Salam. Critics claim that a Hadith in Musnad Ahmad says 200 verses are missing from Surah 33. Were these verses abrogated? If they were, then what type of abrogation was this for the 200 verses (i.e. abrogation of recitation without ruling, or abrogation of recitation with ruling?) Also, does Qurtubi's tafsir of Surah 33:1 show an authentic Hadith showing Aisha agreed that most of Surah 33 was abrogated by Allah? What to classical scholar say on this?

Alhamdu Lillah

It is interesting to know that (Musnad Ahmad) is not a collection of the authentic Ahadeeth only, although this was the intention of Imam Ahmad, may Allah have mercy on him, which is to scutinize his collection afterward and to keep the authentic  Ahadeeth only. But-Subhan Allah- he passed away before doing so.

However, the Ahadeeth in Musnad Ahmad were classified by contemporsy great Imams, like Ahmad Shakir and Abdul-Rahman Al-Sa’aty Al-Banna.

  With this in mind, here is the status of the relevant narrations;

1- The narration of Aysha RAA indicated that Suratul-Ahzab was 200 Ayat is a weak narration. It was narrated through (Ibn Luhaya’ah) and his narrations are rejected.

2- The narration of Ubay Ibn Ka’ab that he forgot 70 Ayat of the same Surah in which he couled not find is another weak narration. It was narrated through (Abdullah Inb Shuraik Al-A’amiry) and many scholars of Hadith do not recognize him as a trustworthy narrator. So, when he narrates what contradicts the consensus of whole Ummah regarding the number of the Ayat of Suratul-Ahzab, obviously, his narration is denied, as millions of Muslims nowadays memorize Suratul-Ahzab with their uninterrupted chain of trustworthy narrators that goes back to the Prophet SAAW Himself. They are unanimous that this Surah counts 73 Ayat only.

 3- The only recognizable and accepted narration in this regard is what have been narrated by Ubay Ibn Ka’ab (Suratul-Ahzab was as long as Suratul-Bakarah, or even longer. It used to have the Ayah obligates stoning the adulterers till death).

But this Hadith does not mean that part of the Surah was dropped, intentionally or unintentionally. It means that at a certain time this Surah was in the same length of Surat- Al-Bakarah. However, the revelation of Surat-Al-Bakarah took almost 10 years! So, it was not completed whan Ubay RAA said what he said.

As of lacking (Ayatu-Rajm) or the punishment of stoning adulterers till death, that is correct as the recitation of this  Ayah was abrogated from the Quran, while its rule is not obregated. The authentic Sunnah of the Prophet SAAW emphasized that He SAAW commanded His eminent companions to stone until death those who confessed committing adultery (married and not single people).