Why were the Divine Books abrogated by the Qur’aan?
Ulama Institute #1
Looking to learn Arabic or memorize the Quran?
Check our Trusted Teachers
- One of the fundamental beliefs of a Muslim is that the Qur’aan is the last Divine Book that was sent down by Allah ﷻ . Muslims believe that Allah ﷻ will never send any other Divine Books after the Qur’aan. This is because the laws in the Qur’aan were not only for the time of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ Islamic Law is for the present as well as the future, until the Day of Judgment. However, every other Divine Book was only relevant for the time in which it was revealed. Therefore some rules in the Torah were applicable until the Gospel was revealed to ‘Eesaa (عليه السلام) .
- Similarly, the laws in the Gospel could no longer be acted upon after the Qur’aan was revealed to Muhammad ﷺ . In this way, the Qur’aan ‘abrogated’ every Divine Book that was sent by Allah ﷻ . The word ‘abrogate’ here means ‘to formally stop and cancel the previous rulings’.
- As the final revelation of Allah ﷻ , the Qur’aan is superior to all other divine scriptures. The superiority of the Qur’aan is evident from its unique nature. The Qur’aan is the only divine book that Allah ﷻ wants people to follow.
- All the earlier divine books were sent to a particular group of people at a particular time. However, the message of the Qur’aan is applicable to all people at all times. This message will be relevant until the Last Day. The verse below confirms that Allah ﷻ gave each of the previous nations its very own way to follow.
لِكُلٍّۢ جَعَلْنَا مِنكُمْ شِرْعَةًۭ وَمِنْهَاجًۭا ۚ( سورة المائدة : ٤٨ )
“To each of you we prescribe a law and a method…” (Soorat al-Maa’idah: 48)
- Due to the important role of the Qur’aan it has to be protected so that its message is not lost like the books before it. It’s for this reason that Allah ﷻ has promised to protect the Qur’aan.
لِكُلِّ جَعَلْنَا مِنكُمْ شِرْعَةً وَمِنْهَا جَا ( سورة الحجر: ٩ )
“Indeed it is We who sent down the message [i.e., the Qur’aan] and indeed, We will be its guardian. (Soorat al-Hijr:9)
- Allah ﷻ protects the Qur’aan from every form of corruption that may occur.
- The Qur’aan has remained unchanged from the time it was revealed up to now and it will remain in the same pure state until the Day of Judgment. No falsehood has been added nor has any truth been deleted from it. Every word in the Qur’aan is Allah’s ﷻ Divine Speech.
- Allah ﷻ preserves the Qur’aan in many ways. The Qur’aan is matchless; none can ever compose anything that is similar to this Book of Allah ﷻ . Allah ﷻ challenged all creation to come up with something like the Qur’aan.
قُل لَّئِنِ ٱجْتَمَعَتِ ٱلْإِنسُ وَٱلْجِنُّ عَلَىٰٓ أَن يَأْتُوا۟ بِمِثْلِ هَـٰذَا ٱلْقُرْءَانِ لَا يَأْتُونَ بِمِثْلِهِۦ وَلَوْ كَانَ بَعْضُهُمْ لِبَعْضٍۢ ظَهِيرًۭا ( سورة الإسراء : ۸۸ )
“Say, ‘If mankind and the jinn gathered in order to produce the like of this Qur ‘aan, they could not produce the like of it, even if they were to each other assistants.” (Soorat al-Israa: 88)
- The Qur’aan is preserved in the hearts of the believers as well. There are many Muslims who memorize the entire Qur’aan. This effort by the believers helps to protect the Qur’aan against corruption and change. This helps to ensure that the Qur’aan remains intact until the Last Day. Muslims also preserve the meaning of the Qur’aan in their actions. They act upon the commands of Allah ﷻ and always invite others to do the same.
What we learn from the lesson:
- The Qur’aan abrogated all other Divine Books because the Divine Books were only relevant to the time period in which they were sent.
- The laws stated in the Qur’aan are universal.
- Allah ﷻ protects the Qur’aan from ever being changed.
“Discussion:”
- Is it enough to act upon the laws of the Qur’aan alone? Explain your answer.
- Can a Muslim follow the teachings of another Divine Book if it agrees with the Qur’aan? Why?
- What are the consequences of acting upon the Qur’aan in a different way to the prophet and his companions ?
- Why have all Divine Books been altered except for the Qur’aan?
