What is meant
Shahrur presents al-Shafi‘i as holding that the Sunna may abrogate the Qur’an. He also formulates this as the possibility that a prophetic hadith may abrogate a Qur’anic verse, or that a prophetic ruling may suspend a divine ruling on the same matter.
Scope of the claim
This passage is limited to Shahrur’s presentation of this position attributed to al-Shafi‘i in the subject of abrogation. It does not establish that the Sunna was an instrument of sectarian conflict, nor does it address the use of hadith in political or sectarian disputes.