65/25.4. Chapter:
Sahih Bukhari 4766 — Two Verses on Murder and the Pagans
"Except those who repent and believe (in the Islamic Monotheism) and do righteous deeds, for those, Allah will change their sins into good deeds, and Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." (V.25:70)
Quran Abrogation and Murder: Ibn Abbas’s Explanation
Sahih Bukhari : 4766
Sahih BukhariHadith Number 4766
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدَانُ، أَخْبَرَنَا أَبِي، عَنْ شُعْبَةَ، عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ جُبَيْرٍ، قَالَ أَمَرَنِي عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ أَبْزَى أَنْ أَسْأَلَ ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ، عَنْ هَاتَيْنِ الآيَتَيْنِ، {وَمَنْ يَقْتُلْ مُؤْمِنًا مُتَعَمِّدًا}، فَسَأَلْتُهُ فَقَالَ لَمْ يَنْسَخْهَا شَىْءٌ. وَعَنْ {وَالَّذِينَ لاَ يَدْعُونَ مَعَ اللَّهِ إِلَهًا آخَرَ} قَالَ نَزَلَتْ فِي أَهْلِ الشِّرْكِ.
Sa`id bin Jubair Narrated from:
`Abdur-Rahman bin Abza ordered me to ask Ibn `Abbas regarding the two Verses (the first of which was):"And whosoever murders a believer intentionally." (4.93)So I asked him, and he said, "Nothing has abrogated this Verse." About (the other Verse): 'And those who invoke not with Allah any other god.' he said, "It was revealed concerning the pagans."
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 4766In-book reference : Book 65, Hadith 288USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 6, Book 60, Hadith 289
Summary of Sahih Bukhari Hadith 4766
This hadith on Quran abrogation and murder records Sa'id bin Jubair being asked by Abdur-Rahman bin Abza to question Ibn Abbas about two verses. The first was, “And whosoever murders a believer intentionally.” Ibn Abbas answered that nothing had abrogated this verse. The second was, “And those who invoke not with Allah any other god.” About this, Ibn Abbas said it was revealed concerning the people of shirk. The report is careful and specific. It does not mix the two verses into one broad claim. It shows how early scholars separated the subject of intentional murder from the verse revealed about the pagans, based on Ibn Abbas’s statement.
What we learn from this hadith
- The verse on intentional murder was described by Ibn Abbas as not abrogated.
- The verse about invoking no other god was linked to people of shirk.
- The report teaches precision when comparing Qur’anic verses.
