Definition of Naskh Both the words naasikh and mansookh come from the root n-s-k, which has the following meanings: to remove, to abolish, to abrogate. For example, Allaah says in the Quran, "We do not abrogate a verse, or cause it to be forgotten, except that we bring something that is better than it... (Q2{Baqarah]:106) As for its definition in Islamic sciences, it is: The abrogation of a ruling by a ruling that was revealed after it. Therefore, at least two rulings must be involved, the naasikh and the mansookh. The naasikh ruling is the ruling that repeals the mansookh; naasikh, the active participle, is the ruling that does the abrogating, while mansookh, the passive form, is the ruling that is abrogated.
The breakdown of the definition
The phrase: The abrogation, implies that the first ruling has been completely repealed. This differentiates it from another phenomenon found in the Quran, that of specification (takhsees). Specification involves one verse limiting or restricting a general ruling found in another verse, whereas naskh involves abrogating the first ruling in toto (i.e., it is not applied in any circumstances or condition). This also implies that naasikh must involve an actual abrogation of a previous Islamic law, and is therefore different from another phenomenon known as initiation (badaaah).
In other words, in other for naskh to occur, there must have previously existed an Islaamic ruling on exactly the same subject which was then abrogated by a later ruling. Therefore, any laws that were revealed without any precedent Islaamic rulings are not considered as examples of naskh, but rather, of initiation. For example, marriage to ones stepmother was allowed in pre-Islaamic Arab culture.
After the advent of the Prophet, a verse was revealed that prohibited marriage to ones stepmother (Q4[Nisaa]:22). Even though this verse repealed the legitimacy of this pre-Islaamic custom, it cannot be considered an example of naskh, since there existed no previous Islaamic ruling on the topic. This verse is, however, an example of initiation, since this verse abrogated certain pre- Islamic practices, but not an Islaamic ruling, thus initiating a new ruling.
The phrase: ... of a ruling... implies that naskh is only valid in laws, and not in belief (aqeedah). In other words, naskh cannot occur with regards to belief in Allaah, His Names and Attributes, the Day of Judgment, and other matters related to the fundamentals of belief. It is concerning these non-abrogated beliefs that Allaah says: "He has ordained for you the same religion which He ordained for Nuh, and that which We have inspired to you (O Muhammad), and that which We have ordained for Ibraaheem, Moosa, and E.esa,saying that you should establish the religion and make no divisions in it." (Q42[ash-Shura]:13)
Also, the ruling that is abrogated (the mansookh) must originate in the Quran or Sunnah; naskh cannot occur with respect to ijmaa(concensus) or qiyaas (analogy). In other words, no ruling that is derived from ijmaaor qiyaas can be abrogated. Lastly, this phrase also implies that the understanding of a verse (mafhoom) can also be abrogated, even though its explicit wording (mantooq) remains applicable.
The phrase: "... by a ruling... , means that the naasikh ruling (the one that does the abrogating) must come from the Quran or Sunnah; ijtihaad (personal reasoning) or qiyaas (analogy) cannot abrogate a ruling from the Quraan or Sunnah. The phrase: "... that was revealed after it ... ", implies that the mansookh ruling must precede the naasikh ruling in time.
This also implies that naskh could only occur in the lifetime of the Prophet, since after his death, no new rulings from the Quraan or Sunnah are going to be revealed. Naskh is primarily a Madinese phenomenon, since at this stage the laws of Islaam were finalized.
This article was culled from the publications of Deen Communication Limited