سُوْرَةُ البَقَرَةِ
Surah Al-Baqara (2) — Ayah 145
وَلَئِنْ أَتَيْتَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا۟ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ بِكُلِّ ءَايَةٍ مَّا تَبِعُوا۟ قِبْلَتَكَ ۚ وَمَآ أَنتَ بِتَابِعٍ قِبْلَتَهُمْ ۚ وَمَا بَعْضُهُم بِتَابِعٍ قِبْلَةَ بَعْضٍ ۚ وَلَئِنِ ٱتَّبَعْتَ أَهْوَآءَهُم مِّنۢ بَعْدِ مَا جَآءَكَ مِنَ ٱلْعِلْمِ ۙ إِنَّكَ إِذًا لَّمِنَ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ ﴿145﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And even if you were to bring to the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) all the Ayât (proofs, evidence, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.), they would not follow your Qiblah (prayer direction), nor are you going to follow their Qiblah (prayer direction). And they will not follow each other’s Qiblah (prayer direction). Verily, if you follow their desires after that which you have received of knowledge (from Allâh), then indeed you will be one of the Zâlimûn (polytheists, wrong-doers).
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَلَئِنْ
wala-in
And even if
أَتَيْتَ
atayta
you come
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
(to) those who
أُوتُوا۟
ūtū
were given
ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ
l-kitāba
the Book
بِكُلِّ
bikulli
with all
ءَايَةٍۢ
āyatin
(the) signs
مَّا
mā
not
تَبِعُوا۟
tabiʿū
they would follow
قِبْلَتَكَ ۚ
qib'lataka
your direction of prayer
وَمَآ
wamā
and not
أَنتَ
anta
(will) you (be)
بِتَابِعٍۢ
bitābiʿin
a follower
قِبْلَتَهُمْ ۚ
qib'latahum
(of) their direction of prayer
وَمَا
wamā
And not
بَعْضُهُم
baʿḍuhum
some of them
بِتَابِعٍۢ
bitābiʿin
(are) followers
قِبْلَةَ
qib'lata
(of the) direction of prayer
بَعْضٍۢ ۚ
baʿḍin
(of each) other
وَلَئِنِ
wala-ini
And if
ٱتَّبَعْتَ
ittabaʿta
you followed
أَهْوَآءَهُم
ahwāahum
their desires
مِّنۢ
min
from
بَعْدِ
baʿdi
after
مَا
mā
[what]
جَآءَكَ
jāaka
came to you
مِنَ
mina
of
ٱلْعِلْمِ ۙ
l-ʿil'mi
the knowledge
إِنَّكَ
innaka
indeed, you
إِذًۭا
idhan
(would) then
لَّمِنَ
lamina
(be) surely among
ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ
l-ẓālimīna
the wrongdoers
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 145) ➊ {مَا تَبِعُوْا قِبْلَتَكَ}: That is, they know well that the Ka‘bah is the true qiblah, but their stubbornness has increased to such an extent that, no matter how many proofs you present regarding its truth, they will not accept your qiblah.
➋ {وَ مَاۤ اَنْتَ بِتَابِعٍ قِبْلَتَهُمْ: } And you, due to being bound by divine revelation, cannot adopt their qiblah. In {”بِتَابِعٍ“}, the use of "bā’" emphasizes the negation, so the translation is: "And by no means…"
➌ {وَ مَا بَعْضُهُمْ بِتَابِعٍ:} And their mutual enmity is such that they do not like each other's qiblah. The Jews face the rock of Bayt al-Maqdis, and the Christians face the eastern side of Bayt al-Maqdis. (Qurtubi)
➍ {وَ لَىِٕنِ اتَّبَعْتَ اَهْوَآءَهُمْ …:} { ”اَهْوَاءٌ“ } is the plural of { ”هَوًي“ }, which means desire of the self. Following the Qur’an and Sunnah is following «مَا جَآءَكَ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ», that is, the knowledge that comes from Allah Almighty; whatever else is added to the religion is following human desires, whether it comes from the Jews and Christians, or from Hindus and Sikhs, or Muslims invent it themselves—all of it is following desires. That is why the scholars of Islam generally call the people of innovation "Ahl al-Ahwa’" (people of desires). The author of al-Kashshaf has mentioned that in this verse, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is emphatically forbidden from following the desires of these people for several reasons. The author of al-Kashshaf has detailed this emphasis with ten reasons. See also Tafsir Ibn ‘Ashur.
Although in this verse the address is to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), the intended audience is the entire ummah; both scholars and laypeople are included, because if the Prophet (peace be upon him) were to do so, it would be said to him: «اِنَّكَ اِذًا لَّمِنَ الظّٰلِمِيْنَ », so the followers would all the more be among the wrongdoers for doing so. Then what will be the state of those scholars who, instead of forbidding, participate in third-day, seventh-day, fortieth-day rituals, Mawlid, Ta‘ziyah, ‘Urs, and Qawwali, perform self-invented practices, in some of which they face the Qutb and honor it like the qiblah, and consider these acts as meritorious!
➋ {وَ مَاۤ اَنْتَ بِتَابِعٍ قِبْلَتَهُمْ: } And you, due to being bound by divine revelation, cannot adopt their qiblah. In {”بِتَابِعٍ“}, the use of "bā’" emphasizes the negation, so the translation is: "And by no means…"
➌ {وَ مَا بَعْضُهُمْ بِتَابِعٍ:} And their mutual enmity is such that they do not like each other's qiblah. The Jews face the rock of Bayt al-Maqdis, and the Christians face the eastern side of Bayt al-Maqdis. (Qurtubi)
➍ {وَ لَىِٕنِ اتَّبَعْتَ اَهْوَآءَهُمْ …:} { ”اَهْوَاءٌ“ } is the plural of { ”هَوًي“ }, which means desire of the self. Following the Qur’an and Sunnah is following «مَا جَآءَكَ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ», that is, the knowledge that comes from Allah Almighty; whatever else is added to the religion is following human desires, whether it comes from the Jews and Christians, or from Hindus and Sikhs, or Muslims invent it themselves—all of it is following desires. That is why the scholars of Islam generally call the people of innovation "Ahl al-Ahwa’" (people of desires). The author of al-Kashshaf has mentioned that in this verse, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is emphatically forbidden from following the desires of these people for several reasons. The author of al-Kashshaf has detailed this emphasis with ten reasons. See also Tafsir Ibn ‘Ashur.
Although in this verse the address is to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), the intended audience is the entire ummah; both scholars and laypeople are included, because if the Prophet (peace be upon him) were to do so, it would be said to him: «اِنَّكَ اِذًا لَّمِنَ الظّٰلِمِيْنَ », so the followers would all the more be among the wrongdoers for doing so. Then what will be the state of those scholars who, instead of forbidding, participate in third-day, seventh-day, fortieth-day rituals, Mawlid, Ta‘ziyah, ‘Urs, and Qawwali, perform self-invented practices, in some of which they face the Qutb and honor it like the qiblah, and consider these acts as meritorious!
