Q9:29 and abrogation and the fatal flaw in Sunni Islam is there is no Pope!

Submitted by dhimmi no more (United States), Mar 30, 2014 at 08:53

Dr. Pipes

I do agree with you that any religion can be reformed and religious texts can be reinterpreted. The problem with islam is that if one tinkers with the interpretation of the Qur'an in the way we have it now the whole edifice would fall apart

As an example in the case of the doctrine of al-Nasikh wa al-Mansukh it is very clear as al-Nahas says in his book al-Nasikh wa al-Mansukh that later revelations would abrogate earlier revelations in the same subject matter and as an example ayat La ikrah fi al-deen or the no compulsion in religion is abrogated by ayat al-sayf or the infamous sword verse or 9;5 and the reason is 9;5 is a much later revelation therefore it would abrogate the La ikrah

Indeed as was pointed out by John Wansbrough that al-Naskh or abrogation was the only way out for the contradictions in the Qur'an and again case in point is 9:5 and the La Ikrah verse

Now Q9:29 was revealed in the last chapter in the Qur'an and that is the very violent Surat al-Tauba which means that if it is abrogated then the foundation of reading the Qur'an will fall apart

It seems to me that the real problem with Sunni Islam (Shia islam is a very different story) is that there is no Pope who can interpret these texts and guide the faithful to "the right path" what ever that is

At present any Muslim nut case can read the Qur'an and tell us what it says including hate and war and murder

So until Sunni islam has a Pope: There is no hope in refoming Islam

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