Quran 2:142 — Surah Al-Baqara Ayah 142 | Arabic, Translation & Tafsir

تِلْكَ أُمَّةٌۭ قَدْ خَلَتْ ۖ لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ و...

2:142

Al-Baqara

وَكَذَٰلِكَ جَعَلْنَٰكُمْ أُمَّةًۭ وَسَطًۭا لِّتَك...

۞ سَيَقُولُ ٱلسُّفَهَآءُ مِنَ ٱلنَّاسِ مَا وَلَّىٰهُمْ عَن قِبْلَتِهِمُ ٱلَّتِى كَانُوا۟ عَلَيْهَا ۚ قُل لِّلَّهِ ٱلْمَشْرِقُ وَٱلْمَغْرِبُ ۚ يَهْدِى مَن يَشَآءُ إِلَىٰ صِرَٰطٍۢ مُّسْتَقِيمٍۢ

Sayaqoolus sufahaaa'u minan naasi maa wallaahum 'an Qiblatihimul latee kaanoo 'alaihaa; qulo lillaahil mashriqu walmaghrib; yahdee mai yashaaa'u ilaa Siraatim Mustaqeem

The foolish among the people will say, "What has turned them away from their qiblah, which they used to face?" Say, "To Allah belongs the east and the west. He guides whom He wills to a straight path."

Tafsir

Scholars largely agree on this ayah

View Full Tafsir: Al-Jalalayn on 2:142→

The fools the ignorant among the people that is the Jews and the idolaters will say ‘What matter has turned them the Prophet s and the believers from the direction they were facing in their prayers formerly?’ this being the Holy House bayt al-maqdis sc. Jerusalem; the sīn of sa-yaqūlu ‘they will say’ denotes the future tense and informs of the Unseen. Say ‘To God belong the East and the West that is all directions. Thus He commands that they face whichever direction He wills and there can be no objection. He guides whomever He will His guidance being to a straight path’ that is the religion of Islam and you are among these guided ones.

"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) would perform voluntary Salat upon his mount facing whichever direction he was headed, while he was coming from Makkah to Al-Madinah." Then Ibn 'Umar recited: To Allah belong both the east and the west. (2:115)" And Ibn 'Umar said: "It was about this that the Ayah was revealed." This Hadith is Hasan Sahih. It has been reported from Qatadah that he said about this Ayah: To Allah belong both the east and the west, so wherever you turn, there is the Face of Allah. : So turn your face in the direction of Al-Masjid Al-Haram. Meaning: facing it." And it has been reported that Mujãhid said about this Ayah: "So wherever you turn, there is the Face of Allah": "So there is the direction of Allah."

Jami` at-Tirmidhi #342Abu Hurairah narrated that :Sahih

Allah's Messenger said: "What is between the east and the west is Qiblah."

Jami` at-Tirmidhi #344(Another chain narrating that) Abu Hurairah narrated that :Sahih

Allah's Messenger said: "What is between the east and the west is Qiblah."

Sahih al-Bukhari #394Narrated Bara' bin `Azib:Sahih

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) prayed facing Baitul-Maqdis for sixteen or seventeen months but he loved to face the Ka`ba (at Mecca) so Allah revealed: "Verily, We have seen the turning of your face to the heaven!" (2:144) So the Prophet (ﷺ) faced the Ka`ba and the fools amongst the people namely "the Jews" said, "What has turned them from their Qibla (Baitul-Maqdis) which they formerly observed"" (Allah revealed): "Say: 'To Allah belongs the East and the West. He guides whom he will to a straight path'." (2:142) A man prayed with the Prophet (facing the Ka`ba) and went out. He saw some of the Ansar praying the `Asr prayer with their faces towards Baitul-Maqdis, he said, "I bear witness that I prayed with Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) facing the Ka`ba." So all the people turned their faces towards the Ka`ba.

Jami` at-Tirmidhi #3041Narrated 'Abdullah bin 'Amir bin Rabi'ah:Sahih

from his father who said: "We were with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) on a journey on a very dark night and we did not know where the Qiblah was. So each man among us prayed in his own direction. In the morning when we mentioned that to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), then the following was revealed: "So wherever you turn, there is the Face of Allah. (2:115)"