Al-Qur'an Surah Al-Baqarah Verse 150

Mufti Taqi Usmani

And from wherever you set out, turn your face in the direction of the Sacred Mosque (Al-Masjid-ul-Harām), and (O Muslims), wherever you are, turn your faces in its direction, so that people should have no argument against you, except for those among them who are unjust,- do not fear them, but fear Me-, and so that I should perfect My blessings upon you, and that you may take the right path.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

Wherever you are ˹O Prophet˺, turn your face towards the Sacred Mosque. And wherever you ˹believers˺ are, face towards it, so that people will have no argument against you, except the wrongdoers among them. Do not fear them; fear Me, so that I may ˹continue to˺ perfect My favour upon you and so you may be ˹rightly˺ guided.

Ruwwad Translation Center

From wherever you set out, turn your face towards the Sacred Mosque [Ka‘ba]. Wherever you are, turn your faces towards it, so that the people should not have any proof against you, except for the wrongdoers among them. So do not fear them but fear Me, so that I may complete My favor upon you [all] and that you may be guided.

A. J. Arberry

From whatsoever place thou issuest, turn thy face towards the Holy Mosque; and wherever you may be, turn your faces towards it, that the people may not have any argument against you, excepting the evildoers of them; and fear you them not, but fear you Me; and that I may perfect My blessing upon you, and that haply so you may be guided;

Abdul Haleem

wherever you may have started out, turn your face in the direction of the Sacred Mosque; wherever any of you may be, turn your faces towards it, so that people may have no argument against you- except for the wrongdoers among them: do not fear them; fear Me- and so that I may perfect My favour on you and you may be guided,

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

And from whencesoever thou goest forth, turn thy face toward the Sacred Mosque, and wheresoever ye be, turn your face toward it, lest there should be with people an argument against you, except those of them who do wrong so fear them not, but fear Me; so that I may accomplish My favour upon you, and that ye may remain guided-

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

So from whencesoever Thou startest forth, turn Thy face in the direction of the sacred Mosque; and wheresoever ye are, Turn your face thither; that there be no ground of dispute against you among the people, except those of them that are bent on wickedness; so fear them not, but fear Me; and that I may complete My favours on you, and ye May (consent to) be guided;

Abul Ala Maududi

At whatever place you may be, you must turn your face towards the Masjid Haram, and wherever you may be, you must turn your face towards the same at prayer so that people might not find an argument against you. As for the unjust people, they will never stop talking; so do not fear them but fear Me -- (Do this) so that I may complete My favour upon you and you may find the way to real success,

Ahmed Ali

Whichever place you come from turn towards the Holy Mosque, and wherever you are, turn your faces towards it so that people may have no cause for argument against you, except such among them as are wicked. But do not fear them, fear Me that I may accomplish My favours on you, and you may find the right way perchance.

Ahmed Raza Khan

And O dear Prophet (Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him) wherever you come from, turn your face towards the Sacred Mosque; and wherever you may be, O Muslims, turn your faces towards it only, so that people may not have an argument against you – except those among them who do injustice; therefore do not fear them, and fear Me; and this is in order that I complete My favour upon you and that you may attain guidance. –

Ali Quli Qarai

And whencesoever you may go out, turn your face towards the Holy Mosque, and wherever you may be, turn your faces towards it, so that the people may have no allegation against you, neither those of them who are wrongdoers. So do not fear them, but fear Me, that I may complete My blessing on you and so that you may be guided.

Ali Ünal

From wherever you go out (for journeying), turn your face (O Messenger) towards the Sacred Mosque (in the Prayer). Wherever you may be, (O you who believe,) turn your faces towards it, that the people may not have an argument against you – unless they be those immersed in wrongdoing; and hold not them in awe, but stand in awe of Me – and that I may complete My favor (of faith and Islam) upon you, and that you may be wholly guided (in Islam to the truth.)

Amatul Rahman Omar

And from wheresoever you come forth (for saying your Prayer) turn your attention in the direction of Masjid al-Harâm. And wheresoever you may be (O Muslims!), turn your faces in the direction of it, that people may have no excuse against you, except such of those as are unjust, then do not fear them (as they follow the wrong course), but you need only stand in awe of Me. And (this command has been given to you) that I may perfect My blessings upon you and that you may attain your goal.

English Literal

And from where you got out , so turn your face towards the Mosque the Forbidden/Sacred , and wherever you were, so turn your faces towards it, for that the people do not (have) on you aproof/argument except those who were unjust/oppressive from them. So do not fear them and fear Me .And to complete/ perfect My blessings on you, and maybe you (will) be guided.

Faridul Haque

And O dear Prophet (Mohammed - peace and blessings be upon him) wherever you come from, turn your face towards the Sacred Mosque; and wherever you may be, O Muslims, turn your faces towards it only, so that people may not have an argument against you - except those among them who do injustice; therefore do not fear them, and fear Me; and this is in order that I complete My favour upon you and that you may attain guidance. -

Hamid S. Aziz

And from wherever you come forth, there turn your face towards the Sacred Mosque, and wherever you are, turn your faces towards it, that men may have no argument against you, save only those of them who are bent on wickedness; and fear them not, but fear Me; and I will fulfil My favours to you, perchance you may be guided yet.

Hilali & Khan

And from wheresoever you start forth (for prayers), turn your face in the direction of Al-Masjid-al-Haram (at Makkah), and wheresoever you are, turn your faces towards, it (when you pray) so that men may have no argument against you except those of them that are wrong-doers, so fear them not, but fear Me! - And so that I may complete My Blessings on you and that you may be guided.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

And from whatsoever place thou comest forth turn thy face towards the Sacred Mosque. And wherever you are turn your faces towards it, so that people may have no plea against you except such of them as are unjust -- so fear them not and fear Me -- and that I may complete My favour to you and that you may go aright.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

And from whatsoever place you come forth, turn your face towards the Sacred Mosque; and wherever you are turn your faces towards it, so that people shall have no accusation against you, except such of them as are unjust; so do not fear them, and fear Me, that I may complete My favor on you and that you may walk on the right course.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

Whencesoever thou comest forth turn thy face toward the Inviolable Place of Worship; and wheresoever ye may be (O Muslims) turn your faces toward it (when ye pray) so that men may have no argument against you, save such of them as do injustice - Fear them not, but fear Me! - and so that I may complete My grace upon you, and that ye may be guided.

Muhammad Sarwar

(Muhammad) wherever you go, turn your face to the Sacred Mosque and Muslims, wherever you are, turn your faces in the same direction so that no group of people, except the unjust among them, would have any reason against you and so that I may establish My commandments for your people to have proper guidance. (The unjust may criticize you) but do not fear them, fear only Me.

Qaribullah & Darwish

From wherever you emerge, turn your face towards the Sacred Mosque, and wherever you are, face towards it, so that the people will have no argument against you, except the harmdoers among them. Do not fear them, fear Me, so that I will perfect My Favor to you and that you will be guided.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

And from wheresoever you start forth (for prayers), turn your face in the direction of Al-Masjid Al-Haram (at Makkah), and wheresoever you are, turn your faces towards it (when you pray) so that men may have no argument against you except those of them that are wrongdoers, so fear them not, but fear Me! ـ And so that I may complete My blessings on you and that you may be guided.

Wahiduddin Khan

wherever you come from, turn your face to the Sacred Mosque; wherever you may be, turn your faces towards it, so that people will not have any argument against you except for the wrongdoers among them. Do not fear them; fear Me, so that I may perfect My favour to you and you may be rightly guided.

Talal Itani

And wherever you come from, turn your face towards the Sacred Mosque. And wherever you may be, turn your faces towards it. 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 upon you, and that you may be guided.

Tafsir jalalayn

From whatever place you issue, turn your face towards the Sacred Mosque; and wherever you may be, turn your faces towards it (all of which is being repeated for emphasis), so that there be not any argument from the people, the Jews or the idolaters, against you, [so that there be not] any cause for contention regarding the change to a different direction of prayer. In this way, their contentions against you will cease to exist, both [the contentions] of the Jews when they say, `He [Muhammad (s)] rejects our religion, but follows our direction of prayer', and of the idolaters when they say, `He [Muhammad (s)] claims to follow the creed of Abraham, but he contravenes his [Abraham's] qibla'; excepting the evildoers among them, acting in obstinacy, who will say, `He [Muhammad (s)] only changed to this direction because of his [natural] inclination towards the [idolatrous] religion of his forefathers'. The exceptive statement [indicated by ill] is a continuous one, the meaning being; `No one will have anything to say against you, except for what these people say'; and do not fear them, do not fear their arguing [with you] regarding the change to it [the Ka`ba], but fear Me, by complying with My command; and that I may perfect My grace upon you, by guiding you to the principal rituals of your religion, and that you may be guided, to the truth (wa-li-utimma, `that I may perfect', is a supplement to li-all yakna, `that there be not').

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

وَمِنْ حَيْثُ خَرَجْتَ فَوَلِّ وَجْهَكَ شَطْرَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ وَحَيْثُ مَا كُنتُمْ فَوَلُّواْ وُجُوهَكُمْ شَطْرَهُ

And from wheresoever you start forth (for prayers), turn your face in the direction of Al-Masjid Al-Haram (at Makkah), and wheresoever you are, turn your faces towards it (when you pray),

The Arab disbelievers had no more argument concerning the Prophet's Qiblah after Allah commanded the Prophet to face the Qiblah of Ibrahim, which is more respected and honored, rather than the Qiblah of the Jews. The Arabs used to honor the Ka`bah and liked the fact that the Messenger was commanded to face it.
The Wisdom behind abrogating the Previous Qiblah

Allah said;

لِيَلَّ يَكُونَ لِلنَّاسِ عَلَيْكُمْ حُجَّةٌ
so that men may have no argument against you,

Therefore, the People of the Book knew from the description of the Muslim Ummah that they would be ordered to face the Ka`bah. If the Muslims did not fit this description, the Jews would have used this fact against the Muslims. If the Muslims had remained on the Qiblah of Bayt Al-Maqdis, which was also the Qiblah of the Jews, this fact could have been used as the basis of argument by the Jews against other people.

Allah's Statement;

إِلاَّ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ مِنْهُمْ
except those of them that are wrongdoers,

indicates the Mushrikin (polytheists) of Quraysh.

The reasoning of these unjust persons was the unsound statement;

"This man (Muhammad) claims that he follows the religion of Ibrahim! Hence, if his facing Bayt Al-Maqdis was a part of the religion of Ibrahim, why did he change it?"

The answer to this question is that Allah has chosen His Prophet to face Bayt Al-Maqdis first for certain wisdom, and he obeyed Allah regarding this command. Then, Allah changed the Qiblah to the Qiblah of Ibrahim, which is the Ka`bah, and he also obeyed Allah in this command. He, obeys Allah in all cases and never engages in the defiance of Allah even for an instant, and his Ummah imitates him in this.

Allah said;

فَلَ تَخْشَوْهُمْ وَاخْشَوْنِي
so fear them not, but fear Me!

meaning;`Do not fear the doubts that the unjust, stubborn persons raise and fear Me Alone.'

Indeed, Allah Alone deserves to be feared.

Allah said;

وَلاُتِمَّ نِعْمَتِي عَلَيْكُمْ
so that I may complete My blessings on you.

This Ayah relates to Allah's statement;
لِيَلَّ يَكُونَ لِلنَّاسِ عَلَيْكُمْ حُجَّةٌ
(...so that men may have no argument against you), meaning;

I will perfect My bounty on you by legislating for you to face the Ka`bah, so that the (Islamic) Shariah (law) is complete in every respect.

Allah said;

وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَ


that you may be guided.

meaning;`To be directed and guided to what the nations have been led astray from, We have guided you to it and preferred you with it.'

This is why this Ummah is the best and most honored nation ever