Surah Baqarah ayat 144 Tafsir Quran 2:144

﴿قَدْ نَرَىٰ تَقَلُّبَ وَجْهِكَ فِي السَّمَاءِ ۖ فَلَنُوَلِّيَنَّكَ قِبْلَةً تَرْضَاهَا ۚ فَوَلِّ وَجْهَكَ شَطْرَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ ۚ وَحَيْثُ مَا كُنتُمْ فَوَلُّوا وُجُوهَكُمْ شَطْرَهُ ۗ وَإِنَّ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ لَيَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّهُ الْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّهِمْ ۗ وَمَا اللَّهُ بِغَافِلٍ عَمَّا يَعْمَلُونَ﴾
[ البقرة: 144]

2:144 We have certainly seen the turning of your face, [O Muhammad], toward the heaven, and We will surely turn you to a qiblah with which you will be pleased. So turn your face toward al-Masjid al-Haram. And wherever you [believers] are, turn your faces toward it [in prayer]. Indeed, those who have been given the Scripture well know that it is the truth from their Lord. And Allah is not unaware of what they do.

We have indeed qad ‘indeed’ is for affirmation seen you turning your face about in the direction of the heaven looking around for the Revelation and longing for the command to face the Ka‘ba he the Prophet wished for this because it was the prayer-direction of Abraham and would be more conducive to the submission of the Arabs to Islam; now We will surely turn you to a direction that shall satisfy you that you will love. Turn your face in prayer towards the Sacred Mosque that is the Ka‘ba and wherever you are addressing the Muslim community turn your faces in prayer towards it. Those who have been given the Scripture know that it the change towards the Ka‘ba is the fixed truth from their Lord on account of the description in their Scripture of how the Prophet s would re-orient himself to it; God is not heedless of what you do O believers when you obey His command alternatively ta‘malūna ‘you do’ can be read ya‘malūna ‘they do’ in other words it would be referring to the Jews’ denial of the matter concerning the direction of prayer.

We have seen you, O Muhammad, turning your face skyward in expectation of something desired, hopeful of a change relative to Ibrahim, leader of mankind. Thus, We will appoint a Kiblah for you to meet your expectation. Therefore, wherever you may be, turn your face in prayer toward the Sacred Mosque, the Ka’ba at Macca. As for Ahl Al-Kitab, they know this to be the truth from Allah, their Creator, and Allah is not unaware of all they do

The First Abrogation in the Qur'an was about the Qiblah `Ali bin Abu Talhah related that Ibn `Abbas narrated: The first abrogated part in the Qur'an was about the Qiblah.
When Allah's Messenger ﷺ migrated to Al-Madinah, the majority of its people were Jews, and Allah commanded him to face Bayt Al-Maqdis.
The Jews were delighted then.
Allah's Messenger ﷺ faced it for ten and some months, but he liked to face the Qiblah of Ibrahim ( Ka`bah in Makkah ).
He used to supplicate to Allah and look up to the sky ( awaiting Allah's command ).
Allah then revealed: قَدْ نَرَى تَقَلُّبَ وَجْهِكَ فِي السَّمَآءِ ( Verily, We have seen the turning of your (Muhammad's ) face towards the heaven), until, فَوَلُّواْ وُجُوهَكُمْ شَطْرَهُ ( turn your faces (in prayer ) in that direction.) The Jews did not like this ruling and said: مَا وَلَّـهُمْ عَن قِبْلَتِهِمُ الَّتِى كَانُواْ عَلَيْهَا قُل لّلَّهِ الْمَشْرِقُ وَالْمَغْرِبُ ( "What has turned them (Muslims ) from their Qiblah ( prayer direction ) to which they used to face in prayer." Say ( O Muhammad ), "To Allah belong both, east and the west.") ( 2:142 ) Allah said: فَأَيْنَمَا تُوَلُّواْ فَثَمَّ وَجْهُ اللَّهِ ( .
..so wherever you turn (yourselves or your faces ) there is the Face of Allah) ( 2:115 ), and: وَمَا جَعَلْنَا الْقِبْلَةَ الَّتِى كُنتَ عَلَيْهَآ إِلاَّ لِنَعْلَمَ مَن يَتَّبِعُ الرَّسُولَ مِمَّن يَنقَلِبُ عَلَى عَقِبَيْهِ ( And We made the Qiblah (prayer direction towards Jerusalem ) which you used to face, only to test those who followed the Messenger ( Muhammad ) from those who would turn on their heels ( i.e., disobey the Messenger ).) ( 2:143 ) Is the Qiblah the Ka`bah itself or its General Direction Al-Hakim related that `Ali bin Abu Talib said: فَوَلِّ وَجْهَكَ شَطْرَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ ( ...so turn your face in the direction of Al-Masjid Al-Haram (at Makkah ).) means its direction." Al-Hakim then commented that the chain of this narration is authentic and that they ( i.e., Al-Bukhari and Muslim ) did not include it in their collections. This ruling concerning the Qiblah is also the opinion of Abu Al-`Aliyah, Mujahid, `Ikrimah, Sa`id bin Jubayr, Qatadah, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas and others.
Allah's Statement: وَحَيْثُ مَا كُنتُمْ فَوَلُّواْ وُجُوهَكُمْ شَطْرَهُ ( And wheresoever you people are, turn your faces (in prayer ) in that direction) is a command from Allah to face the Ka`bah from wherever one is on the earth: the east, west, north or south.
The exception is of the voluntary prayer ( Nafl ) while one is traveling, for one is allowed to offer it in any direction his body is facing, while his heart is intending the Ka`bah.
Also, when the battle is raging, one is allowed to offer prayer, however he is able.
Also, included are those who are not sure of the direction and offer prayer in the wrong direction, thinking that it is the direction of the Qiblah, because Allah does not burden a soul beyond what it can bear. The Jews had Knowledge that the ( Muslim ) Qiblah would later be changed Allah stated that: وَإِنَّ الَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ الْكِتَـبَ لَيَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّهُ الْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّهِمْ ( Certainly, the people who were given the Scripture (i.e., Jews and the Christians ) know well that, that ( your turning towards the direction of the Ka`bah at Makkah in prayers ) is the truth from their Lord.) This Ayah means: The Jews, who did not like that you change your Qiblah from Bayt Al-Maqdis, already knew that Allah will command you ( O Muhammad ) to face the Ka`bah.
The Jews read in their Books their Prophets' description of Allah's Messenger ﷺ and his Ummah, and that Allah has endowed and honored him with the complete and honorable legislation.
Yet, the People of the Book deny these facts because of their envy, disbelief and rebellion.
This is why Allah threatened them when He said: وَمَا اللَّهُ بِغَـفِلٍ عَمَّا يَعْمَلُونَ ( And Allah is not unaware of what they do. )

(2:144) We have seen you (O Muhammad), turning your face over and over again towards Heaven. Now, therefore, We turn you towards the giblah that you like best: so turn your face towards the Masjid Haram. Henceforth, wheresoever you may be, turn your face at prayer towards it. *146 The people who were given the Book know it well that the commandment (about the change of giblah) is in fact from their Lord, and is based on the Truth, but Allah is not unaware of what they are doing (in spite of this)

We have certainly seen the turning of meaning

*146).
This is the injunction concerning the change in the direction of Prayer and was revealed in Rajab or Sha'ban.
2 A.H.
According to a Tradition in the Tabaqat of Ibn Sa'd, the Prophet was at the house of Bishr b.
Bara'b.
Ma'rur where he had been invited to a meal.
When the time of zuhr prayer came, the Prophet rose to lead it.
He had completed two rak'ahs and was in the third when this verse was suddenly revealed.
Soon after the revelation of this verse everybody, following the leadership of the Prophet, turned the direction of Prayer away from Jerusalem to the Ka'bah.
A public proclamation of the new order was then made throughout Madina and in the suburbs.
Bara' b.
'Azib says that at one place the announcement was heard by people while they were in the state of ruku' ( kneeling ).
On bearing this order they immediately turned their faces towards the Ka'bah.
Anas b.
Malik says that the news of the announcement reached Banu Salamah the next day while the morning Prayer was in progress.
People had completed one rak'ah when they heard the announcement about the change of direction and the entire congregation immediately faced the new qiblah.
( See Ibn Sa'd, Tabaqat, vol.
1, pp.
241 f.
- Ed. )
It ought to be noted that Jerusalem is to the north of Madina while the Ka'bah is to the south.
In order to change direction during congregational Prayer it would have been necessary for the leader of the Prayer to walk several steps beyond what was originally the last row of worshippers.
The people in the congregation, too, would have been forced not only to make a right about-turn but also to walk a little to straighten their rows.
We find specific mention of this in certain Traditions.

The words, 'We see you oft turning your face to the heaven', and 'Now We are turning your face to the direction that shall satisfy you', show clearly that even before the revelation of this injunction the Prophet was expecting something of this nature.
He had begun to feel, with the termination of the era of Israelite leadership, that the time had come for the central position of Jerusalem to cease and a return to the original centre of the Abrahamic mission to commence.

The 'Holy Mosque' refers to the sanctuary invested with holiness and sanctity; the sanctuary in the centre of which the Ka'bah is located.

To turn one's face in the direction of the Ka'bah does not mean that wherever a man might be he should turn to the Ka'bah with absolute accuracy.
It would obviously be extremely difficult for everyone to comply with such an order.
Hence the order is to turn one's face in the direction of the Ka'bah rather than to the Ka'bah itself.
According to the Qur'an, we are required to find out the direction of the Ka'bah as accurately as possible.
We are not required, however, to locate it with absolute precision.
We may pray in the direction which appears correct as a result of our enquiry.
However, if a man is either at a place where it is difficult to determine the direction of the Ka'bah or if he is in a position where it is difficult to maintain the correct direction ( e.g.
when travelling on a train, a boat, or an aeroplane ), he may pray in the direction which seems correct, or in whatever direction it is possible for him to face.
If he then comes to know the correct direction while he is in the state of Prayer he should turn his face in that direction.

 

The First Abrogation in the Qur'an was about the Qiblah `Ali bin Abu Talhah related that Ibn `Abbas narrated: The first abrogated part in the Qur'an was about the Qiblah.
When Allah's Messenger ﷺ migrated to Al-Madinah, the majority of its people were Jews, and Allah commanded him to face Bayt Al-Maqdis.
The Jews were delighted then.
Allah's Messenger ﷺ faced it for ten and some months, but he liked to face the Qiblah of Ibrahim ( Ka`bah in Makkah ).
He used to supplicate to Allah and look up to the sky ( awaiting Allah's command ).
Allah then revealed: قَدْ نَرَى تَقَلُّبَ وَجْهِكَ فِي السَّمَآءِ ( Verily, We have seen the turning of your (Muhammad's ) face towards the heaven), until, فَوَلُّواْ وُجُوهَكُمْ شَطْرَهُ ( turn your faces (in prayer ) in that direction.) The Jews did not like this ruling and said: مَا وَلَّـهُمْ عَن قِبْلَتِهِمُ الَّتِى كَانُواْ عَلَيْهَا قُل لّلَّهِ الْمَشْرِقُ وَالْمَغْرِبُ ( "What has turned them (Muslims ) from their Qiblah ( prayer direction ) to which they used to face in prayer." Say ( O Muhammad ), "To Allah belong both, east and the west.") ( 2:142 ) Allah said: فَأَيْنَمَا تُوَلُّواْ فَثَمَّ وَجْهُ اللَّهِ ( .
..so wherever you turn (yourselves or your faces ) there is the Face of Allah) ( 2:115 ), and: وَمَا جَعَلْنَا الْقِبْلَةَ الَّتِى كُنتَ عَلَيْهَآ إِلاَّ لِنَعْلَمَ مَن يَتَّبِعُ الرَّسُولَ مِمَّن يَنقَلِبُ عَلَى عَقِبَيْهِ ( And We made the Qiblah (prayer direction towards Jerusalem ) which you used to face, only to test those who followed the Messenger ( Muhammad ) from those who would turn on their heels ( i.e., disobey the Messenger ).) ( 2:143 ) Is the Qiblah the Ka`bah itself or its General Direction Al-Hakim related that `Ali bin Abu Talib said: فَوَلِّ وَجْهَكَ شَطْرَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ ( ...so turn your face in the direction of Al-Masjid Al-Haram (at Makkah ).) means its direction." Al-Hakim then commented that the chain of this narration is authentic and that they ( i.e., Al-Bukhari and Muslim ) did not include it in their collections. This ruling concerning the Qiblah is also the opinion of Abu Al-`Aliyah, Mujahid, `Ikrimah, Sa`id bin Jubayr, Qatadah, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas and others.
Allah's Statement: وَحَيْثُ مَا كُنتُمْ فَوَلُّواْ وُجُوهَكُمْ شَطْرَهُ ( And wheresoever you people are, turn your faces (in prayer ) in that direction) is a command from Allah to face the Ka`bah from wherever one is on the earth: the east, west, north or south.
The exception is of the voluntary prayer ( Nafl ) while one is traveling, for one is allowed to offer it in any direction his body is facing, while his heart is intending the Ka`bah.
Also, when the battle is raging, one is allowed to offer prayer, however he is able.
Also, included are those who are not sure of the direction and offer prayer in the wrong direction, thinking that it is the direction of the Qiblah, because Allah does not burden a soul beyond what it can bear. The Jews had Knowledge that the ( Muslim ) Qiblah would later be changed Allah stated that: وَإِنَّ الَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ الْكِتَـبَ لَيَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّهُ الْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّهِمْ ( Certainly, the people who were given the Scripture (i.e., Jews and the Christians ) know well that, that ( your turning towards the direction of the Ka`bah at Makkah in prayers ) is the truth from their Lord.) This Ayah means: The Jews, who did not like that you change your Qiblah from Bayt Al-Maqdis, already knew that Allah will command you ( O Muhammad ) to face the Ka`bah.
The Jews read in their Books their Prophets' description of Allah's Messenger ﷺ and his Ummah, and that Allah has endowed and honored him with the complete and honorable legislation.
Yet, the People of the Book deny these facts because of their envy, disbelief and rebellion.
This is why Allah threatened them when He said: وَمَا اللَّهُ بِغَـفِلٍ عَمَّا يَعْمَلُونَ ( And Allah is not unaware of what they do. )

Allah then mentions the supplication of His Prophet regarding the changing of the Qiblah towards Mecca, saying: ( We have seen the turning of thy face to heaven (for guidance, O Muhammad )) turning your sight to heaven in anticipation of Gabriel coming down to announce the change of the Qiblah. ( And now surely We shall make thee turn (in prayer ) toward a Qiblah that is dear to thee) that you like, namely, the Qiblah of Abraham. ( So turn thy face ) when in prayer ( towards the Inviolable Place of Worship, and ye (O Muslims ), wheresoever ye may be) whether on land or in the sea, ( turn your faces (when ye pray )) in prayer ( towards it. (Lo! Those who have received the Scripture know that ) the Sacred Precinct ( is the Truth from their Lord ) is the Qiblah of Abraham but they conceal this fact. ( And Allah is not unaware ) heedless ( of what they do ) of what they conceal.

Verily! We have seen the turning of your (Muhammad's SAW) face towards the heaven. Surely, We shall turn you to a Qiblah (prayer direction) that shall please you, so turn your face in the direction of Al-Masjid- al-Haram (at Makkah). And wheresoever you people are, turn your faces (in prayer) in that direction. Certainly, the people who were given the Scriptures (i.e. Jews and the Christians) know well that, that (your turning towards the direction of the Ka'bah at Makkah in prayers) is the truth from their Lord. And Allah is not unaware of what they do.

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