سُوْرَةُ الْاَعْرَافِ
Surah Al-A'raaf (7) — Ayah 29
قُلْ أَمَرَ رَبِّى بِٱلْقِسْطِ ۖ وَأَقِيمُوا۟ وُجُوهَكُمْ عِندَ كُلِّ مَسْجِدٍ وَٱدْعُوهُ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ ٱلدِّينَ ۚ كَمَا بَدَأَكُمْ تَعُودُونَ ﴿29﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Say (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم): My Lord has commanded justice and (said) that you should face Him only (i.e. worship none but Allâh and face the Qiblah, i.e. the Ka‘bah at Makkah during prayers) in every place of worship, in prayers (and not to face other false deities and idols), and invoke Him only making your religion sincere to Him (by not joining in worship any partner with Him and with the intention that you are doing your deeds for Allâh’s sake only). As He brought you (into being) in the beginning, so shall you be brought into being [on the Day of Resurrection in two groups, one as a blessed one (believers), and the other as a wretched one (disbelievers)].
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
قُلْ
qul
Say
أَمَرَ
amara
(Has been) ordered
رَبِّى
rabbī
(by) my Lord
بِٱلْقِسْطِ ۖ
bil-qis'ṭi
justice
وَأَقِيمُوا۟
wa-aqīmū
and set
وُجُوهَكُمْ
wujūhakum
your faces
عِندَ
ʿinda
at
كُلِّ
kulli
every
مَسْجِدٍۢ
masjidin
masjid
وَٱدْعُوهُ
wa-id'ʿūhu
and invoke Him
مُخْلِصِينَ
mukh'liṣīna
(being) sincere
لَهُ
lahu
to Him
ٱلدِّينَ ۚ
l-dīna
(in) the religion
كَمَا
kamā
As
بَدَأَكُمْ
bada-akum
He originated you
تَعُودُونَ
taʿūdūna
(so) will you return
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 29) ➊ {قُلْ اَمَرَ رَبِّيْ بِالْقِسْطِ:} Therefore, follow it. Here, by { ’’ اَلْقِسْطُ‘‘} (justice) is meant monotheism, then to avoid indecency and immorality, because the greatest injustice is associating partners with Allah. He said: «اِنَّ الشِّرْكَ لَظُلْمٌ عَظِيْمٌ» [ لقمان : ۱۳ ] "Indeed, associating partners (shirk) is surely a great injustice." Then, destroying a person's life, wealth, or honor is a great injustice, and the greatest justice is bearing witness to the oneness of Allah, as is evident from Allah's statement: «{شَهِدَ اللّٰهُ اَنَّهٗ لَاۤ اِلٰهَ اِلَّا هُوَ١ۙ وَ الْمَلٰٓىِٕكَةُ وَ اُولُوا الْعِلْمِ قَآىِٕمًۢا بِالْقِسْطِ} » [ آل عمران : ۱۸ ] "Allah bears witness that there is no deity except Him, and so do the angels and those endowed with knowledge, maintaining justice."
➋ {وَ اَقِيْمُوْا وُجُوْهَكُمْ عِنْدَ كُلِّ مَسْجِدٍ : ’’ مَسْجِدٍ ‘‘} can mean a verbal noun (masdar mimi), a time adverb (zarf zaman), or a place adverb (zarf makan). If it is a verbal noun, its meaning is prostration (sajdah) as well as prayer (salah), just as { ’’ رَكْعَةٌ ‘‘} means bowing (ruku‘) and also refers to the combination of standing, bowing, standing after bowing, prostration, and recitation, etc., in prayer, and {’’ رَكْعَةٌ ‘‘} refers to both prostration and standing. That is, by mentioning a part, the whole is intended, so the meaning will be: in every prayer. If time is meant, then at every time of prostration or prayer; and if place is meant, then at every place of prostration or prayer, turn your faces straight, i.e., towards the qiblah, or as the Messenger of Allah has commanded, straighten your faces, i.e., yourselves, and pray in the manner he has taught.
➌ {وَ ادْعُوْهُ مُخْلِصِيْنَ لَهُ الدِّيْنَ: ’’ الدِّيْنَ ‘‘ } here means worship, i.e., worship Him alone sincerely, and do not associate anyone else in calling upon Him or worshipping Him; the intent is to avoid showing off (riya’). In summary, this verse commands three things, meaning that any worship that involves shirk or prohibited things, such as nakedness or showing off, is included among indecencies (fawahish). (Razi) In short, for every act of worship, three things are necessary: monotheism, following the Messenger, and sincerity (being free from showing off); otherwise, it will be rejected.
➍ { كَمَا بَدَاَكُمْ تَعُوْدُوْنَ:} That is, just as you were nothing before, Allah created you without any difficulty, likewise, after your death, He will resurrect you again with utmost ease, and just as when you were born you had nothing and were without circumcision and clothing, so too will you be when you are resurrected.
➋ {وَ اَقِيْمُوْا وُجُوْهَكُمْ عِنْدَ كُلِّ مَسْجِدٍ : ’’ مَسْجِدٍ ‘‘} can mean a verbal noun (masdar mimi), a time adverb (zarf zaman), or a place adverb (zarf makan). If it is a verbal noun, its meaning is prostration (sajdah) as well as prayer (salah), just as { ’’ رَكْعَةٌ ‘‘} means bowing (ruku‘) and also refers to the combination of standing, bowing, standing after bowing, prostration, and recitation, etc., in prayer, and {’’ رَكْعَةٌ ‘‘} refers to both prostration and standing. That is, by mentioning a part, the whole is intended, so the meaning will be: in every prayer. If time is meant, then at every time of prostration or prayer; and if place is meant, then at every place of prostration or prayer, turn your faces straight, i.e., towards the qiblah, or as the Messenger of Allah has commanded, straighten your faces, i.e., yourselves, and pray in the manner he has taught.
➌ {وَ ادْعُوْهُ مُخْلِصِيْنَ لَهُ الدِّيْنَ: ’’ الدِّيْنَ ‘‘ } here means worship, i.e., worship Him alone sincerely, and do not associate anyone else in calling upon Him or worshipping Him; the intent is to avoid showing off (riya’). In summary, this verse commands three things, meaning that any worship that involves shirk or prohibited things, such as nakedness or showing off, is included among indecencies (fawahish). (Razi) In short, for every act of worship, three things are necessary: monotheism, following the Messenger, and sincerity (being free from showing off); otherwise, it will be rejected.
➍ { كَمَا بَدَاَكُمْ تَعُوْدُوْنَ:} That is, just as you were nothing before, Allah created you without any difficulty, likewise, after your death, He will resurrect you again with utmost ease, and just as when you were born you had nothing and were without circumcision and clothing, so too will you be when you are resurrected.
