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Al-Baqarah (The Cow)

Verse 143of 286

وَكَذَٰلِكَ جَعَلْنَٰكُمْ أُمَّةًۭ وَسَطًۭا لِّتَكُونُوا۟ شُهَدَآءَ عَلَى ٱلنَّاسِ وَيَكُونَ ٱلرَّسُولُ عَلَيْكُمْ شَهِيدًۭا ۗ وَمَا جَعَلْنَا ٱلْقِبْلَةَ ٱلَّتِى كُنتَ عَلَيْهَآ إِلَّا لِنَعْلَمَ مَن يَتَّبِعُ ٱلرَّسُولَ مِمَّن يَنقَلِبُ عَلَىٰ عَقِبَيْهِ ۚ وَإِن كَانَتْ لَكَبِيرَةً إِلَّا عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ هَدَى ٱللَّهُ ۗ وَمَا كَانَ ٱللَّهُ لِيُضِيعَ إِيمَٰنَكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ بِٱلنَّاسِ لَرَءُوفٌۭ رَّحِيمٌۭ﴿١٤٣

Translation (Sahih International)

And thus we have made you a 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. And indeed, it is difficult except for those whom Allah has guided. And never would Allah have caused you to lose your faith. Indeed Allah is, to the people, Kind and Merciful.

Word-by-word meaning

وَكَذَٰلِكَwakadhālikaAnd thus
جَعَلْنَـٰكُمْjaʿalnākumWe made you
أُمَّةًۭummatana community
وَسَطًۭاwasaṭan(of the) middle way
لِّتَكُونُوا۟litakūnūso that you will be
شُهَدَآءَshuhadāawitnesses
عَلَىʿalāover
ٱلنَّاسِl-nāsithe mankind
وَيَكُونَwayakūnaand will be
ٱلرَّسُولُl-rasūluthe Messenger
عَلَيْكُمْʿalaykumon you
شَهِيدًۭا ۗshahīdana witness
وَمَاwamāAnd not
جَعَلْنَاjaʿalnāWe made
ٱلْقِبْلَةَl-qib'latathe direction of prayer
ٱلَّتِىallatīwhich
كُنتَkuntayou were used to
عَلَيْهَآʿalayhā[on it]
إِلَّاillāexcept
لِنَعْلَمَlinaʿlamathat We make evident
مَنman(he) who
يَتَّبِعُyattabiʿufollows
ٱلرَّسُولَl-rasūlathe Messenger
مِمَّنmimmanfrom (he) who
يَنقَلِبُyanqalibuturns back
عَلَىٰʿalāon
عَقِبَيْهِ ۚʿaqibayhihis heels
وَإِنwa-inAnd indeed
كَانَتْkānatit was
لَكَبِيرَةًlakabīratancertainly a great (test)
إِلَّاillāexcept
عَلَىʿalāfor
ٱلَّذِينَalladhīnathose whom
هَدَىhadāguided
ٱللَّهُ ۗl-lahu(by) Allah
وَمَاwamāAnd not
كَانَkānawill
ٱللَّهُl-lahuAllah
لِيُضِيعَliyuḍīʿalet go waste
إِيمَـٰنَكُمْ ۚīmānakumyour faith
إِنَّinnaIndeed
ٱللَّهَl-lahaAllah
بِٱلنَّاسِbil-nāsi(is) to [the] mankind
لَرَءُوفٌۭlaraūfunFull of Kindness
رَّحِيمٌۭraḥīmunMost Merciful

Commentary (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

Changing the Qiblah @ Direction of the PrayerImam Al-Bukhari reported that Al-Bara' bin `Azib narrated: "Allah's Messenger ﷺ offered his prayers facing Bayt Al-Maqdis (Jerusalem) for sixteen or seventeen months, but he wished that he could pray facing the Ka`bah (at Makkah). The first prayer which he offered (facing the Ka`bah) was the `Asr (Afternoon) prayer in the company of some people.

Source: Tafsir Ibn Kathir — abridged excerpt

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