His saying, the Exalted: 'ma nansakh min ayah' (We do not abrogate a verse), meaning: We replace its ruling while keeping its text inscribed. 'aw nunsiha' (or cause it to be forgotten), Qatada said: meaning, We cause His Messenger to forget it; for the Messenger of God, peace and blessings of God be upon him, did indeed forget some of what had been revealed of the Quran, so it was not established in the Quran.
Yahya said: And it is read 'aw nunsa'ha' (or defer it), with a hamza, meaning: We postpone it; so it was not established in the Quran. 'na'ti bikhayrin minha aw mithliha' (We bring a better one or a similar one). He says: This abrogating verse is better in our time for its people, and that first, abrogated verse was better for its people in that time, and it is its equal in terms of
قَوْله تَعَالَى: ﴿مَا نَنْسَخْ مِنْ آيَة﴾ أَي: نبدل حكمهَا، وَنثْبت خطها: ﴿أَو ننسها﴾ قَالَ قَتَادَة: يَعْنِي: ننسها رَسُوله؛ وَقد نسي رَسُول اللَّهِ ﷺ بَعْض مَا كَانَ نزل من الْقُرْآن، فَلم يُثْبت فِي الْقُرْآن.
قَالَ يَحْيَى: وتقرأ ﴿أَوْ نَنْسَأْهَا﴾ مَهْمُوزَة؛ أَي: نؤخرها؛ فَلم تثبت فِي الْقُرْآن ﴿نَأْتِ بِخَيْرٍ مِنْهَا أَوْ مِثْلِهَا﴾ يَقُولُ: هَذِه الْآيَة الناسخة خير فِي زَمَاننَا هَذَا لأَهْلهَا، وَتلك الأولى المنسوخة خير لأَهْلهَا فِي ذَلِكَ الزَّمَان، وَهِي مثلهَا بعد
