Abrogation to the Rescue!

We’ve all seen the last of the Lord of the Rings movies, Return of the King?  Remember when the city of Minas Tirith is under siege then the riders of Rohan show up to save the day?  The cavalry always comes to save the day.  Unless it’s the Battle of Waterloo where Marshall Ney’s cavalry charge utterly failed.  Basically the cavalry always comes to save the day.

Muslims tell us that the Quran is perfectly preserved.  Not one letter has been changed since the time of Muhammad.  It’s a good script but it’s not true.  A Catholic apologist who deals with Islam once told me that whenever a variant or group of variants is found, it’s magically part the 7 modes of recitation according to the average Muslim.  Likewise, when we read the Hadith collections we find them speaking about verses and chapters of the Quran that aren’t in the modern Quran that we have today. What’s the answer?  The doctrine of abrogation.

Well, they also use the weak Hadith card but if you’re quoting from Bukhari or Muslim, that’s pretty hard to do so they go with abrogation.  I will first concede that abrogation is an Islamic concept.  It’s certainly in their teachings.  Second of all, some of these missing verses are actually said to be abrogated.  However, they’re not all abrogated.  Watch the above video for an example of this.

We’re going to look at the Hadith that I like to quote to Muslims and then we’re going to show Bassam Zawadi’s response that falls short:

‘A’isha (Allah be pleased with, her) reported that it had been revealed in the Holy Qur’an that ten clear sucklings make the marriage unlawful, then it was abrogated (and substituted) by five sucklings and Allah’s Apostle (ﷺ) died and it was before that time (found) in the Holy Qur’an (and recited by the Muslims).

– Sahih Muslim 1452a

https://sunnah.com/muslim/17

Here is Bassam Zawadi’s response.

https://www.call-to-monotheism.com/quranic_variant__missing_verse_on_suckling_

He basically plays the abrogation card.  However, what he doesn’t provide is evidence that the verse has been abrogated.  What do I consider evidence?  A statement from either Muhammad or one of his companions that it has been abrogated.  All Zawadi quotes are scholars in his response.  These later scholars give him the statement that Muhammad and his companions don’t give anywhere in the Hadith.  We have sufficient evidence that it was abrogated from ten down to five.  It’s right there in the Hadith.  I consider that valid evidence.  However, where is the statement that it was abrogated to zero?  Also, what Quranic verse was it abrogated with?

So at the end of the day when you present Hadiths that show verses or chapters of the Quran missing, expect the A word(the cavalry) to be thrown at you.  Of course, you need to respond by asking where Muhammad or any of his companions said that.  When they can’t give it, remind them that the Quran has been corrupted and not fully preserved.  So much for the cavalry coming to save the day.