Sura 2e

Rules for the Direction of Prayer (Qiblah)

¹⁴² The ignorant will say, “What has turned them away from the direction of prayer [qiblah] they once followed?”

¹⁴³ We made you a moderate community, so that:

you may be witnesses to humanity, and
the Messenger may be a witness to you.

We only established the direction of prayer, which you once followed so that We may distinguish those who follow the Messenger from those who turn on their heels.

It is indeed difficult, except for those whom Allah has guided. But Allah would never let you lose your faith.

¹⁴⁴ Muhammad, We have seen your face turned towards the heaven.

So We will turn you towards a direction that will satisfy you.
So face towards the Kabah wherever you may be.

¹⁴⁵ The Jews and the Christians will not follow your prayer direction.

Nor are you to follow their direction.
Nor do they follow the direction of one another.

If you were to follow their desires, after knowing what you now know, you would be one of the wrongdoers.

¹⁴⁸ Each religion has a prayer-direction which it turns towards.

Therefore, race towards goodness.
Wherever you may be, Allah will bring you all together.

^149-150 Wherever you come from, face towards the Kabbah:

when you go out to prayer.
so that the people may not have any argument against you—except those who do wrong among them.

So do not fear them, but fear Me, that I may complete My blessings on you and guide you.

¹⁵¹ We sent to you a messenger from among you, who:

recites Our revelations to you
purifies you
teaches you the Book and wisdom.

¹⁵² So remember Me, and I will remember you. And thank Me, and do not be ungrateful.

¹⁵³ Seek help through patience and prayers.

¹⁵⁴ Do not call those who are killed in the cause of Allah as “Dead”. They are alive, but are not perceiveable.

¹⁵⁵ We will certainly test you with:

some fear and hunger
some loss of possessions, lives, and crops.

But give good news to the steadfast.

^156-157 The people who will receive blessings and mercy from their Lord are those who say durng a calamity: “To Allah we belong, and to Him we will return”.

¹⁵⁸ Safa and Marwa are among the places designated for the rites of úajj and Ôumrah by Allah.

Whoever makes the Pilgrimage to the House, or performs the Umrah, commits no error by circulating between them.

¹⁵⁹ Allah curses those who suppress the proofs and the guidance that We have revealed.

¹⁶⁴ For people who understand, there are signs in:

the creation of the heavens and the earth
the alternation of night and day
the ships that sail the oceans for the benefit of mankind
the water that Allah sends down from the sky and revives the earth with it after it had died, and scatters in it all kinds of creatures
the changing of the winds
the clouds disposed between the sky and the earth.

¹⁶⁵ Some people have humans equal to Allah.