7 Preface إِلّا ما شاءَ اللَّهُ ۚ إِنَّهُ يَعلَمُ الجَهرَ وَما يَخفىٰYusuf AliExcept as God wills:1 For He knoweth what is manifest and what is hidden.There can be no question of this having any reference to the abrogation of any verses of the Qur-ān, for this Sūra is one of the earliest revealed, being placed about eighth according to the most accepted chronological order. While the basic principles of God’s Law remain the same, its form, expression, and application have varied from time to time, e.g., from Moses to Jesus, and from Jesus to Muḥammad. It is one of the beneficent mercies of God that we should forget some things of the past, lest our minds become confused and our development is retarded. Besides, Allāh knows what is manifest and what is hidden, and His Will and Plan work with supreme wisdom and goodness.