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Al-Baqarah (The Cow)

Verse 150of 286

وَمِنْ حَيْثُ خَرَجْتَ فَوَلِّ وَجْهَكَ شَطْرَ ٱلْمَسْجِدِ ٱلْحَرَامِ ۚ وَحَيْثُ مَا كُنتُمْ فَوَلُّوا۟ وُجُوهَكُمْ شَطْرَهُۥ لِئَلَّا يَكُونَ لِلنَّاسِ عَلَيْكُمْ حُجَّةٌ إِلَّا ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا۟ مِنْهُمْ فَلَا تَخْشَوْهُمْ وَٱخْشَوْنِى وَلِأُتِمَّ نِعْمَتِى عَلَيْكُمْ وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَ﴿١٥٠

Translation (Sahih International)

And from wherever you go out [for prayer], turn your face toward al-Masjid al-Haram. And wherever you [believers] may be, turn your faces toward it in order that the people will not have any argument against you, except for those of them who commit wrong; so fear them not but fear Me. And [it is] so I may complete My favor upon you and that you may be guided.

Word-by-word meaning

وَمِنْwaminAnd from
حَيْثُḥaythuwherever
خَرَجْتَkharajtayou start forth
فَوَلِّfawalli[so] turn
وَجْهَكَwajhakayour face
شَطْرَshaṭra(in the) direction
ٱلْمَسْجِدِl-masjidi(of) Al-Masjid
ٱلْحَرَامِ ۚl-ḥarāmiAl-Haraam
وَحَيْثُwaḥaythuAnd wherever
مَاthat
كُنتُمْkuntumyou (all) are
فَوَلُّوا۟fawallū[so] turn
وُجُوهَكُمْwujūhakumyour faces
شَطْرَهُۥshaṭrahu(in) its direction
لِئَلَّاli-allāso that not
يَكُونَyakūnawill be
لِلنَّاسِlilnnāsifor the people
عَلَيْكُمْʿalaykumagainst you
حُجَّةٌḥujjatunany argument
إِلَّاillāexcept
ٱلَّذِينَalladhīnathose who
ظَلَمُوا۟ẓalamūwronged
مِنْهُمْmin'humamong them
فَلَاfalāso (do) not
تَخْشَوْهُمْtakhshawhumfear them
وَٱخْشَوْنِىwa-ikh'shawnībut fear Me
وَلِأُتِمَّwali-utimmaAnd that I complete
نِعْمَتِىniʿ'matīMy favor
عَلَيْكُمْʿalaykumupon you
وَلَعَلَّكُمْwalaʿallakum[and] so that you may
تَهْتَدُونَtahtadūna(be) guided

Commentary (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

Why was changing the Qiblah mentioned thriceThis 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.

Source: Tafsir Ibn Kathir — abridged excerpt

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