Tafsir Ibn Abbas: Al-Baqara, Ayah 177
Common Words
Other Scholars on This Ayah
Tafsir
It is not piety that you turn your faces in prayer to the East and to the West. This was revealed in response to the claim made by the Jews and the Christians to this effect. True piety that is the pious person al-birr is also read al-barr in the sense of al-bārr ‘the dutiful person’ is that of the one who believes in God and the Last Day and the angels and the Book that is the scriptures and the prophets and who gives of his substance however despite it being cherished by him to kinsmen and orphans and the needy and the traveller and beggars and for the setting free of slaves both the captive and the one to be manumitted by contract; and who observes prayer and pays the alms that are obligatory and what was given before alms were made obligatory in the way of charity; and those who fulfil their covenant when they have engaged in a covenant with God or with others those who endure with fortitude al-sābirīna is the accusative of laudation misfortune al-ba’sā’ is abject poverty hardship illness and peril at the height of a battle in the way of God; these described in the way mentioned are the ones who are truthful in their faith and in their claims to piety and these are the ones who are fearful of God.
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Ibn Abbas Commentary
(It is not righteousness) it is not all of righteousness; it is also said that (It is not righteousness) means: it is not faith (that ye merely turn your faces) in prayer (to the East) towards Mecca (and the West) towards Jerusalem; (but righteous is) but faith amounts to agreeing with (he who believeth in Allah) and it is also said: the faithful is he who believes in Allah (and the Last Day) in resurrection after death (and the angels) all the angels (and the Scripture) all the revealed Books (and the prophets) and all the prophets; Allah then mentions the obligated duties after mentioning faith, saying: (and giveth his wealth for love of Him) righteousness after declaring one's faith is that one gives of one's wealth, despite the fact that one loves and desires it and has only a little of it, (to kinsfolk) relatives (and to orphans) orphans of the believers (and the needy) who shy away from asking for assistance (and the wayfarer) the passer-by, the guest (and to those who ask) you to give them from your wealth, (and to set slaves free) those who made a contract to pay for their freedom and those who fight in the way of Allah. After mentioning the obligated duties, Allah mentions the different legal prescriptions, saying: (and observeth proper worship) He says: righteousness, after fulfilling the obligated duties, is to perfect the performance of the five daily prayers (and payeth the poor-due) give the poor what is due to them as well as similar things. (And those who keep their treaty) those who fulfil the pledges that are between them and their Lord or between them and other people (when they make one, and the patient in tribulation) i.e. fear, affliction and hardship (and adversity) illness, pain and hunger (and time of stress) upon engagement in fighting. (Such are they who are sincere) who have fulfilled their pledges. (And such are the God fearing) who refrain from breaking their pledges.