سُوْرَةُ البَقَرَةِ
Surah Al-Baqara (2) — Ayah 177
۞ لَّيْسَ ٱلْبِرَّ أَن تُوَلُّوا۟ وُجُوهَكُمْ قِبَلَ ٱلْمَشْرِقِ وَٱلْمَغْرِبِ وَلَـٰكِنَّ ٱلْبِرَّ مَنْ ءَامَنَ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلْـَٔاخِرِ وَٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةِ وَٱلْكِتَـٰبِ وَٱلنَّبِيِّـۧنَ وَءَاتَى ٱلْمَالَ عَلَىٰ حُبِّهِۦ ذَوِى ٱلْقُرْبَىٰ وَٱلْيَتَـٰمَىٰ وَٱلْمَسَـٰكِينَ وَٱبْنَ ٱلسَّبِيلِ وَٱلسَّآئِلِينَ وَفِى ٱلرِّقَابِ وَأَقَامَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتَى ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَٱلْمُوفُونَ بِعَهْدِهِمْ إِذَا عَـٰهَدُوا۟ ۖ وَٱلصَّـٰبِرِينَ فِى ٱلْبَأْسَآءِ وَٱلضَّرَّآءِ وَحِينَ ٱلْبَأْسِ ۗ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ صَدَقُوا۟ ۖ وَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْمُتَّقُونَ ﴿177﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
It is not Al-Birr (piety, righteousness, and each and every act of obedience to Allâh, etc.) that you turn your faces towards east and (or) west (in prayers); but Al-Birr is (the quality of) the one who believes in Allâh, the Last Day, the Angels, the Book, the Prophets and gives his wealth, in spite of love for it, to the kinsfolk, to the orphans, and to Al-Masâkîn (the poor), and to the wayfarer, and to those who ask, and to set slaves free, performs As-Salât (Iqâmat-as-Salât ), and gives the Zakât, and who fulfil their covenant when they make it, and who are patient in extreme poverty and ailment (disease) and at the time of fighting (during the battles). Such are the people of the truth and they are Al-Muttaqûn (the pious - See V.2:2).
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
۞ لَّيْسَ
laysa
It is not
ٱلْبِرَّ
l-bira
[the] righteousness
أَن
an
that
تُوَلُّوا۟
tuwallū
you turn
وُجُوهَكُمْ
wujūhakum
your faces
قِبَلَ
qibala
towards
ٱلْمَشْرِقِ
l-mashriqi
the east
وَٱلْمَغْرِبِ
wal-maghribi
and the west
وَلَـٰكِنَّ
walākinna
[and] but
ٱلْبِرَّ
l-bira
the righteous[ness]
مَنْ
man
(is he) who
ءَامَنَ
āmana
believes
بِٱللَّهِ
bil-lahi
in Allah
وَٱلْيَوْمِ
wal-yawmi
and the Day
ٱلْـَٔاخِرِ
l-ākhiri
[the] Last
وَٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةِ
wal-malāikati
and the Angels
وَٱلْكِتَـٰبِ
wal-kitābi
and the Book
وَٱلنَّبِيِّـۧنَ
wal-nabiyīna
and the Prophets
وَءَاتَى
waātā
and gives
ٱلْمَالَ
l-māla
the wealth
عَلَىٰ
ʿalā
in
حُبِّهِۦ
ḥubbihi
spite of his love (for it)
ذَوِى
dhawī
(to) those
ٱلْقُرْبَىٰ
l-qur'bā
(of) the near relatives
وَٱلْيَتَـٰمَىٰ
wal-yatāmā
and the orphans
وَٱلْمَسَـٰكِينَ
wal-masākīna
and the needy
وَٱبْنَ
wa-ib'na
and (of)
ٱلسَّبِيلِ
l-sabīli
the wayfarer
وَٱلسَّآئِلِينَ
wal-sāilīna
and those who ask
وَفِى
wafī
and in
ٱلرِّقَابِ
l-riqābi
freeing the necks (slaves)
وَأَقَامَ
wa-aqāma
and (who) establish
ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ
l-ṣalata
the prayer
وَءَاتَى
waātā
and give
ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ
l-zakata
the zakah
وَٱلْمُوفُونَ
wal-mūfūna
and those who fulfill
بِعَهْدِهِمْ
biʿahdihim
their covenant
إِذَا
idhā
when
عَـٰهَدُوا۟ ۖ
ʿāhadū
they make it
وَٱلصَّـٰبِرِينَ
wal-ṣābirīna
and those who are patient
فِى
fī
in
ٱلْبَأْسَآءِ
l-basāi
[the] suffering
وَٱلضَّرَّآءِ
wal-ḍarāi
and [the] hardship
وَحِينَ
waḥīna
and (the) time
ٱلْبَأْسِ ۗ
l-basi
(of) [the] stress
أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ
ulāika
Those
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
(are) the ones who
صَدَقُوا۟ ۖ
ṣadaqū
are true
وَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ
wa-ulāika
and those
هُمُ
humu
[they]
ٱلْمُتَّقُونَ
l-mutaqūna
(are) the righteous
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan — Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan is a well-known Quran commentary by Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. This tafsir explains the meanings of the Quran in accordance with the methodology of the Salaf (early righteous generations), relying on authentic sources and straightforward language. Due to its reliability and adherence to sound Islamic scholarship, the Saudi government publishes and distributes this tafsir among the Hujjaj (pilgrims) visiting the Haramain. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
177. 1. This verse was revealed in the context of the Qiblah. On one hand, the Jews were giving great importance to their Qiblah (which is the western part of Bayt al-Maqdis) and were proud of it, and the Christians to their Qiblah (which is the eastern part of Bayt al-Maqdis) and were proud of it. On the other hand, the Muslims were whispering about the change of Qiblah, which sometimes made hearts sorrowful. Allah Almighty said that turning towards the east or the west in itself is not a virtue, rather it is only a means to achieve centrality and unity; the real virtue is to have faith in those beliefs that Allah has stated and to adopt those actions and morals which He has emphasized. Then, ahead, those beliefs and actions are mentioned. Faith in Allah is to accept Him as unique in His essence and attributes, and free from all defects, and to accept all the attributes of Allah mentioned in the Qur'an and Hadith without any interpretation, and to believe in the Day of Judgment, resurrection, Paradise, and Hell. "Al-ba'sa'" means hardship and extreme poverty. "Al-darra'" means loss or illness. "Al-ba's" means fighting and its intensity. To be patient in these three states, that is, not to deviate from the commands of Allah, is extremely difficult, which is why these states have been specifically mentioned.
