Al-Baqarah Section 17 - The Ka’ba Fixed As Qiblah The Of The Muslims
The Ka’ba fixed as the Qiblah or the central turning point for the Muslims, The differences among the people of the scripture about their respective Qiblahs.
Al-Baqarah Verses 142 - 147
سَيَقُولُ السُّفَهَاءُ مِنَ النَّاسِ مَا وَلَّاهُمْ عَنْ قِبْلَتِهِمُ الَّتِي كَانُوا عَلَيْهَا قُلْ لِلَّهِ الْمَشْرِقُ وَالْمَغْرِبُ يَهْدِي مَنْ يَشَاءُ إِلَىٰ صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ
“The fools among men will say, “What hath turned them from their Qiblah towards which they were at (here before), “Say (O’ Our Apostle Muhammad!), God’s is the East and the West, He guideth whomsoever He pleaseth to the Right path”“ (2:142).
وَكَذَٰلِكَ جَعَلْنَاكُمْ أُمَّةً وَسَطًا لِتَكُونُوا شُهَدَاءَ عَلَى النَّاسِ وَيَكُونَ الرَّسُولُ عَلَيْكُمْ شَهِيدًا وَمَا جَعَلْنَا الْقِبْلَةَ الَّتِي كُنْتَ عَلَيْهَا إِلَّا لِنَعْلَمَ مَنْ يَتَّبِعُ الرَّسُولَ مِمَّنْ يَنْقَلِبُ عَلَىٰ عَقِبَيْهِ وَإِنْ كَانَتْ لَكَبِيرَةً إِلَّا عَلَى الَّذِينَ هَدَى اللَّهُ وَمَا كَانَ اللَّهُ لِيُضِيعَ إِيمَانَكُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ بِالنَّاسِ لَرَءُوفٌ رَحِيمٌ
“And thus, have We made you a group of middling stand that ye may be witnesses over mankind and the Prophet be witness over you; And we did not fix the ‘Qiblah’ towards which thou wert at, but that We might distinguish him who followeth the Prophet, from him that turneth back upon his heels; and this was surely a hard thing for any except for those whom God hath guided. And God would not make futile your faith (in Him); verily God unto mankind is Affectionate (and) Merciful” (2:143).
قَدْ نَرَىٰ تَقَلُّبَ وَجْهِكَ فِي السَّمَاءِ فَلَنُوَلِّيَنَّكَ قِبْلَةً تَرْضَاهَا فَوَلِّ وَجْهَكَ شَطْرَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ وَحَيْثُ مَا كُنْتُمْ فَوَلُّوا وُجُوهَكُمْ شَطْرَهُ وَإِنَّ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ لَيَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّهُ الْحَقُّ مِنْ رَبِّهِمْ وَمَا اللَّهُ بِغَافِلٍ عَمَّا يَعْمَلُونَ
“Verily We see the turning of thy face in heaven so We shall turn thee (in prayer) towards a ‘Qiblah’ thou shalt be pleased with. Turn then thy face towards the Sacred Mosque; and whenever ye be (in prayers) turn ye your faces towards it; verily those who have been given the Book know it is the Truth from their Lord; and God is not heedless of what they do” (2:144).
وَلَئِنْ أَتَيْتَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ بِكُلِّ آيَةٍ مَا تَبِعُوا قِبْلَتَكَ وَمَا أَنْتَ بِتَابِعٍ قِبْلَتَهُمْ وَمَا بَعْضُهُمْ بِتَابِعٍ قِبْلَةَ بَعْضٍ وَلَئِنِ اتَّبَعْتَ أَهْوَاءَهُمْ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا جَاءَكَ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ ۙ إِنَّكَ إِذًا لَمِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ
“And even if thou wert to bring unto those who have been given the Scripture, every sign yet they would follow not thy ‘Qiblah’, neither thou art the follower of their ‘‘Qiblah’; nor will some of them follow the ‘Qiblah of others; And if thou wert to follow their inclinations after the knowledge that hath come unto thee, then thou surely wouldst be of the unjust ones” (2:145).
الَّذِينَ آتَيْنَاهُمُ الْكِتَابَ يَعْرِفُونَهُ كَمَا يَعْرِفُونَ أَبْنَاءَهُمْ وَإِنَّ فَرِيقًا مِنْهُمْ لَيَكْتُمُونَ الْحَقَّ وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ
“Those unto whom We have given the Scripture recognise him (even) as they recognise their own children; but verily some of them do conceal the truth though they know it” (2:146).
الْحَقُّ مِنْ رَبِّكَ فَلَا تَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْمُمْتَرِينَ
“It is the Truth from thy Lord so be thou not of those who doubt” (2:147).
Commentary
Verse 142
‘Qiblah’ literally means the direction towards which one turns his face. As a religious term it means the direction towards which one turns while praying. When the Holy Prophet Muhammad was among the heathens at Mecca, while he prayed, he turned towards Jerusalem, but he used to keep ‘Ka’ba’ between himself and Jerusalem. At Madina where he migrated to, the Jews formed a very strong and powerful majority of the inhabitants. Even after settling down at Madina for about seventeen months the Holy Prophet used to turn towards the same direction i.e. Jerusalem. The Jews used to very frequently taunt the Muslims at not having a ‘Qiblah’ of their own and but for the Jews’ faith the Holy Prophet would not even know the direction towards which he should turn in prayers. Owing to the sneers of the Jews the Holy Prophet desired a change and it was granted by God.
The fact is that from the veneration and the regard attached to Ka’ba - and from the zealous rescue divinely sent to save it from destruction by the Christians through Abraha1 - it is quite evident that ‘Ka’ba’ alone was meant to be the ‘Qiblah’ for the adherents of the finally revealed faith for the human race as whole, for all times. But it was a temporary phase of guidance that the early converts to Islam were commanded to turn towards Jerusalem. Besides, in fulfilment of the divine promise to bless Abraham through his seed Ishmael, it was necessary that the House built and dedicated by Abraham and his son Ishmael exclusively for the worship of the only True God, alone should be the ‘Qiblah’.
This change in ‘Qiblah’ was also a clear prophecy that Mecca would be conquered by the Muslims, to be cleared of the false gods, for a centre of idolatry, as Mecca then was, could never have been the ‘Qiblah’ of the perfectly monotheistic faith.
The change of the ‘Qiblah’ from Jerusalem to Ka’ba is also a prophecy that Jerusalem will not remain permanently or wholly in the independent hands of the Muslims. The Jews and the Christians will have their own share of worship in the place, and Mecca will for all times remain in the hands of Muslims. There is a famous prophecy of the Holy Prophet that the Christians will sway all lands save Mecca and Madina.
A reply to the criticism based upon the political wisdom of Mr. Osborne, is given hereunder in the words of Badshah Husayn:
“There have been few incidents more disastrous in their consequence to the human race than this decree of Mohammad changing the Qiblah from Jerusalem to Mecca. Had he remained true to his earlier and better faith the Arabs mould have entered the religious community of the nations as peacemakers, not as enemies and destroyers. To all alike, Jews, Christians, and Mohammadans there would have been a single centre of holiness and devotion. Exactly the reverse.
How many crusades, memorable in history, and the much subtler campaigns of later days have been fought and continue to be fought to this day for the mere fact that Jerusalem happens to be under the domination of a Muslim ruler. Deliverance of Jerusalem from Muslim hands is the sacred ideal of all the Jews and all Christian nations in the world. And what success they have had to this day is due to the fact that Muslims as a people have no great interest in the matter. What would have been the result if the place had been their Qiblah? Would not the struggle have been more fatal and disastrous to all?”
Verse 143
To understand this verse correctly one has to know the several meanings of the important words used in it. In this verse we will have to study in detail the meaning and implication of the important words used in it.
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‘Ummat’ literally meaning a people or a community, need not always mean the same for the word ‘Ummat’ has been used in the Holy Qur’an for a single individual:
إِنَّ إِبْرَاهِيمَ كَانَ أُمَّةً قَانِتًا لِلَّهِ
‘Inna Ibrahima Kana Ummatan qanitan lil-Lahi’.
“Verily Abraham was an Imam2[for the] people, devoutly obedient to God” (16:120).
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‘Wasat’ literally means middle, hence it is used for just and equitable, which means remaining exactly on the middle point without inclining to either direction. As the straight line between two points can always be only one, only one and not more can occupy the exact middle point. The word is undoubtedly used as a great praise. It is also logically established that the one so greatly praised should essentially be void of, or free from every kind of pollution or imperfection. The opposite of equity is injustice. And the greatest injustice according to the Holy Qur’an is ‘Shirk’,
إِنَّ الشِّرْكَ لَظُلْمٌ عَظِيمٌ
‘Inna ash-Shirka lazulmun Azeem’
“Most surely polytheism is a grievous iniquity” (31:13).
Verily, associating (anything) with God is the greatest iniquity. There it is evidently inferred that those praised by God for their special excellence of equity should never have been polluted with ‘shirk’ at any time. Save the Holy Ahl Al-Bayt, every one of the early Muslims were converts who were once sunk in idolatry or ‘shirk’ of some kind or other. Even none among the subsequent generations could ever claim to be totally free from ‘shirk’ for ‘shirk’ is of three kinds:
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‘Shirke Jalee’ i.e. the ‘Shirk’ open or manifest.
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‘Shirke Khafee’ i.e. the ‘Shirk’ hidden or concealed.
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‘Shirke Akhfa’ i.e. ‘Shirk’ the most concealed.
The Holy Prophet has said that ‘shirk’ in the hearts of men is so much concealed, as is unseen the movement of a black ant on a black stone in a dark night. Everyone is involved in the heart of his heart, with ‘Shirk’ of some kind or other. Strictly speaking asserting the wish of one’s own self against any ordinance of God, is no less than a ‘Shirk’ of equalising the self or the ego with the authority of the Divine will. In this regard Ali Ibn Abi Talib who besides the Holy Prophet had never in his life bowed before anybody else other than the One and the Only True God. In the correct meaning and the proper sense of the word ‘Wasat’ none can be meant but Ali and besides him the other Imams who were the divinely chosen ones and who were the heavenly commissioned guides. Besides, it is essential that the ‘Ummat al-Wasat’ whom God Himself declares to keep them as such must be as free from the pollution of every kind of evil as the Holy Prophet himself was. They must be ‘Ma’soom’ i.e. sinless or infallible. They were no other than the Holy ‘Ahl Al-Bayt’ who were the only purified ones by God Himself3.
‘Shahid’ means witness used in the sense of ‘Raqeeb’ or ‘Mohaimin’ a close watcher or a careful observer. Witness in the true sense or in the completeness of the meaning of the word means one who can give evidence upon every aspect of the event, both the manifest and the hidden factors. The word ‘Shaheed’ is used for God the witness over everything:
إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ شَهِيدٌ
‘Inna Allaha ala Kulle Shaiyin-shaheed’
“Verily God is a witness over everything” (22:17).
These witnesses upon the people must essentially be perfect. Gan the Muslims in general play this role. It will be said ‘No’. Only a very few who by nature must be pure and themselves perfect in all aspects of their lives. Such ones can be no other in Islam than the Holy ‘Ahl Al-Bayt’ about whose personal purity God has declared in Verse 33:33:
إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيُذْهِبَ عَنْكُمُ الرِّجْسَ أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ وَيُطَهِّرَكُمْ تَطْهِيرًا
‘Innama yuridullaha leyuzhiba ankumur rijsa Ahlal-Bait wa yutahhirokum Tathira’
“O’ Ahl Al-Bayt - Verily God hath willed to keep away from you every pollution and to purify you a thorough purifying” (33:33).
A similar announcement has been made by God in the Holy Quran4 in which it is said a witness from each Ummat (i.e. from the people or the followers of each prophet) will be called to bear witness upon the truth and the conduct of the people, and the Holy Prophet Muhammad will be called to bear witness upon all the witnesses. For further explanation to these verses see the notes to the respective verses.
The Holy Imam Zayn Al-’Abidin is reported to have said: ‘Nahnu Shuhada’ Allah’. We are the witnesses of God. The same is reported of Amir Al-Mu’minin Ali Ibn Abi Talib.
Thus, the ‘Ummat al-Wasat’ are only the Holy Imams - and their position among the Muslims is that of the ‘Ka’ba’ to the Muslim world towards which Muslims must necessarily turn. In the absence of the Holy Prophet the Imams of his Ahl Al-Bayt are the spiritual centres to which every true believer in God has to resort to for correct guidance and the necessary inspiration of goodness and virtue. The closer anyone is attached to these spiritual magnets, the more he will be conditioned with their divine attributes and get qualified for the praise from God and to receive the honour of being associated with the real ‘ Ummat al-Wasat’ like Salman, who for his faithfulness and the closest attachment to the Holy Prophet, was bestowed with the unique honour of being called ‘Minna Ahl Al-Bayt’ i.e. one among the Ahl Al-Bayt, the honour and privilege which was given to none else outside the family of the Holy Prophet.
‘Le-na’lama’ literally meaning that We might know - but here the literal meaning is never to taken, for God who is the All-knowing, does not need any trial or test to know the result. Wherever such a term is used on behalf of God it means to prove expressly i.e. to make manifest. Here it means that the change in the direction or the ‘Qiblah’ was affected to prove as to who really believes in God and His Prophet and who turns away from the faith simply because the change does not suit his personal bias.
‘Illa ‘ala alladheena hada Allah’ - meaning that the change in the ‘Qiblah’ from Jerusalem to Mecca was certainly hard save to those whom God had guided aright. This part of the verse discloses that among those who prayed behind the Holy Prophet while the divine instruction about the change of the ‘Qiblah’ was enacted, there was Ali son of Abu Talib who turned along with the Holy Prophet from Jerusalem to Mecca.
Sha’bi reports that once when some famous ‘Qaries’ i.e. the reciters of the Holy Quran, from Madina and Syria were assembled in the court of Hajjaj at Basra, Hasan al-Basri entered the assembly and Hajjaj offered him a respectable seat in front of him and a discussion upon various topics began and when a tradition from Hazrat Ali, was quoted by one of the scholars assembled there, Hajjaj began abusing and giving vent to his hatred against Hazrat Ali. Everyone in the assembly dreaded against the displeasure of the notorious tyrant Hajjaj and joined him in expressing hatred against Ali, Hasan Basri kept quiet. Hajjaj turned towards Hasan Basri and asked as to what his opinion was about Ali. Hasan replied in reciting this verse and said, “Ali is the one meant by ‘Illa ‘ala alladheena hada Allah’ and the best and the nearest of the friends and the son-in-law of the Holy Prophet. Ali has been given such a glorious and exalted position with God that none can deny it, and this is the grace of God which is bestowed upon whomsoever God wills.”
“God is not to make your faith go in vain” According to Ibn -Abbas this part of verse was to allay the fears of some who thought that their prayers offered towards Jerusalem might go in vain. It may also mean that the genuine and truly faithful ones in the family of the Holy Prophet knew by their faith in the Almighty God what their ‘Qiblah’ would ultimately be and their faith in God would not go in vain.
Verse 144
The Holy Prophet’s turning his face to heaven was in waiting for God’s command about the matter of the real or the ultimate ‘Qiblah’ of Islam. Madina being located between Mecca and Jerusalem the Holy Prophet while turning towards Jerusalem had to turn his back to Mecca. The Holy Prophet did not like turning his back to the ‘Ka’ba’ which was ultimately to be the ‘Qiblah’ of Islam.
‘Inna alladheena Ootul-Kitabi’, i.e. those who are given the Book means the Jews who through the prophecies in their scriptures already knew that the Holy Prophet Muhammad is a true prophet5.
“The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken” Deut. 18/15.
“I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put My words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him” Deut: 18/18, 19.
Or that the Jews knew through their scriptures that the ‘Ka’ba’ with the Holy Black Stone set in one of its comers had already been destined by God to be the ‘Qiblah’ of the true believers in God6 and this same prophecy has been referred to by Jesus. (Math. 21/45).
“The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner” Ps. 118/22.
“The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner” Math. 21/45.
In this connection it will be appropriate to refer the reciters of the Holy Quran towards the utterance ascribed to the Holy Prophet Jesus. Jesus makes use of Psalm 118/22 and threatens the Jews through the parable of wicked husbandmen indicating what the fate of those who reject him will be “He will miserably destroy these wicked men and would let out His vineyard unto other husbandmen which shall render him the fruits in their seasons” It happened exactly as the Jews were warned for after trying the Israelites and the Israelites’ failure to fulfil the covenant, the covenant of God went to the Ishmaelite7.
“Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?
Therefore, say I unto you, The Kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.
And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spoke of them” Math. 21/ 42-45.
A similar announcement was made by the Holy Prophet Muhammad about the disgrace the Jews would suffer from the Kingdom of God.
As regards the transfer of the Kingdom of God to another nation in the place of Israelites, it can never mean those of the Jews who believed in Jesus for, yet they were the Israelites. And if it is construed to mean the spread of the doctrines or the faith of the church later on established in the name of Jesus, even then it can never mean the object of the transfer for it refers not to any single nation but to many nations of the world. Though Islam is spread over the whole globe among the many various nations of the world, the spiritual leadership remains for ever in the chosen ones of God in the family of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, called the Holy Imams, all of whom were Ishmaelites. The Kingdom of God remaining with the Holy Prophet Muhammad and his seed the Holy Imams is prophesied in Deut. 18/5.
“For the Lord thy God hath chosen him out of all thy tribes, to stand to minister in the name of the Lord, him and his sons for ever.”
Jesus refers to the Holy Prophet as the ‘Comforter’ who would succeed him, as the one who would abide with his people for ever: “I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another comforter that he may abide with you for ever” John 14/11. This is proved in the Holy Prophet and the divinely chosen and commissioned ones from among his family who have been vested with the spiritual leadership of the faithful for ever.
Verse 145
It means that even if all the signs or miracles to prove the apostleship of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, had been advanced to the Jews and the Christians, they would not have followed the ‘Qiblah’ of the Holy Prophet meaning that it was the Jews and the Christians did not accept the ‘Ka’ba’ as their ‘Qiblah’, not because they did not know that it was the truth but merely because of their arrogance and envy against the Holy Prophet who was an Ishmaelite.
Here the acceptance of the ‘Qiblah’ by the Jews and the Christians stands for the acceptance of Islam as their faith. (AP).
Though the Jews and the Christians both regarded Jerusalem as the religious centre yet they were not agreed upon it as their common ‘Qiblah’ for the Christians turned towards the east whereas the Jews turned towards Jerusalem, although both as per their own claim followed the law of Moses.
The last word of this verse is a warning not for the Holy Prophet but to those who follow him if they still doubt the Holy ‘Ka’ba’ now being the ‘Qiblah’. The address is to the Holy Prophet to intensify the power or the strength of the warning against any disbelief in the true ‘Qiblah’ for fear or for any other reason against the dread or the arguments of the Jews.
Verse 146
The Jews and the Christians, in fact knew that the Holy Prophet Muhammad was truly the Apostle promised by God, because of their knowledge that the blessings of God was promised in the seed of Abraham through Isaac as well as through Ishmael, i.e. both the sons of Abraham. They could recognize the Holy Prophet as the true apostle of God as they could naturally make out or recognize the apostles who appeared among the children of Israel for, they knew the clear prophecy of Moses that a prophet like unto him would be raised among his brethren i.e. the Ishmaelites, and no prophet of the description had ever appeared among the Israelites after Moses.
It is difficult to give in all their details all the manifold proofs and evidence making doubtlessly clear that the Holy Prophet Muhammad was the Prophet of God promised to mankind as a whole, foretold by Moses, Jesus, and the other religious leaders of old8.
Selfishness of the Jews and the Christians and their arrogance had its full play upon some of them to act against their own knowledge and conceal the truth.
Verse 147
The announcing to the Holy Prophet that he in fact is the Apostle from God, sounds to some as a consolation to the Holy Prophet himself, but as such it sounds as an unnecessary and a superfluous assertion like a meaningless assurance being given to a man saying that he is a man, for the individual is fully conscious of his position as such. If the Holy Prophet was not sure of his position as an Apostle of God, with what conviction did he start his apostolic mission?
In fact, it is the exposition or reiteration of the truth about the holy position or the heavenly status of the Holy Prophet for the information or the satisfaction of the believers who might be weak in faith and also a re-assertive and an imperative guidance to the disbelievers who refused to believe in him as a genuine apostle from God. Any warning or threat addressed to the Holy Prophet, is always and invariably meant never for the Holy Prophet, but for his followers.
