Tafsir Ibn Abbas: Al-Baqara, Ayah 150
Common Words
Other Scholars on This Ayah
Tafsir
From whatever place you issue turn your face towards the Sacred Mosque; and wherever you may be turn your faces towards it all of which is being repeated for emphasis so that there be not any argument from the people the Jews or the idolaters against you so that there be not any cause for contention regarding the change to a different direction of prayer. In this way their contentions against you will cease to exist both the contentions of the Jews when they say ‘He Muhammad (s) rejects our religion but follows our direction of prayer’ and of the idolaters when they say ‘He Muhammad (s) claims to follow the creed of Abraham but he contravenes his Abraham’s qibla’; excepting the evildoers among them acting in obstinacy who will say ‘He Muhammad (s) only changed to this direction because of his natural inclination towards the idolatrous religion of his forefathers’. The exceptive statement indicated by illā is a continuous one the meaning being ‘No one will have anything to say against you except for what these people say’; and do not fear them do not fear their arguing with you regarding the change to it the Ka‘ba but fear Me by complying with My command; and that I may perfect My grace upon you by guiding you to the principal rituals of your religion and that you may be guided to the truth wa-li-utimma ‘that I may perfect’ is a supplement to li-allā yakūna ‘that there be not’.
Related Hadiths
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I said prayer with the Apostle (ﷺ) turning towards Bait-ul-Maqdis for sixteen months till this verse of Surah Baqara wis revealed:" And wherever you are turn your faces towards it" (ii. 144). This ver...
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As the people were praying at Quba' a man came to them and said: It has been revealed to file Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) during the night and he has been directed to turn towards the Ka'ba. So turn toward...
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Ibn Abbas Commentary
(Whencesoever thou comest forth) you are to (turn thy face) in prayer (towards the Inviolable Place of Worship; and wheresoever ye may be (O Muslims)) on land or at sea (turn your faces) in prayer (towards it (when ye pray) so that men) 'Abdullah Ibn Salam and his Companions (may have no argument against you) regarding the changing of the Qiblah because in their Scripture the Inviolable Place of Worship was the Qiblah of Abraham; therefore if you pray towards it, they will have no argument against you, (save such of them as do injustice) nor would those who transgressed with their words have any argument against you, and these included Ka'b Ibn Ashraf and the Arab idolaters (-Fear them not) regarding the changing of the Qiblah, (but fear Me) in leaving the old Qiblah (-so that I may complete My grace upon you) by giving you a Qiblah just as I have completed for you your Religion, (and that you be guided) to the Qiblah of Abraham.