Ayah Study

And from wheresoever you start forth (for prayers), turn your face in the direction of Al-Masjid-Al-Harâm (at Makkah), that is indeed the truth from your Lord. And Allâh is not unaware of what you do.

They answered: We will worship thy God, the God of thy forefathers Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac, the One God; and unto Him will we surrender ourselves.

اور تم جہاں سے نکلو، (نماز میں) اپنا منہ مسجد محترم کی طرف کر لیا کرو بےشک وہ تمہارے پروردگار کی طرف سے حق ہے۔ اور تم لوگ جو کچھ کرتے ہو۔ خدا اس سے بے خبر نہیں

أي: { وَمِنْ حَيْثُ خَرَجْتَ } في أسفارك وغيرها, وهذا للعموم, { فَوَلِّ وَجْهَكَ شَطْرَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ } أي: جهته. ثم خاطب الأمة عموما فقال: { وَحَيْثُمَا كُنْتُمْ فَوَلُّوا وُجُوهَكُمْ شَطْرَهُ } وقال: { وَإِنَّهُ لَلْحَقُّ مِنْ رَبِّكَ } أكده بـ \" إن \" واللام, لئلا يقع لأحد فيه أدنى شبهة, ولئلا يظن أنه على سبيل التشهي لا الامتثال. { وَمَا اللَّهُ بِغَافِلٍ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ } بل هو مطلع عليكم في جميع أحوالكم, فتأدبوا معه, وراقبوه بامتثال أوامره, واجتناب نواهيه، فإن أعمالكم غير مغفول عنها, بل مجازون عليها أتم الجزاء, إن خيرا فخير, وإن شرا فشر.

ومن أي مكان خَرَجْتَ -أيها النبي- مسافرًا، وأردت الصلاة، فوجِّه وجهك نحو المسجد الحرام. وإنَّ توجُّهك إليه لهو الحق الثابت من ربك. وما الله بغافل عما تعملونه، وسيجازيكم على ذلك.

هـذا أمر ثالث من الله تعالى باستقبال المسجد الحرام من جميع أقطار الأرض وقد اختلفوا في حكمة هذا التكرار ثلاث مرات فقيل تأكيد لأنه أول ناسخ وقع في الإسلام على ما نص عليه ابن عباس وغيره وقـل بل هو منزل على أحوال فالأمر الأول لمن هو مشاهد الكعبة والثاني لمن هو في مكة غائبا عنها والثالث لمن هو في بقية البلدان هكذا وجهه فخر الدين الرازي وقال القرطبي الأول لمن هو بمكة والثاني لمن هو في بقية الأمصار والثالث لمن خرج في الأسفار ورجح هذا الجواب القرطبي وقيل إنما ذكر ذلك لتعلقه بما قبله أو بعده من السياق: فقال أولا "قد نرى تقلب وجهك في السماء فلنولينك قبلة ترضاها" إلى قوله "وإن الذين أوتوا الكتاب ليعلمون أنه الحق من ربهم وما الله بغافل عما يعملون" فذكر في هذا المقام إجابته إلى طلبته وأمره بالقبلة التي كان يود التوجه إليها ويرضاها.

Why was changing the Qiblah mentioned thrice 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: قَدْ نَرَى تَقَلُّبَ وَجْهِكَ فِي السَّمَآءِ فَلَنُوَلِّيَنَّكَ قِبْلَةً تَرْضَاهَا (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 أُوتُواْ الْكِتَـبَ لَيَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّهُ الْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّهِمْ وَمَا اللَّهُ بِغَـفِلٍ عَمَّا يَعْمَلُونَ (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: وَمِنْ حَيْثُ خَرَجْتَ فَوَلِّ وَجْهَكَ شَطْرَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ وَإِنَّهُ لَلْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّكَ وَمَا اللَّهُ بِغَـفِلٍ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ (And from wheresoever you start forth (for prayers), turn your face in the direction of Al-Masid 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. 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: لِئَلاَّ يَكُونَ لِلنَّاسِ عَلَيْكُمْ 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 ظَلَمُواْ مِنْهُمْ (...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: فَلاَ تَخْشَوْهُمْ وَاخْشَوْنِى (. ..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: وَلاٌّتِمَّ نِعْمَتِى عَلَيْكُمْ (...so that I may complete My blessings on you.) This Ayah relates to Allah's statement: لِئَلاَّ يَكُونَ لِلنَّاسِ عَلَيْكُمْ 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) Shari`ah (law) is complete in every respect. Allah said: وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَ (...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.

تین بار نزول حکم یہ تیسری مرتبہ حکم ہو رہا ہے کہ روئے زمین کے مسلمانوں کو نماز کے وقت مسجد حرام کی طرف منہ کرنا چاہئے۔ تین مرتبہ تاکید اس لئے کی گئی کہ یہ تبدیلی کا حکم پہلی بار واقع ہوا تھا۔ فخرالدین رازی نے اس کی یہ وجہ بیان کی ہے کہ پہلا حکم تو ان کے لیے ہے جو کعبہ کو دیکھ رہے ہیں۔ دوسرا حکم ان کے لیے ہے جو مکہ میں ہیں لیکن کعبہ ان کے سامنے نہیں۔ تیسری بار انہیں حکم دیا جو مکہ کے باہر روئے زمین پر ہیں۔ قرطبی نے ایک توجیہ یہ بھی بیان کی ہے کہ پہلا حکم مکہ والوں کو ہے دوسرا اور شہر والوں کو تیسرا مسافروں کو بعض کہتے ہیں تینوں حکموں کا تعلق اگلی پچھلی عبارت سے ہے۔