We have certainly seen the turning of your face, [O Muḥammad], toward the heaven, and We will surely turn you to a qiblah with which you will be pleased. So turn your face [i.e., yourself] toward al-Masjid al-Ḥarām.1 And wherever you [believers] are, turn your faces [i.e., yourselves] toward it [in prayer]. Indeed, those who have been given the Scripture [i.e., the Jews and the Christians] well know that it is the truth from their Lord. And Allāh is not unaware of what they do.
Translation: Saheeh International (English)
1 The Sacred Mosque in Makkah containing the Kaʿbah.
فَلَنُوَلِّيَنَّكَSo We will surely turn youfalanuwalliyannaka
قِبۡلَةٗ(to the) direction of prayerqib'latan
تَرۡضَىٰهَاۚyou will be pleased withtarḍāhā
فَوَلِّSo turnfawalli
وَجۡهَكَyour facewajhaka
شَطۡرَtowards the directionshaṭra
ٱلۡمَسۡجِدِ(of) Al-Masjidl-masjidi
ٱلۡحَرَامِۚAl-Haraaml-ḥarāmi
وَحَيۡثُand whereverwaḥaythu
مَاthatmā
كُنتُمۡyou arekuntum
فَوَلُّواْ[so] turnfawallū
وُجُوهَكُمۡyour faceswujūhakum
شَطۡرَهُۥۗ(in) its directionshaṭrahu
وَإِنَّAnd indeedwa-inna
ٱلَّذِينَthose whoalladhīna
أُوتُواْwere givenūtū
ٱلۡكِتَٰبَthe Bookl-kitāba
لَيَعۡلَمُونَsurely knowlayaʿlamūna
أَنَّهُthat itannahu
ٱلۡحَقُّ(is) the truthl-ḥaqu
مِنfrommin
رَّبِّهِمۡۗtheir Lordrabbihim
وَمَاAnd notwamā
ٱللَّهُ(is) Allahl-lahu
بِغَٰفِلٍunawarebighāfilin
عَمَّاof whatʿammā
يَعۡمَلُونَthey doyaʿmalūna
Tafsir
God saw you, O Prophet, turning your face and gazing towards the heavens, anticipating revelation about changing the direction of prayer to the place you loved. God will turn you to a prayer direction which you will be pleased with, to the Sacred House of God, instead of the prayer direction you now face, so turn your face to the Sacred House of God in Makkah, and wherever you are, O believers, turn towards it to perform your prayers. Those who have been given the Scripture, the Jews and the Christians, know well that the change of prayer direction is the truth revealed from their Creator Who arranges and manages their lives, as it is clear in their Scripture. God is not unaware of what those who turn away from the truth do. He, glory be to Him, is aware of everything, and will reward them according to their actions.