُوسَى وَعِيسَى أَنْ أَقِيمُوا الدِّينَ وَلَا تَتَفَرَّقُوا فِيهِ.
الَّذِينَ يَتَّبِعُونَ الرَّسُولَ النَّبِيَّ الْأُمِّيَّ الَّذِي يَجِدُونَهُ مَكْتُوبًا عِنْدَهُمْ فِي التَّوْرَاةِ وَالْإِنْجِيلِ يَأْمُرُهُمْ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَاهُمْ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَيُحِلُّ لَهُمُ الطَّيِّبَاتِ وَيُحَرِّمُ عَلَيْهِمُ الْخَبَائِثَ وَيَضَعُ عَنْهُمْ إِصْرَهُمْ وَالْأَغْلَالَ الَّتِي كَانَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ.
يَا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ قَدْ جَاءَكُمْ رَسُولُنَا يُبَيِّنُ لَكُمْ كَثِيرًا مِمَّا كُنْتُمْ تُخْفُونَ مِنَ الْكِتَابِ وَيَعْفُو عَنْ كَثِيرٍ قَدْ جَاءَكُمْ مِنَ اللَّهِ نُورٌ وَكِتَابٌ مُبِينٌ.
فَوَيْلٌ لِلَّذِينَ يَكْتُبُونَ الْكِتَابَ بِأَيْدِيهِمْ ثُمَّ يَقُولُونَ هَذَا مِنْ عِنْدِ اللَّهِ لِيَشْتَرُوا بِهِ ثَمَنًا قَلِيلًا فَوَيْلٌ لَهُمْ مِمَّا كَتَبَتْ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَوَيْلٌ لَهُمْ مِمَّا يَكْسِبُونَ.
“Therefore woe be unto those who write the Scripture with their hands and then say, ‘This is from Allah,’ that they may purchase a small gain therewith. Woe unto them for that their hands have written, and woe unto them for that they earn thereby!  (Al-Baqarah/ The Cow 2:79).
إِنَّا أَنْزَلْنَا التَّوْرَاةَ فِيهَا هُدًى وَنُورٌ يَحْكُمُ بِهَا النَّبِيُّونَ الَّذِينَ أَسْلَمُوا لِلَّذِينَ هَادُوا وَالرَّبَّانِيُّونَ وَالْأَحْبَارُ بِمَا اسْتُحْفِظُوا مِنْ كِتَابِ اللَّهِ وَكَانُوا عَلَيْهِ شُهَدَاءَ فَلَا تَخْشَوُا النَّاسَ وَاخْشَوْنِ وَلَا تَشْتَرُوا بِآَيَاتِي ثَمَنًا قَلِيلًا وَمَنْ لَمْ يَحْكُمْ بِمَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ فَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْكَافِرُونَ.
“We did reveal the Torah, wherein is guidance and a light, by which the Prophets who submitted themselves (to Allah) judged the Jews, and the rabbis and the scholars (judged) by such of Allah’s Book as they were bidden to observe, and thereunto were they witnesses. So fear not mankind, but fear Me. And barter not My revelations for a little gain. Whoso judged not by that which Allah has revealed: such are concealers.” (Al-Ma’ida/ The Feast 5:44).
وَلْيَحْكُمْ أَهْلُ الْإِنْجِيلِ بِمَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ فِيهِ وَمَنْ لَمْ يَحْكُمْ بِمَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ فَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْفَاسِقُونَ.
وَأَنْزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ بِالْحَقِّ مُصَدِّقًا لِمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ مِنَ الْكِتَابِ وَمُهَيْمِنًا عَلَيْهِ فَاحْكُمْ بَيْنَهُمْ بِمَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ وَلَا تَتَّبِعْ أَهْوَاءَهُمْ عَمَّا جَاءَكَ مِنَ الْحَقِّ لِكُلٍّ جَعَلْنَا مِنْكُمْ شِرْعَةً وَمِنْهَاجًا وَلَوْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ لَجَعَلَكُمْ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً وَلَكِنْ لِيَبْلُوَكُمْ فِي مَا آَتَاكُمْ فَاسْتَبِقُوا الْخَيْرَاتِ إِلَى اللَّهِ مَرْجِعُكُمْ جَمِيعًا فَيُنَبِّئُكُمْ بِمَا كُنْتُمْ فِيهِ تَخْتَلِفُونَ.
“And unto you have We revealed this Book with the truth, confirming whatever Book was revealed before with the evidences in It (Qur’an)  , and protecting and guarding over it (the preceding Books). So judge between them by that which Allah has revealed, and follow not their desires away from the truth which has come unto you. For each We have appointed a divine law and a clear way. Had Allah created (your belief) (without your efforts) He could have made you one community. But that He may try you by that which He has given you (He has made you as you are). So compete one with another in good works. To Allah you will all return, and He will then inform you of that on which you disagreed. ” (Al Maida/The Feast 5:48).
الَّذِينَ يَتَّبِعُونَ الرَّسُولَ النَّبِيَّ الْأُمِّيَّ الَّذِي يَجِدُونَهُ مَكْتُوبًا عِنْدَهُمْ فِي التَّوْرَاةِ وَالْإِنْجِيلِ يَأْمُرُهُمْ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَاهُمْ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَيُحِلُّ لَهُمُ الطَّيِّبَاتِ وَيُحَرِّمُ عَلَيْهِمُ الْخَبَائِثَ وَيَضَعُ عَنْهُمْ إِصْرَهُمْ وَالْأَغْلَالَ الَّتِي كَانَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ فَالَّذِينَ آَمَنُوا بِهِ وَعَزَّرُوهُ وَنَصَرُوهُ وَاتَّبَعُوا النُّورَ الَّذِي أُنْزِلَ مَعَهُ أُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ.
اتَّبِعْ مَا أُوحِيَ إِلَيْكَ مِنْ رَبِّكَ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ وَأَعْرِضْ عَنِ الْمُشْرِكِينَ.
وَإِذَا تُتْلَى عَلَيْهِمْ آَيَاتُنَا بَيِّنَاتٍ قَالَ الَّذِينَ لَا يَرْجُونَ لِقَاءَنَا ائْتِ بِقُرْآَنٍ غَيْرِ هَذَا أَوْ بَدِّلْهُ قُلْ مَا يَكُونُ لِي أَنْ أُبَدِّلَهُ مِنْ تِلْقَاءِ نَفْسِي إِنْ أَتَّبِعُ إِلَّا مَا يُوحَى إِلَيَّ إِنِّي أَخَافُ إِنْ عَصَيْتُ رَبِّي عَذَابَ يَوْمٍ عَظِيمٍ.
It goes without saying that, when a verse is superseded, the words and practices of our Prophet shall also be superseded.
It is claimed that the meaning of a verse survives, after its wording is superseded. For a verse could only be superseded by another verse, the later verse supersedes also the meaning of the previous one, in addition to its text.
“Whatever verse We supersede or cause to be forgotten, We bring one better than it or like it. Do you not know that Allah is the establisher of the measure of all things?” (Al-Baqara /The Cow 2:106).
وَإِذَا بَدَّلْنَا آَيَةً مَكَانَ آَيَةٍ وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا يُنَزِّلُ قَالُوا إِنَّمَا أَنْتَ مُفْتَرٍ بَلْ أَكْثَرُهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ.
“And when We replace (one) verse with (another)verse, and Allah knows best what He reveals, they say: “You are only a forger. No, most of them do not know.” ” (An-Nahl /The Bee 16:101).
1. It should occur between verses of God.
2. The superseding verse should bear an equivalent or a better (easier) judgment than the one contained in the former verse.
Consequentially, while the majority of verses in the Quran involve the equivalent of the judgments in verses of previous scriptures, some have alleviating judgments. The punishment for adultery is an example of alleviation.
The punishment for adultery in Torah and Gospel is death penalty. Our Prophet had also judged among the Jews according to this judgment before the relevant verses were sent down in the Qur’an. The Qur’an first transformed this punishment into life imprisonment, and then into 100 flogs. Now let us see the course of supersession on this issue in the Torah, Gospel and Quran.
10.And the man that committed adultery with another man’s wife, even he that committed adultery with his neighbour’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.
11.And the man that slept with his father’s wife has uncovered his father’s nakedness: both of them shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them. .
13.If a man also sleep with mankind, as he slept with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.
17. And if a man shall take his sister, his father’s daughter, or his mother’s daughter, and see her nakedness, and she see his nakedness; it is a wicked thing; and they shall be cut off in the sight of their people: he has uncovered his sister’s nakedness; he shall bear his iniquity.
20.And if a man shall sleep with his uncle’s wife, he has uncovered his uncle’s nakedness: they shall bear their sin; they shall die childless.
22. If a man is found lying with the wife of another man, both of them shall die, the man who lay with the woman, and the woman; so you shall purge the evil from Israel.
25. But if in the open country a man meets a young woman who is betrothed, and the man seizes her and lies with her, then only the man who lay with her shall die.
26. But to the young woman you shall do nothing; in the young woman there is no offense punishable by death, for this case is like that of a man attacking and murdering his neighbor.
5-Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such. What do you say about her?
6.This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground.
8.And once more he bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground.
9.But when they heard it, they went away, one by one, beginning with the eldest, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him.
17.Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfil them.
18. For truly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away,not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the law until all is accomplished.
يُحَرِّفُونَ الْكَلِمَ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَوَاضِعِهِ يَقُولُونَ إِنْ أُوتِيتُمْ هَذَا فَخُذُوهُ وَإِنْ لَمْ تُؤْتَوْهُ فَاحْذَرُوا.
وَمَنْ لَمْ يَحْكُمْ بِمَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ فَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْفَاسِقُونَ.
A man and a woman of the Jews committed adultery. Some of them said to the others: “Let us go to this Prophet. For he has been sent with an easy law. If he gives a judgment lighter than stoning, we shall accept it, and argue about it with Allah, saying: “It is a judgment of one of your prophets.” So they came to the Prophet (p.b.u.h) who was sitting in the mosque among his companions. They said: “Abul Qasim , what do you think about a man and a woman who committed adultery? He did not speak to them a word till he went to their school (Bayt al-midras, the place where they taught Torah) . He stood at the gate and said: “I adjure you by Allah Who revealed the Torah to Moses, what (punishment) do you find in the Torah for a person who commits adultery, if he is married?” They said: He shall be blackened with charcoal, taken round a donkey among the people, and flogged. A young man among them kept silent. When the Prophet (p.b.u.h) emphatically adjured him, he said: . “By Allah, since you have adjured us (we inform you that) we find stoning in the Torah (is the punishment for adultery). The Prophet (p.b.u.h) said: “So when did you lessen the severity of Allah’s command?” They said: A relative of one of our kings had committed adultery, but his stoning was suspended. . Then a man of a family of common people committed adultery. He was to have been stoned. But his people intervened and said: “Our man shall not be stoned until you bring your man and stone him.” So they made a compromise on this punishment between them. The Prophet (p.b.u.h) said: “So I decide in accordance with what the Torah says. He then commanded regarding them and they were stoned to death.
إِنَّا أَنْزَلْنَا التَّوْرَاةَ فِيهَا هُدًى وَنُورٌ يَحْكُمُ بِهَا النَّبِيُّونَ.
Abdullah Bin Salam said: “Oh the Messenger of Allah, let them bring the Torah.” Torah was brought. He put one of his hand on the verse on stoning. Then he read the previous and next verses. Abdullah Bin Salam said : “Lift up your hand!”. The verse on stoning was seen at once under his hand. The Messenger of Allah ordered, and both were stoned to death .
وَأَنْزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ بِالْحَقِّ مُصَدِّقًا لِمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ مِنَ الْكِتَابِ وَمُهَيْمِنًا عَلَيْهِ فَاحْكُمْ بَيْنَهُمْ بِمَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ وَلَا تَتَّبِعْ أَهْوَاءَهُمْ.
وَكَيْفَ يُحَكِّمُونَكَ وَعِنْدَهُمُ التَّوْرَاةُ فِيهَا حُكْمُ اللَّهِ ثُمَّ يَتَوَلَّوْنَ مِنْ بَعْدِ ذَلِكَ وَمَا أُولَئِكَ بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ.
Our Prophet said: “I swear by who sustains my life, I shall judge with the Book of Allah among you. 100 sheep and the captive are to be returned. Your son is to be punished by 100 whips and a year of exile. Unays, go the wife of this man, stone her to death if she admits the crime.” He went, and stoned her to death as she admitted the crime .
It is clear that the “Book of Allah” mentioned here is Torah. For no verse was revealed then in Quran concerning adultery. Neither of the verses revealed contained the punishment of stoning.
The punishment of whipping is not present the Torah copy we have in our hands. This punishment may be in the copy held by Jews in Madina.
وَاللَّاتِي يَأْتِينَ الْفَاحِشَةَ مِنْ نِسَائِكُمْ فَاسْتَشْهِدُوا عَلَيْهِنَّ أَرْبَعَةً مِنْكُمْ فَإِنْ شَهِدُوا فَأَمْسِكُوهُنَّ فِي الْبُيُوتِ حَتَّى يَتَوَفَّاهُنَّ الْمَوْتُ أَوْ يَجْعَلَ اللَّهُ لَهُنَّ سَبِيلًا. وَاللَّذَانِ يَأْتِيَانِهَا مِنْكُمْ فَآَذُوهُمَا فَإِنْ تَابَا وَأَصْلَحَا فَأَعْرِضُوا عَنْهُمَا إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ تَوَّابًا رَحِيمًا.
“And those of your women who commit adultery — call to witness four of you against them; and if they bear witness, then confine them to the houses until death overtakes them or Allah open for them a way.
الزَّانِيَةُ وَالزَّانِي فَاجْلِدُوا كُلَّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمَا مِئَةَ جَلْدَةٍ وَلَا تَأْخُذْكُمْ بِهِمَا رَأْفَةٌ فِي دِينِ اللَّهِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآَخِرِ وَلْيَشْهَدْ عَذَابَهُمَا طَائِفَةٌ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ.
This verse judged for 100 whips as the punishment of adultery, without any discrimination between man and woman, or single and married. This punishment is lighter than being detained in house till death, or oppressed until one improves himself/herself, as mentioned in Surat an-Nisa.
Quran superseded the judgments in the Torah concerning adultery, which our Prophet (p.b.u.h) had applied for a period of time. Some had the opinion that, considering the previous practices of our Prophet (p.b.u.h), Surah an-Noor regulated the punishment to be imposed to the single and Quran contained no judgment concerning the married, who deserved the punishment of stoning to death. Yet, it is clear from the three verses that the punishment to be imposed to the married also should be 100 whips.
وَالَّذِينَ يَرْمُونَ أَزْوَاجَهُمْ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُمْ شُهَدَاءُ إِلَّا أَنْفُسُهُمْ فَشَهَادَةُ أَحَدِهِمْ أَرْبَعُ شَهَادَاتٍ بِاللَّهِ إِنَّهُ لَمِنَ الصَّادِقِينَ. وَالْخَامِسَةُ أَنَّ لَعْنَةَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ إِنْ كَانَ مِنَ الْكَاذِبِينَ. وَيَدْرَأُ عَنْهَا الْعَذَابَ أَنْ تَشْهَدَ أَرْبَعَ شَهَادَاتٍ بِاللَّهِ إِنَّهُ لَمِنَ الْكَاذِبِينَ. وَالْخَامِسَةَ أَنَّ غَضَبَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهَا إِنْ كَانَ مِنَ الصَّادِقِينَ.
“And (as for) those who accuse their wives and have no witnesses except themselves, their testimony should be taken four times, bearing Allah to witness that he is most surely telling the truth.
The fifth (time) he wishes that the curse of Allah be on him, if he is one of the liars.
And what will avert the chastisement from her is if she testifies four times, bearing Allah to witness that her husband is most surely lying.
The expression “the chastisement = al azab” in the 8th verse shows the 100-whip punishment. The `al’ affix is for a specific reference, granting the word to which it is affixed the meaning specified formerly. The torment specified in Quran concerning adultery is 100 whips. It is not possible for that word to refer to any other thing within the context of Arabic grammar. It is certain that the woman mentioned above is married.
يَا نِسَاءَ النَّبِيِّ مَنْ يَأْتِ مِنْكُنَّ بِفَاحِشَةٍ مُبَيِّنَةٍ يُضَاعَفْ لَهَا الْعَذَابُ ضِعْفَيْنِ وَكَانَ ذَلِكَ عَلَى اللَّهِ يَسِيرًا.
“O you the wives of the Prophet! Whosoever of you commits manifest lewdness, the punishment for her will be doubled.” (Al-Ahzab/ The Allies 33:30).
It is apparent that the wives of the Prophet are married. The punishment to be imposed on them should be appropriate for doubling. Death punishment could not be doubled, but 100 whips can be.
The word “al azab” quoted in these verses signifies only the 100 whips in Surat an-Noor. Because the “al” affix here is for specific reference.
فَإِنْ أَتَيْنَ بِفَاحِشَةٍ فَعَلَيْهِنَّ نِصْفُ مَا عَلَى الْمُحْصَنَاتِ مِنَ الْعَذَابِ.
If it is the stoning which is to be imposed for married free women, the term “half” makes no sense as regards stoning to death. Because some die by one stone hit, some by numerous stones. It is only the 100 whips which could be halved.
In conclusion, the sole punishment for the crime of adultery is 100 whips. After all such clear evidences, the opposite could not be claimed. Besides, the Prophet of Allah said: “Lower the punishments to the extent it is justifiable by doubts.” . Given such apparent evidences, the stoning punishment could not be defended relying on doubtful evidences.
Thus Quran supersedes both the Torah and the Gospel concerning the punishment for adultery.
Ash-Shaibani said: “I asked to Abdullah Bin Abu Awfa: ‘Had the Messenger of Allah (p.b.u.h) applied the stoning punishment?’ He said : “Yes” “Was that before or after the (revelation of) Surat an-Noor?”. He said “I do not know”. .
Here, beating the criminal with 100 whips regardless of whether he was single or married, and saying that the Book of Allah was applied, abolish all doubts. Because there is no other punishment in the Book of Allah then 100 whips.
SOURCE: Bayindir, Abdulaziz. Kur’an Işığında Doğru Bildiğimiz Yanlışlar, Suleymaniye Foundation Publications, 2 ed., Istanbul, 2007, p: 280-294.
 The general name given to communities who have in their hands the scriptures revealed by Allah.
Those who exploit people by way of religion pretend their books to be dictated by Allah in order to attribute them divineness. Many are deceived by this.
 The word “al kitab” used in the verse is repeated twice with the letter “lam”, and thus both meanings were given as Quran. For Quran confirms the verses which are present both in it and in the previous scriptures, not the ones which are foisted into them. Alleviation of heavy punishments, such as stoning to death of the adulterer, is also a type of confirmation. Since Quran is protected by Allah, so are such judgments in the previous books.
 Majalla with Explanatory Notes (Majalla al-Ahkam al-Adliyya), Edit. Ali Himmet Berki, İstanbul, 1978, art. 48.
 Meaning “the father of Qasim”. Arabs call a person with the name of his first son. Qasim was the first son of our Prophet (p.b.u.h).
 Ahmet Önkal, “Beytülmidras”, DİA, v. VI, p. 95.
 at-Tabari, Tafseer, V. IV s. 583; al-Jassas, Ahkam al-Quran, V. II, p. 438; al-Qurtubi, al-Jami li Ahkam al-Quran, v. VI, p. 122.
 at-Tabari, Tafseer, V. IV, p. 577.
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Will it be a sin if we give rushwat for taking our own property which is wrongfully seized?

References: art. 48
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