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Ayah
Word by Word
وَلِكُلّٖ
And for everyone
وِجۡهَةٌ
(is) a direction
هُوَ
he
مُوَلِّيهَاۖ
turns towards it
فَٱسۡتَبِقُواْ
so race
ٱلۡخَيۡرَٰتِۚ
(to) the good
أَيۡنَ
Wherever
مَا
that
تَكُونُواْ
you will be
يَأۡتِ
will bring
بِكُمُ
you
ٱللَّهُ
(by) Allah
جَمِيعًاۚ
together
إِنَّ
Indeed
ٱللَّهَ
Allah
عَلَىٰ
(is) on
كُلِّ
every
شَيۡءٖ
thing
قَدِيرٞ
All-Powerful
وَلِكُلّٖ
And for everyone
وِجۡهَةٌ
(is) a direction
هُوَ
he
مُوَلِّيهَاۖ
turns towards it
فَٱسۡتَبِقُواْ
so race
ٱلۡخَيۡرَٰتِۚ
(to) the good
أَيۡنَ
Wherever
مَا
that
تَكُونُواْ
you will be
يَأۡتِ
will bring
بِكُمُ
you
ٱللَّهُ
(by) Allah
جَمِيعًاۚ
together
إِنَّ
Indeed
ٱللَّهَ
Allah
عَلَىٰ
(is) on
كُلِّ
every
شَيۡءٖ
thing
قَدِيرٞ
All-Powerful
Translation
To each is a goal to which Allah turns him; then strive together (as in a race) Towards all that is good. Wheresoever ye are, Allah will bring you Together. For Allah Hath power over all things.
Tafsir
Every person, of every community, has his direction (wijha), [his] qibla, to which he turns (muwalleehaa, 'he turns to it', is also read as muwallaahaa, 'he is made to turn to it'), in his prayers, so vie with one another in good works, strive with acts of obedience and acceptance of these. Wherever you may be, God will bring you all together, gathering you on the Day of Resurrection and requiting you for your deeds; surely God has power over all things.
"
Every Nation has a Qiblah
Allah said;
وَلِكُلٍّ وِجۡهَةٌ هُوَ مُوَلِّيهَا فَاسۡتَبِقُواۡ الۡخَيۡرَاتِ
For every nation there is a direction to which they face (in their prayers). So hasten towards all that is good.
Al-Awfi reported that Ibn Abbas said:
وَلِكُلٍّ وِجۡهَةٌ هُوَ مُوَلِّيهَا
(For every nation there is a direction to which they face (in their prayers)),
""This talks about followers of the various religions. Hence, every nation and tribe has its own Qiblah that they choose, while Allah's appointed Qiblah is what the believers face.""
Abul-Aliyah said,
""The Jew has a direction to which he faces (in the prayer). The Christian has a direction to which he faces. Allah has guided you, O (Muslim) Ummah, to a Qiblah which is the true Qiblah.""
This statement was also related to Mujahid, Ata, Ad-Dahhak, Ar-Rabi bin Anas, As-Suddi, and others.
This last Ayah is similar to what Allah said:
لِكُلٍّ جَعَلۡنَا مِنكُمۡ شِرۡعَةً وَمِنۡهَـجاً وَلَوۡ شَأءَ اللَّهُ لَجَعَلَكُمۡ أُمَّةً وَحِدَةً وَلَـكِن لِّيَبۡلُوَكُمۡ فِى مَأ ءَاتَـكُم فَاسۡتَبِقُوا الخَيۡرَاتِ إِلَى الله مَرۡجِعُكُمۡ جَمِيعاً
To each among you, We have prescribed a law and a clear way. If Allah had willed, He would have made you one nation, but that (He) may test you in what He has given you; so compete in good deeds. The return of you (all) is to Allah. (5:48)
Allah said:
أَيۡنَ مَا تَكُونُواۡ يَأۡتِ بِكُمُ اللّهُ جَمِيعًا إِنَّ اللّهَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيۡءٍ قَدِيرٌ
Wheresoever you may be, Allah will bring you together (on the Day of Resurrection). Truly, Allah is able to do all things.
meaning:He is able to gather you from the earth even if your bodies and flesh disintegrated and scattered.
Why was changing the Qiblah mentioned thrice
Allah said;
وَمِنۡ حَيۡثُ خَرَجۡتَ فَوَلِّ وَجۡهَكَ شَطۡرَ الۡمَسۡجِدِ الۡحَرَامِ وَإِنَّهُ لَلۡحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّكَ وَمَا اللّهُ بِغَافِلٍ عَمَّا تَعۡمَلُونَ
And from wheresoever you start forth (for prayers), turn your face in the direction of Al-Masjid Al-Haram (at Makkah), that is indeed the truth from your Lord. And Allah is not unaware of what you do.
This is a third command from Allah to face Al-Masjid Al-Haram (the Sacred Mosque) from every part of the world (during prayer).
It was said that Allah mentioned this ruling again here because it is connected to whatever is before and whatever is after it. Hence, Allah first said:
قَدۡ نَرَى تَقَلُّبَ وَجۡهِكَ فِي السَّمَاء فَلَنُوَلِّيَنَّكَ قِبۡلَةً تَرۡضَاهَا
Verily, We have seen the turning of your (Muhammad's) face towards the heaven. Surely, We shall turn you to a Qiblah (prayer direction) that shall please you, (2:144), until:
وَإِنَّ الَّذِينَ أُوۡتُواۡ الۡكِتَابَ لَيَعۡلَمُونَ أَنَّهُ الۡحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّهِمۡ وَمَا اللّهُ بِغَافِلٍ عَمَّا يَعۡمَلُونَ
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 Allah is not unaware of what they do. (2:144)
Allah mentioned in these Ayat His fulfillment of the Prophet's wish and ordered him to face the Qiblah that he liked and is pleased with.
In the second command, Allah said:
وَمِنۡ حَيۡثُ خَرَجۡتَ فَوَلِّ وَجۡهَكَ شَطۡرَ الۡمَسۡجِدِ الۡحَرَامِ وَإِنَّهُ لَلۡحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّكَ وَمَا اللّهُ بِغَافِلٍ عَمَّا تَعۡمَلُونَ
And from wheresoever you start forth (for prayers), turn your face in the direction of Al-Masjid Al-Haram that is indeed the truth from your Lord. And Allah is not unaware of what you do.
Therefore, Allah states here that changing the Qiblah is also the truth from Him, thus upgrading the subject more than in the first Ayah, in which Allah agreed to what His Prophet had wished for. Thus Allah states that this is also the truth from Him that He likes and is pleased with.
In the third command, Allah refutes the Jewish assertion that the Prophet faced their Qiblah, as they knew in their Books that the Prophet will later on be commanded to face the Qiblah of Ibrahim, the Ka`bah.
وَمِنۡ حَيۡثُ خَرَجۡتَ فَوَلِّ وَجۡهَكَ شَطۡرَ الۡمَسۡجِدِ الۡحَرَامِ وَحَيۡثُ مَا كُنتُمۡ فَوَلُّواۡ وُجُوهَكُمۡ شَطۡرَهُ
And from wheresoever you start forth (for prayers), turn your face in the direction of Al-Masjid Al-Haram (at Makkah), and wheresoever you are, turn your faces towards it (when you pray),
The Arab disbelievers had no more argument concerning the Prophet's Qiblah after Allah commanded the Prophet to face the Qiblah of Ibrahim, which is more respected and honored, rather than the Qiblah of the Jews. The Arabs used to honor the Ka`bah and liked the fact that the Messenger was commanded to face it.
The Wisdom behind abrogating the Previous Qiblah
Allah said:
لِيَلَّ يَكُونَ لِلنَّاسِ عَلَيۡكُمۡ حُجَّةٌ
so that men may have no argument against you,
Therefore, the People of the Book knew from the description of the Muslim Ummah that they would be ordered to face the Ka`bah. If the Muslims did not fit this description, the Jews would have used this fact against the Muslims. If the Muslims had remained on the Qiblah of Bayt Al-Maqdis, which was also the Qiblah of the Jews, this fact could have been used as the basis of argument by the Jews against other people.
Allah's Statement:
إِلاَّ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواۡ مِنۡهُمۡ
except those of them that are wrongdoers,
indicates the Mushrikin (polytheists) of Quraysh.
The reasoning of these unjust persons was the unsound statement:
""This man (Muhammad) claims that he follows the religion of Ibrahim! Hence, if his facing Bayt Al-Maqdis was a part of the religion of Ibrahim, why did he change it?""
The answer to this question is that Allah has chosen His Prophet to face Bayt Al-Maqdis first for certain wisdom, and he obeyed Allah regarding this command. Then, Allah changed the Qiblah to the Qiblah of Ibrahim, which is the Ka`bah, and he also obeyed Allah in this command. He, obeys Allah in all cases and never engages in the defiance of Allah even for an instant, and his Ummah imitates him in this.
Allah said:
فَلَ تَخۡشَوۡهُمۡ وَاخۡشَوۡنِي
so fear them not, but fear Me!
meaning:`Do not fear the doubts that the unjust, stubborn persons raise and fear Me Alone.'
Indeed, Allah Alone deserves to be feared.
Allah said:
وَلاُتِمَّ نِعۡمَتِي عَلَيۡكُمۡ
so that I may complete My blessings on you.
This Ayah relates to Allah's statement:
لِيَلَّ يَكُونَ لِلنَّاسِ عَلَيۡكُمۡ حُجَّةٌ
(...so that men may have no argument against you), meaning:
I will perfect My bounty on you by legislating for you to face the Ka`bah, so that the (Islamic) Shariah (law) is complete in every respect.
Allah said:
وَلَعَلَّكُمۡ تَهۡتَدُونَ
that you may be guided.
meaning:`To be directed and guided to what the nations have been led astray from, We have guided you to it and preferred you with it.'
This is why this Ummah is the best and most honored nation ever."
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