سُوْرَةُ البَقَرَةِ
Surah Al-Baqara (2) — Ayah 144
قَدْ نَرَىٰ تَقَلُّبَ وَجْهِكَ فِى ٱلسَّمَآءِ ۖ فَلَنُوَلِّيَنَّكَ قِبْلَةً تَرْضَىٰهَا ۚ فَوَلِّ وَجْهَكَ شَطْرَ ٱلْمَسْجِدِ ٱلْحَرَامِ ۚ وَحَيْثُ مَا كُنتُمْ فَوَلُّوا۟ وُجُوهَكُمْ شَطْرَهُۥ ۗ وَإِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا۟ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ لَيَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّهُ ٱلْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّهِمْ ۗ وَمَا ٱللَّهُ بِغَـٰفِلٍ عَمَّا يَعْمَلُونَ ﴿144﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Verily! We have seen the turning of your (Muhammad’s صلى الله عليه وسلم) 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-Harâm (at Makkah). And wheresoever you people are, turn your faces (in prayer) in that direction. 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. And Allâh is not unaware of what they do.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
قَدْ
qad
Indeed
نَرَىٰ
narā
We see
تَقَلُّبَ
taqalluba
(the) turning
وَجْهِكَ
wajhika
(of) your face
فِى
fī
towards
ٱلسَّمَآءِ ۖ
l-samāi
the heaven
فَلَنُوَلِّيَنَّكَ
falanuwalliyannaka
So We will surely turn you
قِبْلَةًۭ
qib'latan
(to the) direction of prayer
تَرْضَىٰهَا ۚ
tarḍāhā
you will be pleased with
فَوَلِّ
fawalli
So turn
وَجْهَكَ
wajhaka
your face
شَطْرَ
shaṭra
towards the direction
ٱلْمَسْجِدِ
l-masjidi
(of) Al-Masjid
ٱلْحَرَامِ ۚ
l-ḥarāmi
Al-Haraam
وَحَيْثُ
waḥaythu
and wherever
مَا
mā
that
كُنتُمْ
kuntum
you are
فَوَلُّوا۟
fawallū
[so] turn
وُجُوهَكُمْ
wujūhakum
your faces
شَطْرَهُۥ ۗ
shaṭrahu
(in) its direction
وَإِنَّ
wa-inna
And indeed
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
those who
أُوتُوا۟
ūtū
were given
ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ
l-kitāba
the Book
لَيَعْلَمُونَ
layaʿlamūna
surely know
أَنَّهُ
annahu
that it
ٱلْحَقُّ
l-ḥaqu
(is) the truth
مِن
min
from
رَّبِّهِمْ ۗ
rabbihim
their Lord
وَمَا
wamā
And not
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
(is) Allah
بِغَـٰفِلٍ
bighāfilin
unaware
عَمَّا
ʿammā
of what
يَعْمَلُونَ
yaʿmalūna
they do
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah 144) ➊ {فَوَلِّ وَجْهَكَ شَطْرَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ:} This is the actual command for the change of Qiblah. Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) says that the first abrogation in the Quran is regarding the Qiblah. [ابن أبی حاتم عن ابن أبی طلحۃ، عن ابن عباس رضی اللہ عنھما ] Bara’ (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed facing Bayt al-Maqdis for sixteen or seventeen months, and he preferred that his Qiblah be the Ka‘bah, and he performed the first prayer (towards the Ka‘bah) as the ‘Asr prayer. [ بخاری، التفسیر، باب قولہ تعالٰی : «سیقول السفہاء … » : ۴۴۸۶ ]
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) liked the Ka‘bah being the Qiblah so much that he would repeatedly look towards the sky in hope of the Qiblah being changed. It should be noted that Bayt al-Maqdis is in Syria, which is to the north of Madinah, and the Ka‘bah is exactly in the opposite direction, to the south. Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) said that people were praying the morning prayer in Quba when a man came to them and said, “Last night, Quran was revealed to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and he has been commanded to face the Ka‘bah, so you should also turn towards it.” Their faces were towards Syria, so they turned around and faced the Ka‘bah. [ بخاری، التفسیر، باب: «ولئن أتیت الذین … » : ۴۴۹۰ ] From this, it is established that the Companions relied upon and immediately acted upon the report of a trustworthy person (i.e., khabar wahid) for the proof of the hadith of the Messenger or even the Quran itself. Those who reject some ahadith by calling them khabar wahid should reflect on this.
➋ {وَ حَيْثُ مَا كُنْتُمْ فَوَلُّوْا وُجُوْهَكُمْ شَطْرَهٗ:} Those who are exempt from this are: voluntary prayers during travel, prayer on a boat, prayer during battle, or one who cannot determine the Qiblah; they may pray facing whichever direction they can. It is said: « اَيْنَمَا تُوَلُّوْا فَثَمَّ وَجْهُ اللّٰهِ » [ البقرۃ : ۱۱۵ ] “So wherever you turn, there is the Face of Allah.” However, during travel, if possible, one should begin the voluntary prayer facing the Qiblah, and after that, whichever direction the mount turns, there is no harm. Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that when the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) would travel and intended to pray voluntary prayers, he would face his camel towards the Qiblah and say the takbir, then wherever the mount turned, he would continue praying. [ أبو داوٗد، صلاۃ السفر، باب التطوع علی الراحلۃ : ۱۲۲۵، و حسنہ الألبانی ]
➌ {لَيَعْلَمُوْنَ اَنَّهُ الْحَقُّ مِنْ رَّبِّهِمْ:} That is, the Jews know very well from the prophecies in their books that the Qiblah of the Last Prophet will be Masjid al-Haram, but they conceal it out of disbelief, stubbornness, and envy. ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “These people (the People of the Book) do not envy us for anything as much as they envy us for Friday, which Allah guided us to and they went astray from it, and for this Qiblah which Allah guided us to and they went astray from it, and for our saying ‘Ameen’ behind the Imam.” [ أحمد : ۶؍۱۳۵، ح : ۲۵۰۸۲، إسنادہ صحیح ]
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) liked the Ka‘bah being the Qiblah so much that he would repeatedly look towards the sky in hope of the Qiblah being changed. It should be noted that Bayt al-Maqdis is in Syria, which is to the north of Madinah, and the Ka‘bah is exactly in the opposite direction, to the south. Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) said that people were praying the morning prayer in Quba when a man came to them and said, “Last night, Quran was revealed to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and he has been commanded to face the Ka‘bah, so you should also turn towards it.” Their faces were towards Syria, so they turned around and faced the Ka‘bah. [ بخاری، التفسیر، باب: «ولئن أتیت الذین … » : ۴۴۹۰ ] From this, it is established that the Companions relied upon and immediately acted upon the report of a trustworthy person (i.e., khabar wahid) for the proof of the hadith of the Messenger or even the Quran itself. Those who reject some ahadith by calling them khabar wahid should reflect on this.
➋ {وَ حَيْثُ مَا كُنْتُمْ فَوَلُّوْا وُجُوْهَكُمْ شَطْرَهٗ:} Those who are exempt from this are: voluntary prayers during travel, prayer on a boat, prayer during battle, or one who cannot determine the Qiblah; they may pray facing whichever direction they can. It is said: « اَيْنَمَا تُوَلُّوْا فَثَمَّ وَجْهُ اللّٰهِ » [ البقرۃ : ۱۱۵ ] “So wherever you turn, there is the Face of Allah.” However, during travel, if possible, one should begin the voluntary prayer facing the Qiblah, and after that, whichever direction the mount turns, there is no harm. Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that when the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) would travel and intended to pray voluntary prayers, he would face his camel towards the Qiblah and say the takbir, then wherever the mount turned, he would continue praying. [ أبو داوٗد، صلاۃ السفر، باب التطوع علی الراحلۃ : ۱۲۲۵، و حسنہ الألبانی ]
➌ {لَيَعْلَمُوْنَ اَنَّهُ الْحَقُّ مِنْ رَّبِّهِمْ:} That is, the Jews know very well from the prophecies in their books that the Qiblah of the Last Prophet will be Masjid al-Haram, but they conceal it out of disbelief, stubbornness, and envy. ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “These people (the People of the Book) do not envy us for anything as much as they envy us for Friday, which Allah guided us to and they went astray from it, and for this Qiblah which Allah guided us to and they went astray from it, and for our saying ‘Ameen’ behind the Imam.” [ أحمد : ۶؍۱۳۵، ح : ۲۵۰۸۲، إسنادہ صحیح ]
