# Are There Missing and Abrogated Verses in the Qur’an? > Sahih reports say a stoning verse and a suckling ruling were recited as Qur’an and are not in the book. Qur’an 2:106 calls that God’s abrogation. - Canonical: https://apologetics.wiki/islam/missing-and-abrogated-verses-in-the-quran - Religions: Islam - Denominations: none - Beliefs: none - Tags: islam, quran, abrogation, hadith - Updated: 2026-10-14 [Qur’an 2:106](https://quran.com/2/106) [(1)](#ref-1) says God does not abrogate a verse, or cause it to be forgotten, without bringing a better or similar one. [Sahih al-Bukhari 6829](https://sunnah.com/bukhari:6829) [(2)](#ref-2) and [Sahih Muslim 1691a](https://sunnah.com/muslim:1691a) [(3)](#ref-3) say a stoning verse was revealed and recited, and that Umar feared people would not find it in the book. [Sahih Muslim 1452](https://sunnah.com/muslim:1452) [(4)](#ref-4) says a suckling ruling was still recited as Qur’an when the Prophet died. Those words are not in the Qur’an now. Muslims call that abrogation. The reports still say the words were recited as Qur’an. ## Key Points - [Qur’an 15:9](https://quran.com/15/9) [(1)](#ref-1) says God sent down the message and will be its guardian. [Qur’an 2:106](https://quran.com/2/106) [(1)](#ref-1) and [Qur’an 16:101](https://quran.com/16/101) [(1)](#ref-1) say God replaces a verse. - Ibn Kathir’s abridgment on 2:106 says naskh may involve the wording, the ruling, or both, and that it is still called naskh. Stories, he says, are not abrogated. Commandments are. [(6)](#ref-6) - [Sahih al-Bukhari 6829](https://sunnah.com/bukhari:6829) [(2)](#ref-2) has Umar say he fears people will not find the verses of stoning in the book. This report does not quote the verse’s words. - [Sahih Muslim 1691a](https://sunnah.com/muslim:1691a) [(3)](#ref-3) has Umar say the verse of stoning was sent down, that they recited it and retained it, and that stoning is a duty laid down in Allah’s book for married men and women when proof, pregnancy, or a confession is there. - [Sahih Muslim 1452](https://sunnah.com/muslim:1452) [(4)](#ref-4) has Aisha say ten clear sucklings were revealed, then abrogated by five, and the Prophet died while it was still recited as Qur’an. - [Sahih Muslim 1050](https://sunnah.com/muslim:1050) [(5)](#ref-5) has Abu Musa say the companions used to recite a surah like al-Tawbah, and that he has forgotten it except one sentence about two valleys of riches. [Has the Qur’an Been Changed?](/islam/has-the-quran-been-changed) is the preservation promise beside these reports. ## What Is Naskh? Naskh is the word in [Qur’an 2:106](https://quran.com/2/106) [(1)](#ref-1). Saheeh International: > 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. Do you not know that Allāh is over all things competent? [Qur’an 16:101](https://quran.com/16/101) [(1)](#ref-1) says that when God substitutes a verse in place of a verse, they say Muhammad is an inventor. The verse answers that God knows what he sends down. Ibn Kathir’s abridgment gathers the early readings. Ibn Abbas, through Ali ibn Abi Talhah, says it means whatever verse we abrogate. Mujahid says it means we erase it, and in another report that we keep the words but change the meaning. Ibn Jarir says it means whatever ruling we repeal, making the allowed unlawful or the unlawful allowed, and that naskh occurs with commandments, prohibitions, and permissions, not with stories. The abridgment then says whether the naskh involves the wordings, the ruling, or both, it is still called naskh. [(6)](#ref-6) That is the Muslim account of three kinds, in one paragraph: wording lifted, ruling changed while the words remain, or both. The same paragraph gives an example of erasing wordings from the Qur’an: “The married adulterer and the married adulteress: stone them to death”, and a sentence about the son of Adam and two valleys of gold. Ibn Kathir’s abridgment attributes that example to Ibn Abi Hatim’s explanation, “Erase and raise it”. Bukhari 6829 does not print those stoning words. The tafsir does, as an example of erased wording. [How Was the Qur’an Compiled?](/islam/how-was-the-quran-compiled) is Uthman’s copy. [How Many Versions of the Qur’an Are There?](/islam/how-many-versions-of-the-quran-are-there) is the readings. Abrogation is a different claim from a copyist’s error. It is God, in 2:106, replacing a verse. ## The Stoning Verse [Sahih al-Bukhari 6829](https://sunnah.com/bukhari:6829) [(2)](#ref-2) is Umar, through Ibn Abbas. He is afraid that after a long time people will say they do not find the verses of the rajam, stoning to death, in the holy book, and will leave an obligation Allah has revealed. He confirms the penalty for a married person when the crime is proved by witnesses, pregnancy, or confession. He says Allah’s Messenger carried out the penalty, and so did they after him. The report does not quote a verse. [Sahih Muslim 1691a](https://sunnah.com/muslim:1691a) [(3)](#ref-3), Abdul Hamid Siddiqui, is the same sermon in a fuller form. Umar says Allah sent down the book upon Muhammad, and the verse of stoning was included in what was sent down. “We recited it, retained it in our memory and understood it.” He says stoning is a duty laid down in Allah’s book. He still does not dictate the verse as a line of text. He says it was in the book, and he fears people will say it is not. The ruling of stoning is what he insists remains. The words, on his fear, are what people will not find. That is the case Ibn Kathir’s categories call naskh of the wording with the ruling left in force. The hadith states the fear and the duty. It does not state a verse that a reader can open in the Qur’an today. These are Sunni collections. [Which Muslims Accept Which Hadith?](/islam/which-muslims-accept-which-hadith) A Shia reader who sets Bukhari aside still has [Qur’an 2:106](https://quran.com/2/106) [(1)](#ref-1) in the shared book. ## Ten Sucklings [Sahih Muslim 1452](https://sunnah.com/muslim:1452) [(4)](#ref-4), Abdul Hamid Siddiqui, is Aisha: > '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). The report says ten sucklings were revealed as Qur’an, then replaced by five, and that when the Prophet died the ruling was still found in the Qur’an and recited. The Qur’an as collected does not contain a verse about ten sucklings or five. Aisha’s sentence puts the recitation after the time abrogation is usually said to have closed, because the Prophet had died. The Muslim explanation is still naskh. The report’s own timing is that Allah’s Apostle had died and the words were still found in the Qur’an before that time. ## A Surah Abu Musa Said He Forgot [Sahih Muslim 1050](https://sunnah.com/muslim:1050) [(5)](#ref-5) is Abu Musa al-Ash‘ari to the reciters of Basra. He says they used to recite a surah which resembled al-Bara’ah, that is al-Tawbah, in length and severity, and that he has forgotten it except this: if there were two valleys full of riches for the son of Adam, he would long for a third, and nothing would fill his stomach but dust. He also remembers a piece of a surah among the musabbihat. Ibn Kathir’s example of an erased wording includes that valleys sentence. [(6)](#ref-6) Abu Musa says he forgot a surah. He does not say God replaced it with a named verse still in the book. ## God Guards the Message [Qur’an 15:9](https://quran.com/15/9) [(1)](#ref-1) says it is God who sent down the message, and God will be its guardian. Muslims read 2:106 as part of that guarding: what God lifts, he lifts, and what remains is what he kept. The hadith say companions recited as Qur’an words the guarded book does not contain, and in Aisha’s report they were still reciting them when the Prophet died. [Has the Qur’an Been Changed?](/islam/has-the-quran-been-changed) keeps the two sentences together. A promise of guarding, and a report that a recited verse is absent, are both in the sources Muslims receive. The Gospel’s claim about its own text is a different question. [Has the Bible Been Changed? The Muslim Corruption Claim](/islam/was-the-bible-corrupted) is the Qur’an’s charge that some People of the Scripture distorted words. The Qur’an also tells the People of the Gospel to judge by what God sent down. [The Islamic Dilemma](/islam/the-islamic-dilemma) is that command beside the Qur’an’s denial of the cross. Missing verses, on this page, are what Bukhari and Muslim say was recited and is not in the book. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What Is the Qur’an Broken up Into? The Qur’an is arranged in surahs, and the surahs in ayahs, the verses. [Qur’an 2:106](https://quran.com/2/106) [(1)](#ref-1) uses “verse” for what may be abrogated. [How Was the Qur’an Compiled?](/islam/how-was-the-quran-compiled) is how the surahs were gathered into one copy. ### What Verse Says He Found You Lost and Guided You? [Qur’an 93:7](https://quran.com/93/7) [(1)](#ref-1), Saheeh International, says, “And He found you lost and guided [you],” The surah is ad-Duha, addressed to Muhammad. It is in the book. It is not one of the reports about a verse that was recited and left out. ### Does Abrogation Mean the Book Was Corrupted? Muslims say no. [Qur’an 16:101](https://quran.com/16/101) [(1)](#ref-1) records the charge, “You, [O Muḥammad], are but an inventor [of lies].” God answers by sending the verse down. The reports above still say words once recited as Qur’an are not in the collected text. That is the content of Bukhari 6829, Muslim 1691a, Muslim 1452, and Muslim 1050. ## Keep Reading - [Has the Qur’an Been Changed?](/islam/has-the-quran-been-changed) - [How Was the Qur’an Compiled?](/islam/how-was-the-quran-compiled) - [How Many Versions of the Qur’an Are There?](/islam/how-many-versions-of-the-quran-are-there) - [Which Muslims Accept Which Hadith?](/islam/which-muslims-accept-which-hadith) - [Has the Bible Been Changed? The Muslim Corruption Claim](/islam/was-the-bible-corrupted) - [The Islamic Dilemma](/islam/the-islamic-dilemma) ## Passages Quoted on This Page ### Sahih al-Bukhari 6829 Muhammad Muhsin Khan. [Open on sunnah.com](https://sunnah.com/bukhari:6829) > Narrated Ibn `Abbas: `Umar said, "I am afraid that after a long time has passed, people may say, "We do not find the Verses of the Rajam (stoning to death) in the Holy Book," and consequently they may go astray by leaving an obligation that Allah has revealed. Lo! I confirm that the penalty of Rajam be inflicted on him who commits illegal sexual intercourse, if he is already married and the crime is proved by witnesses or pregnancy or confession." Sufyan added, "I have memorized this narration in this way." `Umar added, "Surely Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) carried out the penalty of Rajam, and so did we after him." ### Sahih Muslim 1691a Abdul Hamid Siddiqui. [Open on sunnah.com](https://sunnah.com/muslim:1691a) > 'Abdullah b. 'Abbas reported that 'Umar b. Khattab sat on the pulpit of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and said: Verily Allah sent Muhammad (ﷺ) with truth and He sent down the Book upon him, and the verse of stoning was included in what was sent down to him. We recited it, retained it in our memory and understood it. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) awarded the punishment of stoning to death (to the married adulterer and adulteress) and, after him, we also awarded the punishment of stoning, I am afraid that with the lapse of time, the people (may forget it) and may say: We do not find the punishment of stoning in the Book of Allah, and thus go astray by abandoning this duty prescribed by Allah. Stoning is a duty laid down in Allah's Book for married men and women who commit adultery when proof is established, or it there is pregnancy, or a confession. ### Qur’an 15:9 Saheeh International. [Open on quran.com](https://quran.com/15/9) > Indeed, it is We who sent down the message [i.e., the Qur’ān], and indeed, We will be its guardian. ### Qur’an 16:101 Saheeh International. [Open on quran.com](https://quran.com/16/101) > And when We substitute a verse in place of a verse - and Allāh is most knowing of what He sends down - they say, "You, [O Muḥammad], are but an inventor [of lies]." But most of them do not know. ### Sahih Muslim 1050 Abdul Hamid Siddiqui. [Open on sunnah.com](https://sunnah.com/muslim:1050) > Abu Harb b. Abu al-Aswad reported on the authority of his father that Abu Musa al-Ash'ari sent for the reciters of Basra. They came to him and they were three hundred in number. They recited the Qur'an and he said: You are the best among the inhabitants of Basra, for you are the reciters among them. So continue to recite it. (But bear in mind) that your reciting for a long time may not harden your hearts as were hardened the hearts of those before you. We used to recite a surah which resembled in length and severity to (Surah) Bara'at. I have, however, forgotten it with the exception of this which I remember out of it:" If there were two valleys full of riches, for the son of Adam, he would long for a third valley, and nothing would fill the stomach of the son of Adam but dust." And we used so recite a surah which resembled one of the surahs of Musabbihat, and I have forgotten it, but remember (this much) out of it:" Oh people who believe, why do you say that which you do not practise" (lxi 2.) and" that is recorded in your necks as a witness (against you) and you would be asked about it on the Day of Resurrection" (xvii. 13). ## Sources Numbered to match the HTML References list. Item 1 is `#ref-1` under `#references`. Scripture links to the King James Version on this site. 1. [Qur’an, 2:106; 16:101; 15:9; 93:7](https://quran.com/2/106) (Saheeh International. God does not abrogate a verse or cause it to be forgotten except that he brings a better or similar one.) 2. [Sahih al-Bukhari, 6829](https://sunnah.com/bukhari:6829) (Muhammad Muhsin Khan. Umar fears people will not find the verses of stoning in the book. The report does not quote a stoning-verse wording.) 3. [Sahih Muslim, 1691a](https://sunnah.com/muslim:1691a) (Abdul Hamid Siddiqui. Umar says the verse of stoning was sent down, recited, and retained, and is a duty in Allah’s book.) 4. [Sahih Muslim, 1452](https://sunnah.com/muslim:1452) (Abdul Hamid Siddiqui. Ten sucklings, then five, and the ruling was still recited as Qur’an when the Prophet died.) 5. [Sahih Muslim, 1050](https://sunnah.com/muslim:1050) (Abdul Hamid Siddiqui. Abu Musa says he forgot a surah like al-Tawbah except for one sentence.) 6. [Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged), 2:106](https://quran.com/2/106/tafsirs/en-tafisr-ibn-kathir) (Quran.com abridgment. Naskh may be of the wording, the ruling, or both. A reported example is a stoning wording erased from the Qur’an.) ## See Also - [Muhammad’s Intercession and Blessings](https://apologetics.wiki/islam/muhammads-intercession-and-blessings) — Intercession belongs to Allah and avails only by his permission. Believers ask God to bless Muhammad. The Gospel names one mediator, Christ Jesus. - [Are Muslims Seeing Dreams and Visions of Jesus?](https://apologetics.wiki/islam/dreams-and-visions-of-jesus) — The Qur’an and sahih hadith do not count dreams of Jesus. They call a true dream part of prophecy. Acts 2 and Deuteronomy 13 test the message. - [Did Jesus Die on the Cross?](https://apologetics.wiki/islam/did-jesus-die-on-the-cross) — The Qur'an is widely read as saying Jesus was not crucified. The Gospels, Paul, and two Roman-era historians say he was. - [Did Jesus Pray Like a Muslim?](https://apologetics.wiki/islam/did-jesus-pray-like-a-muslim) — No. Jesus fell on his face and prayed to the Father. That is not the five daily prayers, toward the Sacred Mosque, that the Qur’an times. - [Do Muslims Believe in Jesus?](https://apologetics.wiki/islam/jesus-in-the-quran-and-the-gospels) — Yes. Muslims believe Jesus was born of Mary and is the Messiah. They do not believe he is God or that he died on the cross. Jesus in the Qur’an and the Gospels is that comparison.