اِنَّ فِىۡ خَلۡقِ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَالۡاَرۡضِ وَاخۡتِلَافِ الَّيۡلِ وَالنَّهَارِ وَالۡفُلۡكِ الَّتِىۡ تَجۡرِىۡ فِى الۡبَحۡرِ بِمَا يَنۡفَعُ النَّاسَ وَمَآ اَنۡزَلَ اللّٰهُ مِنَ السَّمَآءِ مِنۡ مَّآءٍ فَاَحۡيَا بِهِ الۡاَرۡضَ بَعۡدَ مَوۡتِهَا وَبَثَّ فِيۡهَا مِنۡ کُلِّ دَآ بَّةٍ وَّتَصۡرِيۡفِ الرِّيٰحِ وَالسَّحَابِ الۡمُسَخَّرِ بَيۡنَ السَّمَآءِ وَالۡاَرۡضِ لَاٰيٰتٍ لِّقَوۡمٍ يَّعۡقِلُوۡنَ‏ ﴿2:164﴾

(2:164) (To guide) those who use their reason (to this Truth) there are many Signs in the structure of the heavens and the earth, in the constant alternation of night and day, in the vessels which speed across the sea carrying goods that are of profit to people, in the water which Allah sends down from the sky and thereby quickens the earth after it was dead, and disperse over it all manner of animals, and in the changing courses of the winds and the clouds pressed into service between heaven and earth.¹⁶²

Notes

162. If a man were to observe the constant operation of this universe, reflect on it in a manner befitting a rational being, and think about it without either stubbornness or bias, he would find sufficient signs to convince him that this gigantic system is absolutely subservient to the will of the Omnipotent and Wise Being, Who alone wields all power and authority. Moreover, this system seems to be such as to rule out all possibility of any interference from others whether independent of the Creator of the universe or in partnership with Him. Since this One True God is the Lord of all creation and none else is in possession of any power or authority, none is entitled to any share in His godhead or overlordship.

اِنَّ الَّذِيۡنَ يَكۡتُمُوۡنَ مَآ اَنۡزَلۡنَا مِنَ الۡبَيِّنٰتِ وَالۡهُدٰى مِنۡۢ بَعۡدِ مَا بَيَّنّٰهُ لِلنَّاسِ فِى الۡكِتٰبِۙ اُولٰٓـئِكَ يَلۡعَنُهُمُ اللّٰهُ وَ يَلۡعَنُهُمُ اللّٰعِنُوۡنَۙ‏ ﴿2:159﴾ اِلَّا الَّذِيۡنَ تَابُوۡا وَاَصۡلَحُوۡا وَبَيَّـنُوۡا فَاُولٰٓـئِكَ اَ تُوۡبُ عَلَيۡهِمۡۚ وَاَنَا التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيۡمُ‏ ﴿2:160﴾ اِنَّ الَّذِيۡنَ كَفَرُوۡا وَمَاتُوۡا وَهُمۡ كُفَّارٌ اُولٰٓـئِكَ عَلَيۡهِمۡ لَعۡنَةُ اللّٰهِ وَالۡمَلٰٓـئِكَةِ وَالنَّاسِ اَجۡمَعِيۡنَۙ‏ ﴿2:161﴾خٰلِدِيۡنَ فِيۡهَا ۚ لَا يُخَفَّفُ عَنۡهُمُ الۡعَذَابُ وَلَا هُمۡ يُنۡظَرُوۡنَ‏  ﴿2:162﴾ وَاِلٰهُكُمۡ اِلٰهٌ وَّاحِدٌ  ۚ لَآ اِلٰهَ اِلَّا هُوَ الرَّحۡمٰنُ الرَّحِيۡمُ‏ ﴿2:163﴾

(2:159) Those who conceal anything of the clear teachings and true guidance which We have sent down even though We have made them clear in Our Book, Allah curses such people and so do all the cursers,¹⁶⁰ (2:160) except those who repent and make amends and openly declare (what they had concealed). Such shall I pardon for I am Much- Relenting, Most Compassionate. (2:161) As for those who disbelieved¹⁶¹ and died disbelieving, surely the curse of Allah and of the angels and of all men is on them. (2:162) Thus shall they abide and their chastisement shall not be lightened, nor shall they be given respite. (2:163) Your God is One God, there is no god but He; the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate. 

Notes

160. The biggest failure of the Jews was that they kept the teachings contained in the Book of God confined to a limited class of people, the rabbis and professional theologians, instead of spreading them. They did not allow this knowledge to filter through even to the Jewish masses let alone the non-Jewish peoples of the world. Later, when errors and corruptions spread among them owing to widespread ignorance the Jewish theologians made no serious effort to root them out. Moreover, in order to maintain their hold on the Jewish masses they lent their tacit approval to every corrupting deviation from the true faith that gained currency.

The Muslims are being admonished to refrain from this kind of behaviour. The nation which has been charged with the guidance of the entire world is duty-bound to do its utmost to radiate true guidance, rather than keep it under lock and key as a miser hoards his money. 

161. The original meaning of kufr is to conceal. This lent the word a nuance of denial and it began to be used as an antonym of iman . Iman means to believe, to accept, and to recognize. Kufr, on the contrary, denotes refusal to believe, to deny, to reject. According to the Qur’an there are several possible forms of disbelief. One is to refuse either to believe in the existence of God, to acknowledge His sovereignty, to recognize Him as the only Lord of the Universe and of mankind or to recognize Him as the only Lord and the only object of worship and adoration. The second form of disbelief is when a man recognizes the existence of God but still refuses to accept His ordinances and directives as the only source of true guidance, and as the true law for his life. The third form of disbelief is when even though a man recognizes in principle that he ought to follow the guidance of God he refuses to believe in the Prophets who were the means of communicating God’s guidance to man. The fourth form of disbelief is to differentiate between one Prophet and another and, out of parochialism and bigotry, to accept some Prophets and reject others. The fifth form of disbelief is the refusal to recognize, either totally or partially, the teachings communicated by the Prophets, on God’s behalf, concerning the beliefs, the principles of morality, and the laws for fashioning human life. The sixth form of disbelief is where a person theoretically accepts all that he should accept but wilfully disobeys God’s ordinances and persists in this disobedience, and considers disobedience rather than obedience to God to be the true principle of life. 

All these modes of thought and action are forms of rebellion towards God and the Qur’an characterizes each of them as kufr. In addition, the term kufr is used at several places in the Qur’an in the sense of ingratitude and in this usage it signifies the exact opposite of shukr (gratitude). Gratefulness consists in feeling thankful to one’s benefactor, in duly recognizing the value of his benevolence, in making use of it in a manner pleasing to its bestower, and in being utterly loyal to him. Ingratitude denotes, on the contrary, that the man concerned has either failed to recognize the bounty of his benefactor, or considers it to be either the outcome of his own power and ability or else that of some other person’s favour or intercession. Another form of ingratitude consists in failing to recognize fully the worth of the bounty received and in either allowing it to be wasted or to be used in contravention of the will of the benefactor; this ingratitude includes infidelity and treachery towards the benefactor in disregard of his benevolence and kindness. This kind of kufr is known in ordinary language as ungratefulness.

اِنَّ الصَّفَا وَالۡمَرۡوَةَ مِنۡ شَعَآئِرِ اللّٰهِۚ فَمَنۡ حَجَّ الۡبَيۡتَ اَوِ اعۡتَمَرَ فَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيۡهِ اَنۡ يَّطَّوَّفَ بِهِمَا ؕ وَمَنۡ تَطَوَّعَ خَيۡرًا ۙ فَاِنَّ اللّٰهَ شَاكِرٌ عَلِيۡمٌ‏ ﴿2:158﴾

(2:158) Surely, al-Safa and al-Marwah are the symbols of Allah. Hence, whoever performs Hajj (Full Pilgrimage)¹⁵⁷ to the House (of Allah) or makes ‘Umrah (Minor Pilgrimage), will find that it is no sin for him to ambulate between the two.¹⁵⁸ And whoever does a good work voluntarily¹⁵⁹ should know that Allah is Appreciative, All-Knowing. 

Notes

157. The pilgrimage to the Ka’bah along with a set of other rites on certain fixed dates of Dhu al-Hijjah is known as hajj. Pilgrimage at other times is known as ‘Umrah. 

158. Safa and Marwah are the names of two hillocks near the Holy Mosque in Makka. To run between these two hillocks was among the rites which God had taught Abraham in connection with hajj. Later, when Pagan Ignorance prevailed in Makka and the neighbouring regions, altars were built for Isaf at Safa and for Nai’lah at Marwah, and people began to circumambulate them. After the advent of the Prophet, when the light of Islam had spread to the people of Arabia, Muslims came to doubt whether running between Safa and Marwah was one of the original rites of Pilgrimage or was merely an invidious religious innovation of the Age of Ignorance. If it was in fact such, they feared they might be committing an act of polytheism. 

Moreover, we learn from a Tradition transmitted from ‘A’ishah that even in pre-Islamic times the people of Madina were not favourably disposed to this practice. Although they believed in al-Manat they did not believe in Isaf and Nai’lah. For these reasons, it was necessary, at the time of the change of the qiblah, to dispel popular misconceptions about this rite. It seemed necessary to tell people that running between these two hillocks was part of the original rites of Pilgrimage and that the sanctity, of Safa and Marwah, far from being an invidious innovation of the people of the Age of Ignorance, stemmed from the revealed Law of God.

159. It is best that one should perform this ritual obligation with wholehearted devotion. But if devotion is lacking one is not thereby exempt from fulfilling one’s obligation. One must perform this ritual if only out of a sense of duty.

وَلَـنَبۡلُوَنَّكُمۡ بِشَىۡءٍ مِّنَ الۡخَـوۡفِ وَالۡجُـوۡعِ وَنَقۡصٍ مِّنَ الۡاَمۡوَالِ وَالۡاَنۡفُسِ وَالثَّمَرٰتِؕ وَبَشِّرِ الصّٰبِرِيۡنَۙ‏ ﴿2:155﴾ الَّذِيۡنَ اِذَآ اَصَابَتۡهُمۡ مُّصِيۡبَةٌ  ۙ قَالُوۡٓا اِنَّا لِلّٰهِ وَاِنَّـآ اِلَيۡهِ رٰجِعُوۡنَؕ‏ ﴿2:156﴾ اُولٰٓـئِكَ عَلَيۡهِمۡ صَلَوٰتٌ مِّنۡ رَّبِّهِمۡ وَرَحۡمَةٌ​ وَاُولٰٓـئِكَ هُمُ الۡمُهۡتَدُوۡنَ‏ ﴿2:157﴾

(2:155) We shall certainly test you by afflicting you with fear, hunger, loss of properties and lives and fruits. Give glad tidings, then, to those who remain patient; (2:156) those who when any affliction smites them, they say: “Verily, we belong to Allah, and it is to Him that we are destined to return.”¹⁵⁶ (2:157) Upon them will be the blessings and mercy of their Lord, and it is they who are rightly guided. 

Notes

156. ‘Saying’ does not signify the mere making of a statement. It means a statement which is accompanied by a deep conviction in one’s heart: ‘To Allah do we belong.’ This being so, a man is bound to think that whatever has been sacrificed for God has in fact attained its legitimate end, for it has been spent in the way of the One to whom all things truly belong. 

‘And it is to Him that we are destined to return’ refers to the fact that man will not stay forever in this world and will return, sooner or later, to God. And if man is indeed destined to return to God why should he not return to Him having spent his all, having staked his life for His sake? This alternative is preferable to the pursuit of self-aggrandizement and then meeting death either by sickness or accident.

وَلَا تَقُوۡلُوۡا لِمَنۡ يُّقۡتَلُ فِىۡ سَبِيۡلِ اللّٰهِ اَمۡوَاتٌ ؕ بَلۡ اَحۡيَآءٌ وَّلٰـكِنۡ لَّا تَشۡعُرُوۡنَ‏﴿2:154﴾

(2:154) And do not say of those who are killed in the way of Allah that they are dead; they are alive even though you have no knowledge of their life.¹⁵⁵

Notes

155. The word ‘death’ as well as its general concept has a depressing effect. People have therefore been instructed not to refer to martyrs who laid down their lives for God as ‘dead’, since this might lead to the dissipation of the spirit which enables people to struggle and make sacrifices in God’s cause. Instead, people have been instructed to bear in mind that anyone who lays down his life for God has in fact attained immortality. As well as being a statement of fact this also helps to arouse and sustain courage.

يٰٓاَيُّهَا الَّذِيۡنَ اٰمَنُوا اسۡتَعِيۡنُوۡا بِالصَّبۡرِ وَالصَّلٰوةِ ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ مَعَ الصّٰبِرِيۡنَ‏ ﴿2:153﴾

(2:153) Believers!¹⁵³ Seek help in patience and in Prayer; Allah is with those that are patient.¹⁵⁴

Notes

153. Since the ummah has been invested with world leadership, a set of necessary directives is now provided for its guidance. Before laying down these directives it seemed necessary to caution the Muslims that the office which had been conferred on them was indeed no bed of roses. On the contrary, it was a great and perilous responsibility. Once they undertook it, they would be subjected to all kinds of afflictions, put to all kinds of trials and tribulations and made to bear all kinds of deprivation. If, however, the Muslims persisted along the path of God despite the perils they would be rewarded with God’s favour in full measure.

154. To acquire the strength that is needed to bear this heavy burden of responsibility the believers should do two things: they should develop patience and they should strengthen themselves by devoting themselves to Prayer.

Later we shall encounter elaborations which will show that ‘patience’ is a word embracing a whole set of moral virtues of the utmost importance. ‘Patience’ is indeed an indispensable key to success. Likewise, we shall later have occasion to note in some detail how Prayer prepares the Muslims, both as individuals and as a collective body, to carry out their mission.

وَلِكُلٍّ وِّجۡهَةٌ هُوَ مُوَلِّيۡهَا ​ۚ فَاسۡتَبِقُوا الۡخَيۡرٰتِؕ اَيۡنَ مَا تَكُوۡنُوۡا يَاۡتِ بِكُمُ اللّٰهُ جَمِيۡعًا ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ عَلٰى كُلِّ شَىۡءٍ قَدِيۡرٌ‏﴿2:148﴾ وَمِنۡ حَيۡثُ خَرَجۡتَ فَوَلِّ وَجۡهَكَ شَطۡرَ الۡمَسۡجِدِ الۡحَـرَامِؕ وَاِنَّهٗ لَـلۡحَقُّ مِنۡ رَّبِّكَؕ وَمَا اللّٰهُ بِغَافِلٍ عَمَّا تَعۡمَلُوۡنَ‏﴿2:149﴾ وَمِنۡ حَيۡثُ خَرَجۡتَ فَوَلِّ وَجۡهَكَ شَطۡرَ الۡمَسۡجِدِ الۡحَـرَامِؕ وَحَيۡثُ مَا كُنۡتُمۡ فَوَلُّوۡا وُجُوۡهَڪُمۡ شَطۡرَهٗ ۙ لِئَلَّا يَكُوۡنَ لِلنَّاسِ عَلَيۡكُمۡ حُجَّةٌ اِلَّا الَّذِيۡنَ ظَلَمُوۡا مِنۡهُمۡ فَلَا تَخۡشَوۡهُمۡ وَاخۡشَوۡنِىۡ وَلِاُتِمَّ نِعۡمَتِىۡ عَلَيۡكُمۡ وَلَعَلَّكُمۡ تَهۡتَدُوۡنَ ۙ​ۛ‏﴿2:150﴾ كَمَآ اَرۡسَلۡنَا فِيۡکُمۡ رَسُوۡلًا مِّنۡکُمۡ يَتۡلُوۡا عَلَيۡكُمۡ اٰيٰتِنَا وَيُزَكِّيۡکُمۡ وَيُعَلِّمُکُمُ الۡكِتٰبَ وَالۡحِکۡمَةَ وَيُعَلِّمُكُمۡ مَّا لَمۡ تَكُوۡنُوۡا تَعۡلَمُوۡنَ ؕ​ۛ‏ ﴿2:151﴾ فَاذۡكُرُوۡنِىۡٓ اَذۡكُرۡكُمۡ وَاشۡکُرُوۡا لِىۡ وَلَا تَكۡفُرُوۡنِ‏﴿2:152﴾

(2:148) Everyone has a direction towards which he turns; so excel one another in good works.¹⁴⁹Allah will bring you all together wherever you might be, for nothing is beyond His power. (2:149) From wheresoever you might come forth turn your face towards the Holy Mosque; for that indeed is the Truth from your Lord, and Allah is not heedless of what you do. (2:150) From wheresoever you come forth turn your faces towards the Holy Mosque, and wheresoever you may be, turn your faces towards it in Prayer so that none may have an argument against you,¹⁵⁰ unless they be those immersed in wrong-doing. Do not fear them, but fear only Me so that I may complete My favour upon you;¹⁵¹ perhaps you will be guided to the Right Way.¹⁵² (2:151) Just as when We sent among you a Messenger of yourselves, who recites to you Our Signs, purifies your lives, instructs you in the Book and in Wisdom, and instructs you what you did not know. (2:152) So remember Me and I shall remember you; give thanks to Me and do not be ungrateful to Me for My favours. 

Notes

149. There is a subtle gap between this sentence and the next, a gap which the reader can fill with just a little reflection. The idea conveyed here is that anyone who prays will, after all, have to turn his face in some direction. But what is of real significance is not the turning of one’s face in some specific direction but one’s orientation to righteousness for the sake of which one performs the ritual Prayer. A man’s real concern should be moral excellence rather than controversies regarding such formal regulations as the direction of Prayer.

150. The followers of the Prophet (peace be upon him) were asked to follow the order to turn towards the Ka’bah, and to do so strictly, since any lapse in this matter on their part would give their opponents a weapon to use against them in their polemics. They would be able to hold Muslims up to ridicule on the grounds that they had violated what they themselves claimed to be from their Lord. 

151. The ‘favour’ here refers to the position of world leadership and guidance from which God removed the children of israel and which was the conferred upon this ummah. The highest reward that can be granted to a people in recognition of its righteousness is its designation, by God’s command, to the leadership of the world in order to guide the entire human race to godliness and righteousness.

What is said here, therefore, is that the command to change the qiblah was a sign of installation of the Muslims to leadership. Hence, the Muslims should follow the directives of God if for no other reason than that ingratitude and disobedience might deprive them of the honour that had been bestowed upon them.

قَدۡ نَرٰى تَقَلُّبَ وَجۡهِكَ فِى السَّمَآءِ​​ۚ فَلَـنُوَلِّيَنَّكَ قِبۡلَةً تَرۡضٰٮهَا​ فَوَلِّ وَجۡهَكَ شَطۡرَ الۡمَسۡجِدِ الۡحَـرَامِؕ وَحَيۡثُ مَا كُنۡتُمۡ فَوَلُّوۡا وُجُوۡهَكُمۡ شَطۡرَهٗ ​ؕ وَاِنَّ الَّذِيۡنَ اُوۡتُوا الۡكِتٰبَ لَيَـعۡلَمُوۡنَ اَنَّهُ الۡحَـقُّ مِنۡ رَّبِّهِمۡ​ؕ وَمَا اللّٰهُ بِغَافِلٍ عَمَّا يَعۡمَلُوۡنَ‏  ﴿2:144﴾ وَلَـئِنۡ اَ تَيۡتَ الَّذِيۡنَ اُوۡتُوا الۡكِتٰبَ بِكُلِّ اٰيَةٍ مَّا تَبِعُوۡا قِبۡلَتَكَ​ۚ وَمَآ اَنۡتَ بِتَابِعٍ قِبۡلَتَهُمۡ​ۚ وَمَا بَعۡضُهُمۡ بِتَابِعٍ قِبۡلَةَ بَعۡضٍؕ وَلَـئِنِ اتَّبَعۡتَ اَهۡوَآءَهُمۡ مِّنۡۢ بَعۡدِ مَا جَآءَكَ مِنَ الۡعِلۡمِ​ۙ اِنَّكَ اِذًا لَّمِنَ الظّٰلِمِيۡنَ​ۘ‏ ﴿2:145﴾ اَلَّذِيۡنَ اٰتَيۡنٰهُمُ الۡكِتٰبَ يَعۡرِفُوۡنَهٗ كَمَا يَعۡرِفُوۡنَ اَبۡنَآءَهُمۡؕ وَاِنَّ فَرِيۡقًا مِّنۡهُمۡ لَيَكۡتُمُوۡنَ الۡحَـقَّ وَهُمۡ يَعۡلَمُوۡنَ‏ ﴿2:146﴾ اَلۡحَـقُّ مِنۡ رَّبِّكَ فَلَا تَكُوۡنَنَّ مِنَ الۡمُمۡتَرِيۡنَ‏ ﴿2:147﴾

(2:144) We see you oft turning your face towards the sky; now We are turning you to the direction that will satisfy you. Turn your face towards the Holy Mosque, and wherever you are, turn your faces towards it in Prayer.¹⁴⁶

Those who have been granted the Scripture certainly know that this (injunction to change the direction of Prayer) is right and is from their Lord. Allah is not heedless of what they do. (2:145) And yet no matter what proofs you bring before the People of the Book they will not follow your direction of Prayer; nor will you follow their direction of Prayer. None is prepared to follow the other’s direction of Prayer. Were you to follow their desires in disregard of the knowledge which has come to you, you will surely be reckoned among the wrong-doers.¹⁴⁷ (2:146) Those to whom We have given the Scripture recognize the place (towards which one must turn in Prayer) as fully as they recognize their own sons,¹⁴⁸ this even though a group of them knowingly conceals the Truth. (2:147) This is a definite Truth from your Lord; be not, then, among the doubters. 

Notes

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. 

147. The purpose of this verse is to ask the Prophet not to be disturbed by the controversy and remonstrance to which some people had resorted as a result of this change in the direction of Prayer. It was difficult to convince those people by argument, since they suffered from prejudices and intransigence and were unwilling to abandon their traditional qiblah. It was also impossible for the matter to be resolved by adopting the qiblah of any of the contending groups; there were various groups and they were not agreed in respect of the qiblah. If the qiblah of one group had been adopted this would have satisfied only that group. As for the rest, their remonstrating would persist. Furthermore, and more basic in this connection, was the fact that as a Prophet Muhammad ought neither to be concerned to please people, nor haggle with them in order to arrive at compromised solutions. On the contrary, the mission of a Prophet is to adhere firmly, to the knowledge vouchsafed to him by God regardless of all opposition. To deviate from that knowledge to please others is tantamount to offending the prophetic mission and is inconsistent with the gratitude that the Prophet ought to feel for having been favoured with the position of world leadership. 

148. ‘To recognize something as well as one recognizes one’s sons’ is an Arabic idiom. It is used with regard to things which one knows without the least shadow of a doubt. The Jewish and Christian scholars were well aware that the Ka’bah had been constructed by Abraham and that Jerusalem had been built by Solomon some thirteen hundred years after that, and that in his time it was made the qiblah. This is an unquestionable historical fact and they knew it to be so.

وَكَذٰلِكَ جَعَلۡنٰكُمۡ اُمَّةً وَّسَطًا لِّتَکُوۡنُوۡا شُهَدَآءَ عَلَى النَّاسِ وَيَكُوۡنَ الرَّسُوۡلُ عَلَيۡكُمۡ شَهِيۡدًا ؕ وَمَا جَعَلۡنَا الۡقِبۡلَةَ الَّتِىۡ كُنۡتَ عَلَيۡهَآ اِلَّا لِنَعۡلَمَ مَنۡ يَّتَّبِعُ الرَّسُوۡلَ مِمَّنۡ يَّنۡقَلِبُ عَلٰى عَقِبَيۡهِ ​ؕ وَاِنۡ كَانَتۡ لَكَبِيۡرَةً اِلَّا عَلَى الَّذِيۡنَ هَدَى اللّٰهُ ؕ وَمَا كَانَ اللّٰهُ لِيُضِيْعَ اِيۡمَانَكُمۡ​ ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ بِالنَّاسِ لَرَءُوۡفٌ رَّحِيۡمٌ‏ ﴿2:143﴾

(2:143) And it is thus that We appointed you to be the community of the middle way so that you might be witnesses to all mankind and the Messenger might be a witness to you.¹⁴⁴

We appointed the direction which you formerly observed so that We might distinguish those who follow the Messenger from those who turn on their heels.¹⁴⁵ For it was indeed burdensome except for those whom Allah guided. And Allah will never leave your faith to waste. Allah is full of gentleness and mercy to mankind.

Notes

144. This constitutes the proclamation appointing the religious community (ummah) consisting of the followers of Muhammad to religious guidance and leadership of the world. 

‘ And it is thus’, which precedes this proclamation, contains two allusions. It alludes, in the first place, to that Divine Guidance which enabled the followers of Muhammad to know the Straight Way so that they could attain progress to the point of being proclaimed ‘the community of the middle way’ (or ‘the mid-most community’ or ‘the community justly balanced’ – Ed.) In the second place there is an allusion to the change in the direction of Prayer from Jerusalem to the Ka’bah. People of limited intelligence could see no significance in this change of direction although the substitution of Jerusalem by the Ka’bah amounted to the removal of the Children of Israel from their position of world leadership and their replacement by the ummah of Muhammad (peace be on him). 

The Arabic expression which we have translated as ‘the community of the middle way’ is too rich in meaning to find an adequate equivalent in any other language. It signifies that distinguished group of people which follows the path of justice and equity, of balance and moderation, a group which occupies a central position among the nations of the world so that its friendship with all is based on righteousness and justice and none receives its support in wrong and injustice. 

The purpose of creating ‘the community of the middle way’, according to this Qur’anic verse, is to make it stand as witness ‘before all mankind and the Messenger might be a witness before you’. What this means is that when the whole of mankind is called to account, the Prophet, as God’s representative, will stand witness to the fact that he had communicated to the Muslims and had put into practice the teachings postulating sound beliefs, righteous conduct and a balanced system of life which he had received from on high. The Muslims, acting on behalf of the Prophet after his return to the mercy of God, will he asked to bear the same witness before the rest of mankind and to say that they had spared no effort in either communicating to mankind what the Prophet had communicated to them, or in exemplifying in their own lives what the Prophet had, by his own conduct, translated into actual practice. 

This position of standing witness before all mankind on behalf of God, which has been conferred on this community, amounts to its being invested with the leadership of all mankind. This is at once a great honour and a heavy responsibility. For what it actually means is that just as the Prophet served as a living example of godliness and moral rectitude, of equity and fair play before the Muslim community, so is the Muslim community required to stand vis-à-vis the whole world. What is expected of this community is that it should be able to make known, both by word and deed, the meaning of godliness and righteousness, of equity and fairplay. 

Furthermore. just as the Prophet had been entrusted with the heavy responsibility of conveying to the Muslims the guidance which he had received. in a like manner a heavy responsibility has been laid on the Muslims to communicate this guidance to all mankind. If the Muslims fail to establish before God that they did their duty in conveying to mankind the guidance they had received through the Prophet they will be taken to task seriously and their honourable position as the leaders of the whole world, far from being of any help to them, will spell their disaster. They will be held responsible along with the protagonists of evil for all the errors of belief and conduct which have spread during their term of leadership. They will have to face the grim question: What were they doing when the world was convulsed by storms of transgression, injustice and error? 

145. One purpose of this change in the direction of Prayer was to find out who was blinkered by irrational prejudices and chained by chauvinistic attachment to land and blood, and who, having liberated himself from those bonds, was capable of rising to the heights and grasping the Truth. 

On the one hand were the Arabs who were steeped in their national and racial arrogance. For them, taking Jerusalem as the direction of their Prayer (as originally practised by the Prophet) was too hard a blow to their national vanity to be accepted with equanimity. On the other hand, the Jews were essentially no different. They, too, were obsessed with racial pride so that it was difficult for them to accept any other than the direction of Prayer which they had inherited from the past. How could the people whose hearts were full of such idols respond to the call of the Messenger of God? Hence, God saw to it that the worshippers of such idols were distinguished from the genuine worshippers of God by first fixing Jerusalem as the direction of Prayer. This was bound to alienate all those who had worshipped the idol of Arabianism. Later, the fixing of the Ka’bah as the direction of Prayer led to the alienation of those who were engrossed in the worship of the idol of Israel. Thus there were left with the Prophet only, those who truly worshipped none but the One True God.

سَيَقُوۡلُ السُّفَهَآءُ مِنَ النَّاسِ مَا وَلّٰٮهُمۡ عَنۡ قِبۡلَتِهِمُ الَّتِىۡ كَانُوۡا عَلَيۡهَا ​ؕ قُل لِّلّٰهِ الۡمَشۡرِقُ وَالۡمَغۡرِبُ ؕ يَهۡدِىۡ مَنۡ يَّشَآءُ اِلٰى صِراطٍ مُّسۡتَقِيۡمٍ‏ ﴿2:142﴾

(2:142) The block-headed will say: “What has turned them away from the direction they formerly observed in Prayer?”¹⁴² Say: “To Allah belong the East and the West; He guides whomsoever He wills onto a Straight Way.”¹⁴³

Notes

142. After his migration to Madina the Prophet continued to pray in the direction of Jerusalem for between sixteen and seventeen months. Subsequently, he received the order to pray in the direction of the Ka’bah. See( verse 144 below) 

143. This is the first answer to the objections of these ignorant people. Their narrow minds and limited vision led them to undue attachment to such formalities as the direction and locale of Prayer. They presumably conceived God to be confined to a particular direction. In reply to their absurd objection the first thing which was explained was that all directions belong to God. Fixing any particular direction for Prayer does not mean that God is confined to that direction. All those who have been favoured with God’s true guidance rise above such limitations of outlook so that it is easy for them to grasp the universal verities of religion. (See also (nn. 115 and 116 above.)