Home > Qur'anic problems - stupidity in the Qur'an - broken Islamic theology
"Abrogation isn't dumb—it's Allah's wisdom tailoring guidance to changing times. Critics say verses canceling others, like peaceful ones (Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:256) shifting to fighting (Surah At-Tawbah, 9:5), show inconsistency. But the Qur'an says, ‘We do not abrogate a verse or cause it to be forgotten except that We bring forth one better than it or similar to it' (Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:106). It's gradual—like laws evolving from Mecca's weakness to Medina's strength—perfecting Islam for all stages.
Jesus (peace be upon him) brought the Injeel—‘We gave him the Injeel, in which was guidance and light' (Surah Al-Ma'idah, 5:46)—and adjusted rules too, like Sabbath exceptions (Matthew 12:11). The Qur'an says, ‘The Messiah, son of Mary, was no more than a messenger' (Surah Al-Ma'idah, 5:75). Abrogation isn't chaos; it's Allah refining His call—worship Him alone—fitting each moment, unlike rigid laws that crack under pressure."
Abrogation in the Qur'an is a serious problem for its claim of being the perfect, unchanging word of Allah.
The Qur'an claims to be Allah's final, flawless guidance, yet it openly allows earlier verses to be replaced:
"We do not abrogate a verse or cause it to be forgotten except that We bring forth one better than it or similar to it" 2:106.
If Allah is all-knowing and perfect, why would His guidance need updating? Why were earlier instructions insufficient? This directly challenges the Qur'an's claim of divine perfection.
If peaceful instructions (e.g., "There is no compulsion in religion," 2:256) can later be abrogated with verses commanding fighting 9:5, then ordinary believers cannot know what God truly requires.
Does God want peace or violence? Which verses are "superseded" and which are still valid?
The Qur'an claims to be a universal, eternal miracle, preserved without error 15:9. Yet if earlier revelations can be canceled, the text is historically and temporally bound: guidance suited to Mecca might be invalid in Medina.
This implies the Qur'an is reactive, not eternal.
The text attempts to compare abrogation to Jesus' adjustments (like Sabbath exceptions). But this is fundamentally different:
Jesus fulfilled the Law (Matthew 5:17) rather than canceling it arbitrarily.
He clarified the moral intent of the Law, revealing its purpose, without contradicting earlier commandments.
In contrast, abrogation in the Qur'an replaces previous directives, rather than fulfilling them. This suggests a limitation in Allah's guidance that a perfect God would not have.
In contrast, the Bible presents a consistent, unchanging revelation of God, culminating in Christ, who is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8).