Surah Al-Baqara (2) — Ayah 115

(Ayah 115) The meaning of this verse is not that facing the qiblah in prayer is not necessary, but rather that the obligation of facing the qiblah is lifted in specific situations, because before this, there is mention of those wrongdoers who prevent people from Allah’s mosques, meaning that the efforts of these wrongdoers to prevent and ruin Allah’s mosques cannot become an obstacle in the way of worshipping Allah. Allah alone is the owner of the East and the West, so if a person faces difficulty in turning towards the qiblah, or there is fear of the enemy, or the qiblah cannot be determined, then it is correct to pray facing whichever direction one can. In Sunan Abi Dawood {’’ كِتَابُ صَلٰوةِ السَّفَرِ:۱۲۴۹‘‘}, it is mentioned that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) sent Abdullah bin Unais (may Allah be pleased with him) to kill Khalid bin Sufyan, because he was gathering an army against the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). He saw him in ‘Urnah or ‘Arafat (where Abdullah bin Unais’ face was in the opposite direction of the Ka‘bah), and the time for ‘Asr arrived, so due to the fear of missing the prayer, he prayed while walking towards the enemy, then went and killed him. Regarding nafl (voluntary) prayers during travel, there is permission to pray on the mount, regardless of which direction it is facing. Thus, Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) says that while coming from Makkah to Madinah, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) would continue to pray (nafl) on his camel, whichever direction it was facing. He says, regarding this, this verse was revealed: « { فَاَيْنَمَا تُوَلُّوْا فَثَمَّ وَجْهُ اللّٰهِ }» [ مسلم، صلوۃ المسافرین، باب جواز النافلۃ : ۳۳؍۷۰۰ ] One meaning of { ”فَاَيْنَمَا تُوَلُّوْا“ } is {”حَيْثُمَا تُوَلُّوْا“ } (wherever you turn), this is the statement of Mujahid. (Tabari) In this case as well, its connection is with the previous verse, meaning if you are prevented from Allah’s mosques, then pray wherever you are. (Al-Tasheel)

115. After the migration, when Muslims used to face Bayt al-Maqdis while praying, the Muslims were grieved by this. At that time, this verse was revealed. When the command was given to turn from Bayt al-Maqdis back towards the Ka'bah, the Jews began to make various remarks. According to some, the reason for its revelation is the permission to perform voluntary prayers while traveling on a mount, that you may pray in whichever direction the mount faces. Sometimes, several reasons come together, and a single verse is revealed to address all of them. In the context of such verses, multiple narrations regarding the circumstances of revelation are reported; in some narrations, one reason for revelation is mentioned, and in others, another. This verse is also of this kind.

115. To Allah belong the East and the West. So wherever you turn, there is the Face of Allah [135]. Surely, Allah is All-Encompassing [136], All-Knowing.

[135]
Facing the Qiblah in Prayer:

Hazrat Umar ؓ narrates that once the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was performing nafl (supererogatory) prayers on his mount, and the mount would turn in any direction. At that time, you ﷺ were coming from Makkah to Madinah. Then Hazrat Umar ؓ recited this very verse and said that this verse pertains to this matter [ترمذي ابواب التفسير زير آيت بالا]
In another narration, it is stated that during a journey, the Companions were with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. The night was dark, so each person prayed in the direction he thought was the Qiblah and placed a stone as a marker. In the morning, it became clear that some people had prayed in the wrong direction. They became hesitant, and then this verse was revealed. And it is narrated from Qatadah that this verse is abrogated, and its abrogator is ﴿فَوَلِّ وَجْهَكَ شَطْرَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ﴾. [ترمذي۔ ابواب التفسير زير آيت بالا]
It should be noted that the Sufi elders who believe in Wahdat al-Wujud present this verse as evidence for the validity of Wahdat al-Wujud. Thus, Khwaja Hasan Sanjari says:
"The disbelievers who prostrate before idols, all their faces are actually towards You, and every direction is Your face."
That is, when the disbelievers prostrate to idols, their faces are, in reality, towards You, because every direction is Your face.
We have already written above about the reason for the revelation of this verse and its abrogation.
Despite this, if the view of these elders is considered correct, then the question arises: what was the need and importance of the change of Qiblah, for which Allah Almighty revealed nine verses in this very Surah Baqarah? From Sanjari Sahib's couplet, it certainly becomes clear that when a person forms a preconceived notion and then tries to prove it from the Quran, to what extent he can resort to misinterpretation. Thus, Sanjari Sahib, by praising the act of idol worship, even declared their act of idol worship to be correct.

[136]
That is, Allah Almighty is not narrow-minded or narrow-hearted; rather, His divinity is vast, His perspective is vast, and His sphere of grace is vast. Therefore, if there is a mistake in searching for the Qiblah, it is not blameworthy. He knows very well where, at what time, and with what intention His servant is remembering Him.