002:144

The Holy Qor-aan                                                                                                                   002:144

وَكَذٰلِكَ جَعَلۡنٰكُمۡ اُمَّةً وَّسَطًا لِّتَکُوۡنُوۡا شُهَدَآءَ عَلَى النَّاسِ وَيَكُوۡنَ الرَّسُوۡلُ عَلَيۡكُمۡ شَهِيۡدًا ؕ وَمَا جَعَلۡنَا الۡقِبۡلَةَ الَّتِىۡ كُنۡتَ عَلَيۡهَآ اِلَّا لِنَعۡلَمَ مَنۡ يَّتَّبِعُ الرَّسُوۡلَ مِمَّنۡ يَّنۡقَلِبُ عَلٰى عَقِبَيۡهِ ‌ؕ وَاِنۡ كَانَتۡ لَكَبِيۡرَةً اِلَّا عَلَى الَّذِيۡنَ هَدَى اللّٰهُ ؕ وَمَا كَانَ اللّٰهُ لِيُضِيْعَ اِيۡمَانَكُمۡ‌ ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ بِالنَّاسِ لَرَءُوۡفٌ رَّحِيۡمٌ‏

Wa-ka-zaa-lay-ka-ja-ul-naa-koom-omma-ton-wa-sa-ton
Lay-ta-koo-noo-sho-ha-daa-aa-alun-naa-say
Wa-ya-koo-nur-ra-soo-lo-alai-koom-sha-he-daa
Wa-maa-ja-ul-nul-qib-la-tul-la-tee-koon-ta-alai-haa
Il-laa-lay-nau-la-ma-mun-yut-ta-bay-ur-ra-soo-la
Mim-mun-yun-qa-lay-bo-alaa-aqau-bai-hay
Wa-in-kaa-nut-la-ka-bee-ra-ton-il-laa-alul-la-zee-na-ha-dul-laa-ho
Wa-maa-kaa-nul-laa-ho-lay-yo-dzee-aa-ee-maa-na-koom.
In-nul-laa-ha-bin-naa-say-la-ra-oo- foon-ra-hee-m.

And this way We made you a nation of moderates
So that you become witnesses on the people
And the Messenger becomes a witness on you.
And We had not fixed the Qibla on which you were
Except to expose who follows the Messenger
From him who turns on his two heels.
And most certainly it was a big thing except on those whom Allah had guided.
And Allah has never been for wasting your faiths.
Certainly Allah is the Kindest, Most Merciful with the people.

• وَ — Wa — And (= Conj., links words, phrases or clauses; additionally; but; also; more over; though; when; while; yet; whereupon)
• كَذٰلِكَ– Ka-zaa-lay-ka –This way (= Combines two words. كَ means ‘example, like, identical resembling, similar.’ ذٰلِكَ means ‘all this right in here and refers to an aforesaid event, fact, person or statement.’ The combination translated variously is ‘even so’, ‘so it will be’, ‘such is the way’, ‘like this’, ‘that is how’, ‘thus’)
• جَعَلۡ — Ja-ul — Made (= v., p., Appointed; assigned; brought into being; caused; created; declared; designed; fashioned; formed; turned; labeled; produced; rendered; set up)
• نَآ — Naa — We (= pro., pl., 1st person. Used with God’s name it reflects the authoritative way a higher-up talks to a subordinate)
• كُمۡ — Koom — You * (= pro., pl., m., 2nd person. You men. Generally this way the Holy Qor-aan addresses both men and women)
• اُمَّةً — Omma-ton — Nation (= Community; group; large body of people in the world)
• وَّسَطًا — Wa-sa-ton — Moderate (= Exalted nation; justly balanced; right in the center or middle; just and the best)
• لِّ — Lay — So that (= For; for the attention, benefit, purpose or reason of)
• تَکُوۡنُوۡا — Ta-koo-noo — You become (= v., Are; have been; conveys continuation from the past to the present and leading into the future)
• شُهَدَآءَ — Shoha-daa-aa — Witnesses (= n., pl., 1. Those who testify to prove a fact; testifiers. 2. Guardian. Guiding example. 3, Bearing testimony as a witness)
• عَلَى — Al…(un) — On (= Above; against; on top of; over; to; upon)
• النَّاسِ — Naa-say — The people (= Folks; human beings; mankind)
• وَ — Wa — And (= Conj., links words, phrases or clauses. See وَ  above)
• يَكُوۡنَ — Ya-koon..(ur) — Becomes (= v., Is; have been; conveys continuation from the past to the present and leading into the future)
• الرَّسُوۡلُ — Ra-soo-lo — Messenger (= s., Apostle; God’s messenger; great prophet; sage; saint. Here the ال before the word رسُوۡلُ for the ‘messenger’ particularized it to mean only the Holy Prophet, s.a.w)
• عَلَيۡ — Al.ai — On (= Above; against; on top of; over; to; upon)
• كُمۡ — Koom — You * (= pro., pl., m., 2nd person. You men. Generally this way the Holy Qor-aan addresses both men and women)
• شَهِيۡدًا — Sha-he-daa — Witnesses (= n., s., 1. The one who testifies to prove a fact; testifiers. 2. Guardian. Guiding example. 3, Bearer of a witness)
• وَ — Wa — And (= Conj., links words, phrases or clauses. See وَ  above)
• مَاۤ — Maa — Not (= Absolutely not; no; never; not at all)
• جَعَلۡ — Ja-ul — Fixed (= v., Appointed; assigned; fashioned; declared; rendered; created; decreed; designed; formed; made; set up; turned)
• نَآ — Na…(ul) — We (= pro., pl., 1st person. Used with God’s name it reflects the authoritative way a higher-up talks to a subordinate)
• الۡقِبۡلَةَ — Qib-la-t..(ul) — Qibla (= The direction to face when offering the prayers; prayer direction; focus of worship)
• الَّتِىۡ — La-tee — That (= s., f., 3rd person article, thing or person. Refers to the Qibla)
• كُنۡتَ — Koon-ta — Were (= v., s., m., 2nd person. Have been. Reference is to the Holy Prophet s.a.w. See the Note under 002:005)
• عَلَيۡ Al.ai On (= Above; against; on top of; over; to; upon)
• هَا — Haa — It (= pro., s., f., 3rd person., Refers to the Quibla)
• اِلَّا — Il-laa — Except (= Apart from; but; besides; excluding; save; unless)
• لِ — Lay — To (= For the attention, benefit, purpose or reason of; so that)
• نَعۡلَمَ — Nau-la-ma — Expose (= Disclose; display; distinguish; make it known; reveal; show; test out)
• مَنۡ — Mun — Who (= Who; whoever; whom; whomever; whoso)
• يَّتَّبِعُ — Yut-ta-be-aa — Follows (= v., Copies; goes after; immolates; obeys; tails; proves to be a true adherent)
• الرَّسُوۡلَ — Ra-soo-la — Messenger (= s., Apostle; God’s messenger; great prophet; sage; saint. Here the ال before the word رسُوۡلُ for the ‘messenger’ particularized it to mean only the Holy Prophet, s.a.w)
• مِمَّنۡ — Mim-mun — From who (= Combination of two words. The first is مِنۡ that means “among, from or out of the class, category, count, kind or several persons or things.’ The second is مَنۡ meaning ‘who.’ The combination thus means ‘from who’ or ‘concerning, regarding or relative to whom)
• يَّنۡقَلِبُ — Yun-qa-lay-bo — Turns (= Revolves; turns about; disowns)
• عَلٰى — Alaa — On (= Above; against; before; for; on top of; over; upon)
• عَقِبَيۡ — Aqau-bai — Two heels (= Heels; the rear-most part of a person’s foot)
• هِ — Hay — His (= pro., s., m., 3rd person. Refers to anyone who failed to follow the Holy Prophet, s.a.w in changing the Qibla immediately when the Commandment to that effect came down)
• وَ — Wa — And (= Conj., links words, phrases or clauses. See وَ  above)
• اِنۡ — In — Definitely ** (= Absolutely; certainly; doubtlessly; earnestly; indeed; in all seriousness; positively; really; surely; truly; verily)
• كَانَتۡ — Kaa-nut — Was (= v., Conveys continuation from the past to the present and leading into the future; has been; had been)
• لَ — La — Certainly ** (= Absolutely. See اِنۡ above and our Commentary titled as the “2- words-of-Emphasis …”)
• كَبِيۡرَةً — Ka-bee-ra-ton — Big thing (= Exacting discipline. Hard and heavy uphill task or test. Momentous situation. Used for both the good and bad; Hard test)
• اِلَّا — Il-laa — Except (= Apart from; but; besides; excluding; save; unless)
• عَلَى — Ala…(ul) — On (= Above; against; on top of; over; to; upon)
• ٱلَّذِينَ — La-zee-na — Those whom (= pl., m, 3rd person. Refers to all those who followed the Holy Prophet, s.a.w in changing the Qibla immediately when the Commandment to that effect came down)
• هَدَى — Ha-da…(ul) — Had guided (= v., Showed what was appropriate. `Led to the best way, correct course, linier lines, proper path or right road)
• اللّٰهُ — Laa-ho — Allah (= The Almighty God; The only One worthy of worship)
• وَ — Wa — And (= Conj., links words, phrases or clauses. See وَ  above)
• مَاۤ — Maa — Not (= Absolutely never or not all was the purpose of Allah)
• كَانَ — Kaa-na…(ul) — Has been (= v., Conveys continuation from the past to the present into the future – like ‘continued doing’, ‘went on doing” ‘would have’ or ‘had been’. It is not the purpose of Allah)
• اللّٰهُ — Laa-ho — Allah (= The Almighty God; The only One worthy of worship)
• لِ — Lay — For (= For the attention, benefit, purpose or reason of; so that)
• يُضِيْعَ — Yo-dzee-aa – Wasting (= Render useless; of no consequence; of no effect; in vain make fruitless. Some translations have applied this verb to the prayers that Moslems had offered facing Jerusalem prior to the change of Qibla towards Kau-ba)
• اِيۡمَانَ — Ee-maa-na — Faith (= Behest of Faith. Belief. Total confidence. Trust. Faith and worship)
• كُمۡ — Koom — Your (= pro., pl., m., 2nd person. You men. Generally this way the Holy Qor-aan addresses both men and women)
• اِنَّ — In-nul…(la) — Certainly ** (= Absolutely; definitely; doubtlessly; indeed; positively; really; surely; truly; verily)
• اللّٰهَ — Laa-ha — Allah (= The Almighty God; the One Only worthy of worship)
• بِ — Be…(in) — With (= This word in Arabic literally means with)
• النَّاسِ — Naa-say — The people (= Folks; human beings; mankind)
• لَ — La — Certainly (= Absolutely; definitely; doubtlessly; earnestly; indeed; in all seriousness; positively; really; surely; truly verily)
• رَءُوفُۢ — Ra-oo-foon — Kindest (= superlative form indicates the greatest, the highest, the most. and none more than Him is Kind, Considerate and Compassionate)
• رَّحِيۡمٌ‏ — Ra-hee-m — Most Merciful (= superlative form indicates the greatest, the highest, the most. and highlights that none more than Him shows mercy again and again, continually, incessantly and indefinitely like the endlessly and perpetually incoming waves from the oceans; Merciful Forever)

* Note 002:144. Two translators have elaborated the pronoun كُم used here as follows: “You [true Muslims – real believers of Islamic Monotheism, true followers of Prophet Muhammad s.a.w and his Sunnah (legal ways)]”. This site denies the two things implied in above statement.

a. The narrowing down كُم to only ‘true Muslims’ suggests as if there were or can be ‘untrue’ Moslems. No human being has any right to declare whether or not another was really a true Moslem. Quotations by the Holy Prophet s.a.w have been reported to that effect in many incidents. Once the Moslems in Madina buried a stranger in the town and did not offer funeral prayer. When questioned they justified their conduct on the ground that he had not been a Moslem. The Holy Prophet s.a.w asked if they had looked in his heart to hold he was not a Moslem. Thus whoever has ‘followed’ him is a true ‘follower’ and there can be no ‘untrue’ followers.

b. By limiting his Sunnah to ‘legal ways. It was implied that some Sunnah were not ‘legal ways’ – a preposterous insinuation indeed. No one has any right to hold that any action by the Holy Prophet s.a.w was other than legal. The Holy Qor-aan declared him to be the Best Exemplar and his conduct worth duplicating. What he did was always what he then perceived to be a direction given by the Holy Qor-aan. An action requiring modification was done by the Almighty God by additional revelations. The incident of his following the old Qibla until directed to change clearly illustrates that. Scholastic opinions about some quotations (Hadeeth) may question the accuracy of others. But his proclaimed acts (Sunnah) remain most accurate dictates beyond any such challenge. So all his and their modifications under divine direction will forever remain 100% legal.