Tafsir of Al-Baqarah 2:106

"Whatever verse We abrogate..."

It is narrated that they [the Jews] attacked the concept of abrogation, saying: "Do you not see Muhammad? He commands his companions to do something, then forbids them from it, and commands them to do the opposite. He says one thing today and retracts it tomorrow." Thus, this verse was revealed.

It is recited as mā nansakh min āyah (whatever verse We abrogate), and nansakh with a damma on the nūn (from ansakha), or nansahā (delay/postpone it). It is also recited as nunsihā and nunsihā (with tashdīd), and tunsihā and tunsihā (addressing the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him).

Abdullah [ibn Mas‘ud] recited: mā nansak min āyah aw nansakhahā. Hudhayfah recited: mā nansakh min āyah aw nansakahā.

• Abrogating a verse (naskh): Removing it by replacing it with another in its place.
• Ordering its abrogation (insākh): Commanding Gabriel, peace be upon him, to make it abrogated by announcing its abrogation.
• *Delaying it (nas’):* Postponing it and removing it without a replacement.
• *Causing it to be forgotten (insā’):* Removing its preservation from the hearts.

The meaning is: Every verse that is removed—due to the requirements of public interest—whether by removing its wording and ruling together, or by removing one of them, with or without a replacement.

"...or bring a better one for the servants" Meaning: A verse whose implementation yields more reward, or one equal to it in that regard.

"...for Allah is capable of all things" He is capable of the good, that which is better than it, and that which is equal to it in goodness.

"To Him belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth" He owns your affairs, manages them, and conducts them according to what is best for you. He is most knowing of what He prescribes for you in terms of the abrogating and the abrogated.

Having explained that He is the Owner of their affairs and the Manager of them according to their interests—through the abrogation of verses and otherwise—He confirms this for them by saying:

"Do you not know?" He intends to advise them to trust Him regarding what is best for them in what He prescribes and reveals to them, and that they should not demand from their Messenger what the ancestors of the Jews demanded from Moses, peace be upon him—things whose consequences were disastrous for them, such as their saying: "Make for us a god" (7:138), or "Show us Allah openly" (4:153), and other such things.

"And whoever exchanges faith for disbelief..." Whoever abandons trust in the revealed verses, doubts them, and demands others instead, "has certainly strayed from the right path."

[Regarding verse 109]: It is narrated that Finhas ibn ‘Azura, Zayd ibn Qays, and a group of Jews said to Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman and ‘Ammar ibn Yasir after the Battle of Uhud: "Do you not see what has befallen you? If you were on the truth, you would not have been defeated. Return to our religion; it is better and superior for you, and we are more rightly guided than you." ‘Ammar said: "How can I break the covenant among you?" They said: "It is strict." He replied: "I have pledged never to disbelieve in Muhammad as long as I live."

The Jews said: "As for this one, he has apostatized." Hudhayfah said: "As for me, I am satisfied with Allah as a Lord, Muhammad as a Prophet, Islam as a religion, the Quran as a guide, the Kaaba as a direction of prayer, and the believers as brothers." They then came to the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, and informed him. He said: "You have both attained good and succeeded." Then this verse was revealed.

If you ask: To what does the phrase "out of envy from their own selves" relate? I say: There are two possibilities.

1. It relates to "they wish" (waddū), meaning they wished for you to turn back from your religion, and this wish came from their own selves and their own desires, not from religious conviction or inclination toward the truth—especially since they wished for this after it became clear to them that you are on the truth. How, then, could their wish be based on the truth?
2. It relates to "envy" (hasadan), meaning an intense envy emanating from the core of their own selves.

"So pardon and overlook" Follow the path of pardon and overlooking regarding the ignorance and hostility that comes from them, "until Allah brings about His command"—which is the killing of Banu Qurayza, the expulsion of Banu Nadir, and their humiliation by imposing the jizya upon them.

"Indeed, Allah is capable of all things" He is capable of taking vengeance upon them.

"Of any good" Of any righteous deed, such as prayer, charity, or others.

"You will find it with Allah" You will find its reward with Allah.

"Indeed, Allah is All-Seeing of what you do" He is All-Knowing; the work of a worker is never lost with Him.

"And they said, 'None will enter Paradise except one who is a Jew or a Christian.' That is their wishful thinking. Say, 'Produce your proof, if you should be truthful.' But no, whoever submits his face to Allah while being a doer of good—for him is his reward with his Lord, and no fear will there be concerning them, nor will they grieve." (111-112)