The Naskh Theory in Shah ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz Dihlawī’s Tafsīr: Debates on Cause, Wisdom, and Divine Ordinance in the Abrogation of Verses

This study examines the theory of naskh developed by the Indian scholar Shah ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz Dihlawī (d. 1240/1824), focusing on his interpretations in the Persian tafsīr Fath al-ʿAzīz. This study aims to fill a gap in the existing literature, as no independent study has yet been devoted to ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz’s theory of abrogation. Rather than treating naskh as a purely technical issue within fiqh and uṣūl al-fiqh, the study situates it within the historical context of revelation and the principles of divine wisdom. Methodologically, the research employs content analysis of Shah Abd al-ʿAzīz’s works and offers a comparative evaluation of his views in relation to his father, Shah Walīullah (d. 1176/1762)’s approach to naskh. The findings indicate that, in contrast to approaches that adopt a highly cautious stance by restricting the scope of abrogation to only five cases, Shah ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz develops a more flexible and dynamic theory of naskh. He accepts textual (lafzī), legal (hukmī), and recitational (tilāwa) forms of naskh and uses legal and historical examples to support his theory. Abd al-ʿAzīz explains naskh primarily through divine wisdom and the principle of gradualism, while rejecting the doctrine of badāʾ. By grounding his approach in the concept of the Lawh al-Mahfūz (the Preserved Tablet), he argues that changes in legal rulings do not imply novelty in divine knowledge but reflect the temporal manifestation of an eternal decree. This study concludes that Shah ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz offers an original and comprehensive reinterpretation of naskh within the Indian exegetical tradition.