Comparative Studies of Quran

Comparative Studies of Quran

A comparative analysis of John Burton's citation of Quranic verses in proving the abrogation of the ruling and the recitation and exegetical response of Muslim scholars

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original

Authors
nafise zarei 1
Hasan Rezaei Haftadur 2
1 . PhD student in Quranic and Hadith Sciences, University of Tehran
2 Associate Professor, University of Tehran, Farabi Campus
10.22034/csq.2025.558559.1607
Abstract
The issue of abrogation in the Holy Quran has always been a challenging topic among commentators and Quranic scholars. In the Western tradition of Islamic studies, John Burton is one of the most influential scholars who has tried to question the mechanism of compilation and collection of the Quran with a critical approach. This article analyzes Burton’s views on a type of abrogation that he considers “the abrogation of judgment and recitation” (simultaneous abrogation of judgment and recitation) and considers it as a posteriori justification for the loss of some Quranic texts. Burton argues that the concept of abrogation, especially the abrogation of recitation, was an attempt by early commentators to explain ambiguities such as “the Prophet’s forgetfulness” or “the forgetting of some verses by God.” To prove his claim, he refers to verses from the Quran and their interpretations. According to Burton's analysis, these narrations actually represent verses that were omitted or "missing" from the final collection of the Quran. To prove this claim, he examines verses such as Ibn Adam and Beer Ma'una as examples.

This study, while carefully explaining and expanding Burton's arguments, assesses the strengths and weaknesses of the narrative and theological foundations of his theory and explains how this critical perspective has influenced contemporary discussions of Quranic sciences.

Subjects

Comparative Studies of Quran

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 27 January 2026

  • Receive Date 09 November 2025
  • Revise Date 21 December 2025
  • Accept Date 24 December 2025
  • Publish Date 27 January 2026