Fath al-Rabbani

Benefits: … This was a group of the Qurra’ Companions, who were killed in the expedition of Bi’r Ma‘unah. Their details are as follows: It is narrated from Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik radi Allahu anhu, who says: “The Prophet of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was approached by Ri‘l, Dhakwan, ‘Usayyah, and Banu Lihyan, and they claimed that they had accepted Islam. Then they sought his help against their own people, so the Prophet of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam aided them on that day with seventy men from the Ansar. Anas said: We used to call them, in their time, the Qurra’ (reciters); they used to gather firewood during the day and pray at night. So those tribesmen took them along, and when they reached Bi’r Ma‘unah, they betrayed them and killed them. Therefore, the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam performed qunut (supplication) in the morning prayer for a month, invoking curses upon these tribes: Ri‘l, Dhakwan, ‘Usayyah, and Banu Lihyan. Qatadah said: Anas narrated to us that they recited Qur’an regarding this incident. Ibn Ja‘far, in his narration, said: Indeed, we recited Qur’an about them: {بَلِّغُوْا عَنَّا قَوْمَنَا أَ نَّا قَدْ لَقِیْنَا رَبَّنَا فَرَضِیَ عَنَّا وَأَ رْضَانَا } meaning: “Convey from us to our people that we have met our Lord, and He is pleased with us and has made us pleased.” Then this was later abrogated. Ibn Ja‘far said: Then this was abrogated or lifted. Ri‘l, Dhakwan, ‘Usayyah, and Banu Lihyan were tribes who came to the Noble Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and made it appear that they had become Muslim. Then they sought help from him sallallahu alayhi wa sallam against their own people. He sallallahu alayhi wa sallam aided them with seventy men from the Ansar. In that era, we used to call them the Qurra’; they would gather firewood during the day and pray at night. Those tribesmen took them along, and when they reached near Bi’r Ma‘unah, they betrayed them and killed those seventy Companions. For this reason, the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam performed qunut in the morning prayer for a month, in which he would invoke curses upon these tribes: Ri‘l, Dhakwan, ‘Usayyah, and Banu Lihyan. Sayyiduna Anas radi Allahu anhu narrated that people recited Qur’an regarding this incident. According to the narration of Ibn Ja‘far, it was this verse: {بَلِّغُوْا عَنَّا قَوْمَنَا أَ نَّا قَدْ لَقِیْنَا رَبَّنَا فَرَضِیَ عَنَّا وَأَ رْضَانَا } meaning: “Convey from us to our people that we have met our Lord, and He is pleased with us and has made us pleased.” Then this verse was abrogated. (Sahih Bukhari: 3064, 4088, 4090, and the wording is from Ahmad)

These were a few examples of the abrogation of certain verses.