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The present thesis examines Shafi'i's theory of naskh and its influence on the 'ulum al-Qur'an. The thesis looks at two types of sources: internal and external. Internally, the discussion focuses on the origins of naskh, the background and construction of Shafi'i's theory of naskh, tracing the ingredients of Shafi'i's thought in general and of his theory of naskh in particular. Having established Shafi'i's theory of naskh, the thesis goes on to examine it externally by considering Shafi'i's influence on six authors of naskh books (Naḣḣas's al-Nasikh wa al-Mansukh, Makki's al-Idḍaḥ, Ibn al-Jawzi's Nawasikh al-Qur'an, Shu'lah's Ṣafwat al-Rasikh, Ibn al-'Ata'iqi's al-Nasikh wa al-Mansukh) and his impact on the exegesis of eight Qur'anic verses -Q. 2: 106, Q. 22: 52, Q. 45: 29, Q. 7: 154, Q. 16: 101, Q. 13: 39, Q. 4: 160, and Q. 3: 7, discussed by six authors of tafsir (Ṭabari's Jami' al-Bayan, Jaṣṣaṣ's Aḥkam al-Qur'an, Zamakhshari's al-Kashshaf , Ibn al-Jawzi's Zad al-Masir, Qurṭubi's al-Jami' li Aḥkam al-Qur'an, and Suyuṭi's al-Durr al-Manthur). / This thesis argues that despite its marginality in Shafi'i own time and throughout the ninth century in general, his theory of naskh played a significant role in the process of elaborating and systematizing the conceptual discourse on naskh in Qur'anic studies. Support for this assertion is found in the direct quotation of Shafi'i's view by the authors discussed herein, as well as by inference through a comparative analysis of their opinion. Nevertheless, this influence was not carried over into the domain of exegesis.

Muhammad ibn Idris al-Shafi'i (d. 204 H.), the subject of the present thesis, was a Muslim legist who played a central role in the development of Islamic law. He wrote the first treatise on jurisprudence in Islam, a work in which he discusses the nature and sources of Islamic law and develops a legal methodology designed to interpret those sources. Al-Shafi'is legal theory is based on two principles: an insistence on following the scripture and traditions and a restriction on the use of reason. Furthermore, al-Shafi'i established the hierarchy of the four sources of law: the Qur'an, Sunnah, ijma' and qiyas. / In the centuries that followed, al-Shafi'is legal theory was to have a great influence. The Hanbali and the Zahiri schools of law arose in an environment that was considerably influenced by al-Shafi'i and his followers. The founders of these two schools strictly followed revelation and restricted the use of reason: Dawud al-Z ahiri even refused to consider qiyas as one of the sources of law. Although not all aspects of al-Shafi'is theory gained acceptance among later scholars, these scholars nevertheless owe much to al-Shafi'i for his efforts at systematizing the method of deriving law.

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