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Al-Baqarah 142

Ayah 142 of 286 · Medinan

۞ سَيَقُولُ ٱلسُّفَهَآءُ مِنَ ٱلنَّاسِ مَا وَلَّىٰهُمۡ عَن قِبۡلَتِهِمُ ٱلَّتِي كَانُواْ عَلَيۡهَاۚ قُل لِّلَّهِ ٱلۡمَشۡرِقُ وَٱلۡمَغۡرِبُۚ يَهۡدِي مَن يَشَآءُ إِلَىٰ صِرَٰطٖ مُّسۡتَقِيمٖ ١٤٢

The foolish among the people will say, "What has turned them away from their qiblah,1 which they used to face?"2 Say, "To Allāh belongs the east and the west. He guides whom He wills to a straight path."

Translation: Saheeh International (English)

1 The direction faced in prayer.

2 Prior to the command (in verse 144) that the Prophet (ﷺ) and his followers turn toward the Kaʿbah in Makkah for prayer, they had been facing Jerusalem to the north. The implications of this change are mentioned in succeeding verses.

Word by word

Each word's meaning and sound

  1. ۞ سَيَقُولُWill saysayaqūlu
  2. ٱلسُّفَهَآءُthe foolish onesl-sufahāu
  3. مِنَfrommina
  4. ٱلنَّاسِthe peoplel-nāsi
  5. مَاWhatmā
  6. وَلَّىٰهُمۡ(has) turned themwallāhum
  7. عَنfromʿan
  8. قِبۡلَتِهِمُtheir direction of prayerqib'latihimu
  9. ٱلَّتِيwhichallatī
  10. كَانُواْthey were used tokānū
  11. عَلَيۡهَاۚ[on it]ʿalayhā
  12. قُلSayqul
  13. لِّلَّهِFor Allahlillahi
  14. ٱلۡمَشۡرِقُ(is) the eastl-mashriqu
  15. وَٱلۡمَغۡرِبُۚand the westwal-maghribu
  16. يَهۡدِيHe guidesyahdī
  17. مَنwhomman
  18. يَشَآءُHe willsyashāu
  19. إِلَىٰtoilā
  20. صِرَٰطٖa pathṣirāṭin
  21. مُّسۡتَقِيمٖstraightmus'taqīmin

Tafsir

The foolish and weak-minded among the Jews, and those like them from among the hypocrites, will ask what turned the Muslims away from the prayer direction of Jerusalem, which was their direction of prayer before. Tell them, O Prophet, in reply, that to Allah belongs the east and the west and every direction, and He directs whomever He wills of His servants to whatever direction He wills. He guides whom He wills of His servants to the right path which is free of distortions and misguidance.

Al-Mukhtasar in interpreting the Noble Quran