of the South.
Naskh
(Arab., ‘deletion’). The Muslim procedure whereby certain verses of the
Qur’
n
modify or abrogate others. The verses so modified are known as
mansukh
. The general principle is that the Qur’
n remains absolute and unqualified, but
All
h
in his mercy makes its application bearable in particular situations. A second sense refers to the cancellation of verses insinuated by
Satan
/Shait
n: see 22. 52/1 f. The best-known example is that of the
Satanic Verses
. The doctrine of abrogation is known as
al-nasikh wa’l-mansukh
.
Nasruddin
(character in folktales):
N
stika
(Skt., ‘atheistic’). Hindu term for heterodox systems of Indian religion and thought, which deny the authority of the
Vedas
. They include
Carvaka
, Jainism, and Buddhism.