2-142 The fools among the people will say: “What has turned them from their qiblah which they had?” Say: The East and the West belong only to Allah; He guides whom He pleases to the right path.a
۞ سَيَقُولُ ٱلسُّفَهَآءُ مِنَ ٱلنَّاسِ مَا وَلَّٮٰهُمۡ عَن قِبۡلَتِہِمُ ٱلَّتِى كَانُواْ عَلَيۡهَاۚ قُل لِّلَّهِ ٱلۡمَشۡرِقُ وَٱلۡمَغۡرِبُۚ يَہۡدِى مَن يَشَآءُ إِلَىٰ صِرَٲطٍ۬ مُّسۡتَقِيمٍ۬ (١٤٢)
2-142a: قِبۡلةَ – It is derived from مقابلة which is the situation of one person standing in front of another (R). Accordingly, two persons who stand opposite each other, each is the قِبۡلَه of the other (IJ). The opposite of this is دِبۡرة , which is spoken of a thing that is behind. In common parlance قِبۡلَه means the direction or point towards which one turns his face in prayer.
Change of Qiblah: This verse marks the beginning of the subject that is known as the Change of Qiblah, that is the declaration of the Kabah in Makkah as the qiblah instead of the Bait ul Muqaddas (Holy Temple) in Jerusalem. The connection of this subject with the previous verses is obvious because the narration there is about Abraham and the Kabah. However, it is possible to interpret the words of Quran in another way as well.
Hadith about the change of Qiblah: There are narrations in the authentic hadith about the change of qiblah. In the Bukhari there are several narrations, each with several versions about the change of qiblah. Thus, Abdullah bin Dinar narrates on the authority of Hazrat Ibn Umar that people were saying their morning prayer in the mosque at Qubah when a person informed them that the command has been given to face in the direction of Kabah and the people turned their face from Syria to Makkah while in the middle of their prayer. This narration has been repeated five times in different ways by Imam Bukhari in the Kitab al-Tafsir. Bara bin Azib narrates that after coming to Madinah, the Holy Prophet prayed facing the Bait ul Muqaddas in Jerusalem for sixteen or seventeen months before the Prophet was commanded to face Kabah in prayers. This narration has also been repeated two times in different ways. There is a narration by Anas bin Malik in which he says: “None remains of those who prayed facing both qiblas (that is, Jerusalem and Makkah) except myself”. This is further supported by a narration of Hazrat Umar reported in Kitab al-Tafsir in Bukhari under the heading: وَٱتَّخِذُواْ مِن مَّقَامِ إِبۡرَٲهِـۧمَ مُصَلًّ۬ى. The narration states that Hazrat Umar said that there were three times when revelation supported his view, and the first of these is that Hazrat Umar said to the Holy Prophet: یا رسول اللّٰه لِو اتخذت من مقام ابراھیم مصلّٰے (If you make the place of Abraham, that is the Kabah, the direction for prayer). In the presence of so many hadith narratives, it cannot be denied that the Holy Prophet initially faced Bait ul Muqaddas (Holy Temple) in Jerusalem while praying. It was sixteen or seventeen months after emigration that the direction of prayer was changed towards Kabah as a result of specific revelation.
Change of qiblah did not occur twice: Those who are under the impression that the change in qiblah occurred twice are clearly mistaken. There is no support for it either in the Quran or in an authentic hadith. It appears that even in Makkah the Holy Prophet prayed facing Bait-ul-Muqaddas, but there it was possible for him to keep both Kabah and Bait-ul-Muqaddas in front of him, which he did. However, when he came to Madinah, it was not possible to do this because if he faced Bait ul Muqaddas, the Kabah was at his back. He, therefore, desired that the direction of prayer be towards Kabah because of its association with Abraham. But because Bait-ul-Muqaddas was the qiblah of the previous prophets, so the Holy Prophet kept the same qiblah until Divine revelation changed the direction of prayer.
Revelation was not a product of the Prophet’s desires: This also proves that the source of revelation was not the desires of the Prophet’s heart because it could not be that the Prophet desired that the qiblah should be Kabah, but there should be no revelation for sixteen or seventeen months effecting a change.
The meaning of مَا وَلَّٮٰهُمۡ : What was the intention behind this change of qiblah? The rationale for this is explained a little further on. However, it remains to be seen whether the words مَا وَلَّٮٰهُمۡ actually refer to the change of qiblah. This is a separate question. These words can also be interpreted to mean: What made the Muslims change the qiblah that they had previously, that is Bait-ul-Muqaddas. This interpretation is a clear reference to the change of qiblah. The interpretation can also be: What made the Muslims turn away from the qiblah that the prophets (who were referred by name shortly before) observed, that is Bait-ul-Muqaddas. This statement does not necessarily mean a change of qiblah. A third interpretation can be: What made the Muslims run away from the qiblah that they had, that is Kabah. This would be a reference to emigration (hijra) and the meaning would be that when their qiblah was Kabah why did they run away from there. The response that is given in the words لِلَّهِ ٱلۡمَشۡرِقُ وَٱلۡمَغۡرِبُ (to Allah belongs whatever is in the east and west) shows, in respect of the last interpretation, that the emigration of the Muslims in no way negates Kabah as the qiblah because Allah is the possessor of both the east and the west and He will make them the master of Kabah as well. If the first two meaning are adopted, then the meaning of لِلَّهِ ٱلۡمَشۡرِقُ وَٱلۡمَغۡرِبُ would be that Allah has no special connection with any specific direction and all directions are His. There is no harm if Bait ul Muqaddas was the qiblah at one time and the Kabah is the qiblah now. However, it was necessary that the qiblah of the last prophet be the first House established on earth for the worship of Allah. And this is what is hinted in the words صِرَٲطٍ۬ مُّسۡتَقِيمٍ۬ (the straight path). Or the meaning may be that this right information, namely that Allah has no special connection with any direction, was given to the Muslims.
2-143 And thus We have made you an exalted nation that you may be the bearers of witness to the people and (that) the Messenger may be a bearer of witness to you.a And We did not make that which thou wouldst have to be the qiblah but that We might distinguish him who follows the Messenger from him who turns back upon his heels. And it was indeed a hard test except for those whom Allah has guided.b Nor was Allah going to make your faith to be fruitless. Surely Allah is Compassionate, Merciful, to the people.c
وَكَذَٲلِكَ جَعَلۡنَـٰكُمۡ أُمَّةً۬ وَسَطً۬ا لِّتَڪُونُواْ شُہَدَآءَ عَلَى ٱلنَّاسِ وَيَكُونَ ٱلرَّسُولُ عَلَيۡكُمۡ شَهِيدً۬اۗ وَمَا جَعَلۡنَا ٱلۡقِبۡلَةَ ٱلَّتِى كُنتَ عَلَيۡہَآ إِلَّا لِنَعۡلَمَ مَن يَتَّبِعُ ٱلرَّسُولَ مِمَّن يَنقَلِبُ عَلَىٰ عَقِبَيۡهِۚ وَإِن كَانَتۡ لَكَبِيرَةً إِلَّا عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ هَدَى ٱللَّهُۗ وَمَا كَانَ ٱللَّهُ لِيُضِيعَ إِيمَـٰنَكُمۡۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ بِٱلنَّاسِ لَرَءُوفٌ۬ رَّحِيمٌ۬ (١٤٣)
2-143a: وَسَطً۬ا – وسط is the middle part of a thing, and sometimes a superior and noble thing that is removed from either extremes is also called وسط (R). Accordingly, the meaning of الوسط in Bukhari is given as العدل (to act justly). And Ibn Jarir has written that in the terminology of the Arabs, the expression وسط means the best people and it is such a group that is meant here. This group has achieved the most elevated rank by shunning the extremes.
شُہَدَآءَ – For the meaning of شہید see 2-23a. Imam Raghib has written that by شُہَدَآءَ are meant such people who when they hear a thing remain cognizant of it. The meaning of to be a witness can also be to carry the knowledge that they have gained from the Prophet to others. From this perspective, the meaning of شُہَدَآءَ can be a purifier and also a leader or imam. This is the meaning here.
An indication of the termination of prophethood in the subject of the qiblah: The word كَذَٲلِكَ points to the subject of the last verse, namely that the Kabah is the center of true monotheism and by appointing it as qiblah or direction of prayer, God has communicated that this prophet is the last prophet and his followers will now be the propagators of religious knowledge and the real leaders and imams of the world, just as the messenger of Allah is their leader and imam. The statement in the end: وَيَكُونَ ٱلرَّسُولُ عَلَيۡكُمۡ شَهِيدً۬ا (the Messenger may be a witness to you) clearly conveys that the leader, chief, and purifier of all the teachers of piety and purifiers of souls in the world will now be Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah. And thus, all these teachers being subservient to the same leader will be the torch bearers of the unity of nations and the oneness of humanity.
The excellence of Holy Prophet’s followers: This verse also points out the excellence of the Holy Prophet’s companions. Nay, of all the true followers of Prophet Muhammad. The work that was previously done by prophets would now be done by his followers. An alternative explanation of كَذَٲلِكَ is that just as God has given a lesson in moderation by requiring all to pray in one direction for the sake of unity although He has no special connection with any direction, the entire teachings of Islam that God has given are one of moderation so that the Muslims may be the leaders in the world for all times.
2-143b: Change of qiblah – a test: There can be two ways to interpret: وَمَا جَعَلۡنَا ٱلۡقِبۡلَةَ ٱلَّتِى كُنتَ عَلَيۡہَآ (And We did not make that which thou wouldst have to be the qiblah). One interpretation is that: We did not make what you wanted the qibla so that those who are true may be distinguished from those who are false. This implies that the Kabah was made the qiblah after a long period in which the Bait-ul-Muqaddas was the qiblah in order to test the people. The meaning of جَعَلۡنَا here is similar to جَعَلۡنَا in: وَمَا جَعَلۡنَا ٱلرُّءۡيَا ٱلَّتِىٓ أَرَيۡنَـٰكَ إِلَّا فِتۡنَةً۬ لِّلنَّاسِ (And We made not the vision which We showed thee but a trial for men), that is Allah did not command that the vision should become a trial. Similarly, Allah did not command that Bait-ul-Muqaddas should be the qiblah. There is no revelation in the Quran nor is there a hadith that the Holy Prophet had faced Bait-ul-Muqaddas as a result of a Divine command. But after the emigration to Madinah, the Holy Prophet had to choose between Bait-ul-Muqaddas and Kabah, and he chose to face in the direction of Bait-ul-Muqaddas and have the Kabah at his back. Allah let this situation persist for a long period and did not change it by revelation. The rational for this, as stated later, was to make this a test. The second interpretation can be that كُنتَ be taken in the sense of صرت and the meaning would be that: We have not made this which you follow now as the qiblah but for this reason. In which case the reference is to the Kabah. And the meaning of كُنتَ عَلَيۡہَآ can also be معتقد لاستقبالہا , that is on which you had firmly set thy heart that it should be the your qiblah (Rz).
Know in the sense of distinguish: The meaning of لِنَعۡلَمَ has been taken as to distinguish one thing from another because علم (knowledge) is also used in the sense of تمیز (distinguish) particularly when it is followed by من which is used for distinguishing (AH). Some have taken علم in the sense of رویة (IJ) that is to see who is like this and who is like that. And رویة suits the context here because it is the post event Divine knowledge that has an equivalency with رویة.
Allah’s knowledge about people is of two types: One type is knowledge about an event when it is still in the future and unknown, and the second is the knowledge that occurs after an event has taken place. It is only when the event has occurred that reward and punishment can be meted out. In this part of the verse, the purpose of the change in qiblah is given as the distinction between those that are genuine and those that are fake.
A true faith requires testing through examination: If those who are sincere and those who are insincere remain mixed then the real purpose of religion is not achieved. So, Allah creates certain situations to test the genuineness of people. This test was not an insignificant one. As long as the Holy Prophet stayed in Makkah, the qiblah was Bait-ul-Muqaddas although the inhabitants of the city were at that time primarily polytheists who revered the Kabah but had no reverence for Bait ul Muqaddas. But when he came to Madinah where there was a sizable population of Jews, the Kabah became the qiblah.so that only those persons should become Muslims who were convinced in their heart about the truthfulness of Islam and had the mettle that no trial would make them waiver in their faith. Another purpose in the change of qiblah was that the qiblah is not an object of worship. If that was so, then the qiblah should have been the same from the beginning because the commandments regarding Divine unity had been given right at the beginning. Further, the Kabah is made the qiblah when the real bad times had already passed. If the Kabah had been made the qiblah right from the beginning, then perhaps the people of Arabia may have joined the Holy Prophet thinking that they were joining a faith based on their ancestral tenets. But not only was the Kabah not declared the qiblah at the beginning, but for seventeen months in Madinah, the Muslims were made to stand with their backs toward the Kabah in their prayers. The purpose was to make it clear that it is not an object of worship.
2-143c: إِيمَـٰنَ – The meaning of إِيمَـٰنَ here according to a narration of Ibn Abbas in Bukhari is صلٰوة and the connotation is that prayers that were conducted facing Bait ul Muqaddas were not wasted because prayer is for Allah and does not have any such relation with the qiblah that if it is not offered facing the qiblah it would not count. Once again, this negates the idea that qiblah is the real purpose of prayer as has been wrongly supposed by some opponents of Islam. There is also an indication in the use of the word إِيمَـٰنَ that qiblah is not something that creates any shortcoming in faith.
رَءُوفٌ۬ – There is a high degree of mercy implied in its meaning. God in His kindness bestows favors on His servants on His own. (LA). And رأفة from which it is derived is more special than mercy and a thing with greater tenderness. (LA).
2-144 Indeed We see the turning of thy face to heaven, so We shall surely make thee master of the qiblah which thou likest; turn then thy face towards the Sacred Mosque. And wherever you are turn your faces towards it.a And those who have been given the Book certainly know that it is the truth from their Lord. And Allah is not heedless of what they do.b
قَدۡ نَرَىٰ تَقَلُّبَ وَجۡهِكَ فِى ٱلسَّمَآءِۖ فَلَنُوَلِّيَنَّكَ قِبۡلَةً۬ تَرۡضَٮٰهَاۚ فَوَلِّ وَجۡهَكَ شَطۡرَ ٱلۡمَسۡجِدِ ٱلۡحَرَامِۚ وَحَيۡثُ مَا كُنتُمۡ فَوَلُّواْ وُجُوهَكُمۡ شَطۡرَهُ ۥۗ وَإِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ ٱلۡكِتَـٰبَ لَيَعۡلَمُونَ أَنَّهُ ٱلۡحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّهِمۡۗ وَمَا ٱللَّهُ بِغَـٰفِلٍ عَمَّا يَعۡمَلُونَ (١٤٤)
2-144a: تَقَلُّبَ وَجۡهِكَ فِى ٱلسَّمَآءِۖ – تَقَلُّبَ is from قلب and its meaning is to turn repeatedly. Here it is in the sense of الٰی – وجه – Attention or face – The meaning of repeatedly turning the attention or face towards heaven is to supplicate before Allah or to await the decision of an affair from Allah. But the meaning here is not the expectation of a command to make Kabah the qiblah because that command had already been given and the objections to it had already been answered. But this awaiting or attention or supplication is for Muslims to gain possession from the unbelievers of the Kabah, which had now been made the qiblah, so that they could purify the Kabah from idols placed in it by the polytheists of Makkah.
فَلَنُوَلِّيَنَّكَ – ولَّیته کذا means he made him a guardian or possessor of a thing (R, RM). This is the meaning here, and not We shall turn you [to a qiblah] because this is about the future, and the command about turning to face the qiblah had already been given. ولّی (infinitive تولَّیته ) means he set anyone over, entrusted anyone with the governance of a province or management of an affair. Sometimes, it is used in the sense of prosperity or luck, as in فولّ وجھك (turn your face) or لکل وجھة ھو مولّیھا (to turn attention in this direction) and sometimes in the sense of coming back or return as in: ثم ولّیتم مدبرین یا ماولّھم عن قبلتھم
شَطۡرَ – It is used to denote the half or middle of a thing but here the meaning is direction (R).
ٱلۡحَرَامۚ – The meaning of حَرَامِۚ is الممنوع منه that which is forbidden either by Allah as in: وَحَرَٲمٌ عَلَىٰ قَرۡيَةٍ أَهۡلَكۡنَـٰهَآ (And it is forbidden to a town which We destroy…), (where the imputation is that the Divine law is such that the dead do not come back to earth) or that which is not allowed by virtue of shariat, or an order that has to be obeyed, or because of being a subject or by virtue of the dictate of intelligence. And حَرَم is called حرم because in accordance with the spirit of Allah’s command, there are things in it which are forbidden which are permissible in other circumstances (R). محروم is also from the same root because a person who has been made unable to acquire certain things is deprived (محروم) from them.
ٱلۡمَسۡجِدِ ٱلۡحَرَامِۚ – It is the name of that vast enclosure in which the Kabah is situated. This enclosure is two hundred and fifty steps in length and about two hundred steps in width and the Kabah is sited almost in the middle of it. The Kabah is eighteen steps in length and fourteen feet in width. The Black Stone is embedded in its north-western corner. Sometimes, the whole حَرَم is referred to as ٱلۡمَسۡجِدِ ٱلۡحَرَامِۚ which would include Makkah, and the plains of Minnah and Arafat – the whole area being one in which it is prohibited to fight, carry arms, hunt, or to cut grass (except اذخر ). Examples of this usage are: لِمَن لَّمۡ يَكُنۡ أَهۡلُهُ ۥ حَاضِرِى ٱلۡمَسۡجِدِ ٱلۡحَرَامِۚ (This is for him whose family is not present in the Sacred Mosque) (2:196) and لَا تُقَـٰتِلُوهُمۡ عِندَ ٱلۡمَسۡجِدِ ٱلۡحَرَامِ حَتَّىٰ يُقَـٰتِلُوكُمۡ فِيهِ (And fight not with them at the Sacred Mosque until they fight with you in it) (2:191).
The trusteeship of Kabah: Kabah had been declared as the qiblah, but despite being the center of monotheism it was full of idols. The Holy Prophet must have, therefore, contemplated as to how and when this center of monotheism would be purified of this filth. Hence Allah provided an assurance that he would be made the trustee of Kabah as he desired. The statement immediately after that, فَوَلِّ وَجۡهَكَ (turn then thy face) does not imply that this command is only now being given as that would make the passage meaningless for it would read: We will turn your face towards this qiblah, so you too turn your face. In reality, the real purpose of the statement is to dispel the misgiving about the presence of idols in Kabah and so the Holy Prophet is told not to worry as he would be made its trustee and this center of monotheism will stay in the hands of those believing in the unity of God. Hence the command is given to pray in the direction of Kabah without any misgivings. This also evidences that no non-Muslim can now be the trustee of the Kabah.
2-144b: The Holy Prophet’s genuineness had become apparent to the Followers of the Book: There were prophecies in the scriptures of the People of the Book whose fulfilment they awaited. There was a promise with Ishmael from among the children of Abraham. Ishmael was left in Arabia. There was no other structure called Bethel or Beit El except in Arabia, that is no other house besides the Kabah has been called as Beit Ullah or House of God. There was a distinct connection of this House with Abraham and there were many memorials evidencing his association with the place. So, when the promised Prophet of Abraham’s prayer came, it was necessary that his qiblah should be Kabah. Further, because the Jews were aware that the promised Prophet was to appear in Arabia, they had settled in large numbers in Arabia before the advent of the Holy Prophet. Even to this day, the name of Arabia is clearly mentioned in the Jewish prophecies. Accordingly, in Isaiah 21:13 after “The oracle concerning Arabia”, there is a clear prophecy regarding the Holy Prophet’s flight from Makkah to Madinah. There were so many clear prophecies about the genuineness of the Holy Prophet that their hearts could not deny his truthfulness.
2-145 And even if thou shouldst bring to those who have been given the Book every sign they would not follow thy qiblah, nor canst thou be a follower of their qiblah, neither are they the followers of each other’s qiblah. And if thou shouldst follow their desires after the knowledge that has come to thee, then thou wouldst indeed be of the wrongdoers.a
وَلَٮِٕنۡ أَتَيۡتَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ ٱلۡكِتَـٰبَ بِكُلِّ ءَايَةٍ۬ مَّا تَبِعُواْ قِبۡلَتَكَۚ وَمَآ أَنتَ بِتَابِعٍ۬ قِبۡلَتَہُمۡۚ وَمَا بَعۡضُهُم بِتَابِعٍ۬ قِبۡلَةَ بَعۡضٍ۬ۚ وَلَٮِٕنِ ٱتَّبَعۡتَ أَهۡوَآءَهُم مِّنۢ بَعۡدِ مَا جَآءَكَ مِنَ ٱلۡعِلۡمِۙ إِنَّكَ إِذً۬ا لَّمِنَ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ (١٤٥)
2-145a: Qiblah here stands for religion because this was a manifest and clear sign of the faith. And in the hadith لا تکفر اھل قبلتك there is an indication to the same effect. The statement, “neither are they the followers of each other’s qiblah,” is evidenced by the fact that among the followers of Moses, the qiblah of the Jews was different from the qiblah of the Samaritans. The qiblah of the Jews was Bait ul Muqaddas while the Christians declared their qiblah to be east. Despite many disputes among the Muslims, there has never been any dispute about the qiblah nor about the basic tenets of Islam.
2-146 Those whom We have given the Book recognize him as they recognize their sons. And a party of them surely conceal the truth while they know.a
ٱلَّذِينَ ءَاتَيۡنَـٰهُمُ ٱلۡكِتَـٰبَ يَعۡرِفُونَهُ ۥ كَمَا يَعۡرِفُونَ أَبۡنَآءَهُمۡۖ وَإِنَّ فَرِيقً۬ا مِّنۡهُمۡ لَيَكۡتُمُونَ ٱلۡحَقَّ وَهُمۡ يَعۡلَمُونَ (١٤٦)
2-146a: The recognition of the Holy Prophet by the People of the Book: The truthfulness of the Holy Prophet had become evident to the People of the Book by virtue of the prophecies given in their Books, but they refused to accept him merely on account of envy that he was not an Israelite. In another place, the Quran states: فَلَمَّا جَآءَهُم مَّا عَرَفُواْ ڪَفَرُواْ بِهِ (…when there came to them that which they recognized, they disbelieved in it.) (2:89). All marks of identification had been clearly manifested leaving nothing to doubt. Accordingly, they recognized him as the Promised Prophet in the same way that a person recognizes his own son, or by أَبۡنَآءَهُمۡ is meant the prophets of Israel, and the meaning would be that the same signs are present here as the signs by which they recognized the Israelite prophets.
2-147 The truth is from thy Lord, so be thou not of the doubters.a
ٱلۡحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّكَۖ فَلَا تَكُونَنَّ مِنَ ٱلۡمُمۡتَرِينَ (١٤٧)
2:147a: ٱلۡمُمۡتَرِينَ – مِرۡیَة means to vacillate in an affair as in among others: فَلَا تَكُن فِى مِرۡيَةٍ۬ مِّن لِّقَآٮِٕهِ (…so doubt not the meeting with Him) (32:23). And the meaning of امتراء is المُحاجَّةُ فِیۡمَا فیه مِرۡیَةٌ, that is a dispute about something in which there is doubt.
The addressee here are the opponents because it had just been stated that these People of the Book know that: أَنَّهُ ٱلۡحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّهِمۡۗ (certainly it is from their Lord). So now it is stated that this is the truth from their Lord and hence they should stop contending and accept the truth. Or the address is general, but even in that case the addressee are the opponents.
Bayan-ul-Quran 