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Al-Baqarah (The Cow)

Verse 177of 286

۞ لَّيْسَ ٱلْبِرَّ أَن تُوَلُّوا۟ وُجُوهَكُمْ قِبَلَ ٱلْمَشْرِقِ وَٱلْمَغْرِبِ وَلَٰكِنَّ ٱلْبِرَّ مَنْ ءَامَنَ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلْءَاخِرِ وَٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةِ وَٱلْكِتَٰبِ وَٱلنَّبِيِّۦنَ وَءَاتَى ٱلْمَالَ عَلَىٰ حُبِّهِۦ ذَوِى ٱلْقُرْبَىٰ وَٱلْيَتَٰمَىٰ وَٱلْمَسَٰكِينَ وَٱبْنَ ٱلسَّبِيلِ وَٱلسَّآئِلِينَ وَفِى ٱلرِّقَابِ وَأَقَامَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتَى ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَٱلْمُوفُونَ بِعَهْدِهِمْ إِذَا عَٰهَدُوا۟ ۖ وَٱلصَّٰبِرِينَ فِى ٱلْبَأْسَآءِ وَٱلضَّرَّآءِ وَحِينَ ٱلْبَأْسِ ۗ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ صَدَقُوا۟ ۖ وَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْمُتَّقُونَ﴿١٧٧﴾

Translation (Sahih International)

Righteousness is not that you turn your faces toward the east or the west, but [true] righteousness is [in] one who believes in Allah, the Last Day, the angels, the Book, and the prophets and gives wealth, in spite of love for it, to relatives, orphans, the needy, the traveler, those who ask [for help], and for freeing slaves; [and who] establishes prayer and gives zakah; [those who] fulfill their promise when they promise; and [those who] are patient in poverty and hardship and during battle. Those are the ones who have been true, and it is those who are the righteous.

Word-by-word meaning

۞ لَّيْسَlaysaIt is not
ٱلْبِرَّl-bira[the] righteousness
أَنanthat
تُوَلُّوا۟tuwallūyou turn
وُجُوهَكُمْwujūhakumyour faces
قِبَلَqibalatowards
ٱلْمَشْرِقِl-mashriqithe east
وَٱلْمَغْرِبِwal-maghribiand the west
وَلَـٰكِنَّwalākinna[and] but
ٱلْبِرَّl-birathe righteous[ness]
مَنْman(is he) who
ءَامَنَāmanabelieves
بِٱللَّهِbil-lahiin Allah
وَٱلْيَوْمِwal-yawmiand the Day
ٱلْـَٔاخِرِl-ākhiri[the] Last
وَٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةِwal-malāikatiand the Angels
وَٱلْكِتَـٰبِwal-kitābiand the Book
وَٱلنَّبِيِّـۧنَwal-nabiyīnaand the Prophets
وَءَاتَىwaātāand gives
ٱلْمَالَl-mālathe wealth
عَلَىٰʿalāin
حُبِّهِۦḥubbihispite of his love (for it)
ذَوِىdhawī(to) those
ٱلْقُرْبَىٰl-qur'bā(of) the near relatives
وَٱلْيَتَـٰمَىٰwal-yatāmāand the orphans
وَٱلْمَسَـٰكِينَwal-masākīnaand the needy
وَٱبْنَwa-ib'naand (of)
ٱلسَّبِيلِl-sabīlithe wayfarer
وَٱلسَّآئِلِينَwal-sāilīnaand those who ask
وَفِىwafīand in
ٱلرِّقَابِl-riqābifreeing the necks (slaves)
وَأَقَامَwa-aqāmaand (who) establish
ٱلصَّلَوٰةَl-ṣalatathe prayer
وَءَاتَىwaātāand give
ٱلزَّكَوٰةَl-zakatathe zakah
وَٱلْمُوفُونَwal-mūfūnaand those who fulfill
بِعَهْدِهِمْbiʿahdihimtheir covenant
إِذَاidhāwhen
عَـٰهَدُوا۟ ۖʿāhadūthey make it
وَٱلصَّـٰبِرِينَwal-ṣābirīnaand those who are patient
فِىfīin
ٱلْبَأْسَآءِl-basāi[the] suffering
وَٱلضَّرَّآءِwal-ḍarāiand [the] hardship
وَحِينَwaḥīnaand (the) time
ٱلْبَأْسِ ۗl-basi(of) [the] stress
أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَulāikaThose
ٱلَّذِينَalladhīna(are) the ones who
صَدَقُوا۟ ۖṣadaqūare true
وَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَwa-ulāikaand those
هُمُhumu[they]
ٱلْمُتَّقُونَl-mutaqūna(are) the righteous

Commentary (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

Al-Birr (Piety, Righteousness)This Ayah contains many great wisdoms, encompassing rulings and correct beliefs.As for the explanation of this Ayah, Allah first commanded the believers to face Bayt Al-Maqdis, and then to face the Ka`bah during the prayer. This change was difficult for some of the People of the Book, and even for some Muslims.

Source: Tafsir Ibn Kathir — abridged excerpt

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