Al-Baqarah 2:143
The Cow · Juz 2 · Page 22
وَكَذَٰلِكَ جَعَلۡنَٰكُمۡ أُمَّةٗ وَسَطٗا لِّتَكُونُواْ شُهَدَآءَ عَلَى ٱلنَّاسِ وَيَكُونَ ٱلرَّسُولُ عَلَيۡكُمۡ شَهِيدٗاۗ وَمَا جَعَلۡنَا ٱلۡقِبۡلَةَ ٱلَّتِي كُنتَ عَلَيۡهَآ إِلَّا لِنَعۡلَمَ مَن يَتَّبِعُ ٱلرَّسُولَ مِمَّن يَنقَلِبُ عَلَىٰ عَقِبَيۡهِۚ وَإِن كَانَتۡ لَكَبِيرَةً إِلَّا عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ هَدَى ٱللَّهُۗ وَمَا كَانَ ٱللَّهُ لِيُضِيعَ إِيمَٰنَكُمۡۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ بِٱلنَّاسِ لَرَءُوفٞ رَّحِيمٞ ١٤٣
And thus We have made you a median [i.e., just] community that you will be witnesses over the people and the Messenger will be a witness over you. And We did not make the qiblah which you used to face except that We might make evident who would follow the Messenger from who would turn back on his heels.1 And indeed, it is difficult except for those whom Allāh has guided. And never would Allāh have caused you to lose your faith [i.e., your previous prayers]. Indeed Allāh is, to the people, Kind and Merciful.
1 translator’s note
- i.e., refuse. ↩
Tafsir · in Arabic
Ibn Abi Zamanin
Brief
Change
Commentary on 2:143
قَوْله تَعَالَى: ﴿وَكَذَلِكَ جَعَلْنَاكُمْ أُمَّةً وسطا﴾ أَي: عدلا؛ يَعْنِي: أمة مُحَمَّد ﴿لِتَكُونُوا شُهَدَاء على النَّاس﴾ يَوْم الْقِيَامَة بِأَن الرُّسُل قد بلغت قَومهَا عَنْ رَبهَا ﴿وَيَكُونَ الرَّسُول عَلَيْكُم شَهِيدا﴾ أَنَّهُ قد بلغ رِسَالَة ربه إِلَى أمته؛ وَهَذَا تَفْسِير قَتَادَة.
قَالَ مُحَمَّد: وَأنْشد بَعضهم:
(هُم وسط يرضى الْأَنَام بحكمهم ... إِذا نزلت إِحْدَى اللَّيَالِي بمعظم)
يَعْنِي: بوسط: عدلا خيارا.
قَوْله تَعَالَى: ﴿وَمَا جَعَلْنَا الْقِبْلَةَ الَّتِي كُنْتَ عَلَيْهَا﴾ يَعْنِي: بَيت الْمُقَدّس ﴿وَإِلَّا لنعلم﴾ يَعْنِي: علم الفعال ﴿مَنْ يَتَّبِعُ الرَّسُولَ مِمَّنْ يَنْقَلِبُ عَلَى عَقِبَيْهِ وَإِنْ كَانَتْ لَكَبِيرَةً إِلا عَلَى الَّذين هدى الله﴾ يَعْنِي: صرف الْقبْلَة، قَالَ قَتَادَة: «كَانَت الْقبْلَة فِيهَا بلَاء وتمحيص، صلى رَسُول اللَّهِ ﷺ مُدَّة أقامته بِمَكَّة إِلَى بَيت الْمُقَدّس، وصلت الْأَنْصَار نَحْو بَيت الْمُقَدّس حَوْلَيْنِ قبل قدوم النَّبِي عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام إِلَى الْمَدِينَة، وَصلى النَّبي ﷺ بعد قدومه الْمَدِينَة نَحْو بَيت الْمُقَدّس سِتَّة عشر شهرا، ثمَّ وَجهه اللَّهُ - عَزَّ وَجَلَّ - بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ إِلَى الْكَعْبَة؛ فَقَالَ قَائِلُونَ: ﴿مَا وَلَّاهُمْ عَنْ قِبْلَتِهِمُ الَّتِي كَانُوا عَلَيْهَا﴾ لَقَد اشتاق الرجل إِلَى مولده».
قَوْله تَعَالَى: ﴿وَمَا كَانَ اللَّهُ لِيُضيع إيمَانكُمْ﴾ يَعْنِي: صَلَاتكُمْ إِلَى بَيت الْمُقَدّس، قَالَ قَتَادَة: لما صرفت الْقبْلَة قَالَ قوم: كَيفَ بأعمالنا الَّتي كُنَّا نعمل؟ فَأنْزل الله: ﴿وَمَا كَانَ الله لِيُضيع إيمَانكُمْ﴾ وَقد يَبْتَلِي الله - تَعَالَى - الْعباد بِمَا شَاءَ من أمره، الْأَمر بعد الْأَمر؛ ليعلم من يطيعه مِمَّن يعصيه؛ وكُلُّ ذَلِكَ مَقْبُول؛ إِذا كَانَ فِي إِيمَان بِاللَّهِ، وإخلاص لَهُ، وَتَسْلِيم لقضائه.
Page 22
2:142
۞ 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."
2:143
وَكَذَٰلِكَ جَعَلۡنَٰكُمۡ أُمَّةٗ وَسَطٗا لِّتَكُونُواْ شُهَدَآءَ عَلَى ٱلنَّاسِ وَيَكُونَ ٱلرَّسُولُ عَلَيۡكُمۡ شَهِيدٗاۗ وَمَا جَعَلۡنَا ٱلۡقِبۡلَةَ ٱلَّتِي كُنتَ عَلَيۡهَآ إِلَّا لِنَعۡلَمَ مَن يَتَّبِعُ ٱلرَّسُولَ مِمَّن يَنقَلِبُ عَلَىٰ عَقِبَيۡهِۚ وَإِن كَانَتۡ لَكَبِيرَةً إِلَّا عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ هَدَى ٱللَّهُۗ وَمَا كَانَ ٱللَّهُ لِيُضِيعَ إِيمَٰنَكُمۡۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ بِٱلنَّاسِ لَرَءُوفٞ رَّحِيمٞ ١٤٣
And thus We have made you a median [i.e., just] community that you will be witnesses over the people and the Messenger will be a witness over you. And We did not make the qiblah which you used to face except that We might make evident who would follow the Messenger from who would turn back on his heels.1 And indeed, it is difficult except for those whom Allāh has guided. And never would Allāh have caused you to lose your faith [i.e., your previous prayers]. Indeed Allāh is, to the people, Kind and Merciful.
1 translator’s note
- i.e., refuse. ↩
2:144
قَدۡ نَرَىٰ تَقَلُّبَ وَجۡهِكَ فِي ٱلسَّمَآءِۖ فَلَنُوَلِّيَنَّكَ قِبۡلَةٗ تَرۡضَىٰهَاۚ فَوَلِّ وَجۡهَكَ شَطۡرَ ٱلۡمَسۡجِدِ ٱلۡحَرَامِۚ وَحَيۡثُ مَا كُنتُمۡ فَوَلُّواْ وُجُوهَكُمۡ شَطۡرَهُۥۗ وَإِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ لَيَعۡلَمُونَ أَنَّهُ ٱلۡحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّهِمۡۗ وَمَا ٱللَّهُ بِغَٰفِلٍ عَمَّا يَعۡمَلُونَ ١٤٤
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.
1 translator’s note
- The Sacred Mosque in Makkah containing the Kaʿbah. ↩
2:145
وَلَئِنۡ أَتَيۡتَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ بِكُلِّ ءَايَةٖ مَّا تَبِعُواْ قِبۡلَتَكَۚ وَمَآ أَنتَ بِتَابِعٖ قِبۡلَتَهُمۡۚ وَمَا بَعۡضُهُم بِتَابِعٖ قِبۡلَةَ بَعۡضٖۚ وَلَئِنِ ٱتَّبَعۡتَ أَهۡوَآءَهُم مِّنۢ بَعۡدِ مَا جَآءَكَ مِنَ ٱلۡعِلۡمِ إِنَّكَ إِذٗا لَّمِنَ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ ١٤٥
And if you brought to those who were given the Scripture every sign, they would not follow your qiblah. Nor will you be a follower of their qiblah. Nor would they be followers of one another's qiblah. So if you were to follow their desires after what has come to you of knowledge, indeed, you would then be among the wrongdoers.