002:143

The Holy Qor-aan                                                                                                           002:143

‏   سَيَقُوۡلُ السُّفَهَآءُ مِنَ النَّاسِ مَا وَلّٰٮهُمۡ عَنۡ قِبۡلَتِهِمُ الَّتِىۡ كَانُوۡا عَلَيۡهَا ‌ؕ قُل لِّلّٰهِ الۡمَشۡرِقُ وَالۡمَغۡرِبُ ؕ يَهۡدِىۡ مَنۡ يَّشَآءُ اِلٰى صِراطٍ مُّسۡتَقِيۡم

Sa-ya-qoo-loos-so-fa-haa-o-may-nun-naa-say                                                                              Maa-wul-laa-hoom-un-qib-la-tay-hay-mool-la-tee-kaa-noo-alai-haa                                      Qool-lil-laa-hil-mush-ray-qo-wul-mugh-rib                                                                                    Yauh-dee-mun- ya-shaa-o-elaa-say-raa-tim-moos-ta-qee-m.

 Soon the foolish among the people will say,                                                                       “What turned them from the Qibla on which they had been.”                                   You say, “The East and the West are for Allah.                                                           He guides to the Right Road whomever He pleases.”

• سَ — Sa — Very soon (= In near term; in the near future; in a short while; quickly; swiftly)
• يَقُولُ — Ya-qoo-lo…(os) — Will say (= v., pres, pl.., m., 3rd person. Announce; ask; claim; convey; declare; demand; mutter; object; question; specify; state; tell; utter)
• السُّفَهَآءُ‌ — So-fa-haa-o — The foolish (= n., pl., Ignorant, low-witted; retarded, silly, slow or stupid)
• مِنَ — May-na…(un) — Among (= From the class, category, count, kind, persons or out of)
• النَّاسِ — Naa-say — The people (= Folks; human beings; mankind)
• مَا — Maa — What (= Whatever; whatsoever)
• وَلّٰ — Wul-laa — Turned (= v., past., Changed; moved away; rotated; reverted)
• ھُمۡ‌ — Hoom — Them (= pro., pl., m., 3rd person. Refers to the believers who followed the Holy Prophet s.a.w and turned to the new Qibla and faced the Kau-ba instead of Jerusalem in offering their prayers)
• عَنۡ — Un — From (= Concerning; regarding; relative to)
• قِبۡلَتِ — Qib-la-tay — Qibla * (= The direction to face when offering the prayers; prayer direction; focus of worship)
• هِمُ — Hay-mo…(ol) — Their (= pro., pl., m., 3rd person. Refers to the believers who followed the Holy Prophet s.a.w and turned to the new Qibla and faced the Kau-ba instead of Jerusalem in offering their prayers)
• الَّتِىۡ — Ul-la-tee — That (= s., f.,  3rd person. Ref to the former Qibla in Jerusalem)
• كَانُوۡا — Kaa-noo — Had been (= v., pl., 3rd person. Refers to the Moslems who had been praying facing the former Qibla in Jerusalem)
• عَلَيۡ — Alai — On (= Above; against; before; for; on top of; over; upon. In instant case also ‘used to’ or ‘were.’ Also, followed)
• هَا — Haa — It (= pro., s., f., 3rd person. Refers to the Qibla)
• قُل — Qool — You say (= Announce; assert; counter; declare; inform; maintain; reply; respond; tell.  See Commentary titled as “‘You say’ mean….”)
• لِلۡ — L…(il) — For (= Belonging. Concerning. Regarding. Relative to. With regard to. For the attention, benefit, purpose or reason)
• لِلّٰهِ‌ — Lil-laa-h..(il) — For Allah (= The Almighty God; The only One worthy of worship)
• الۡمَشۡرِقُ — Mush-ray-qo — The East (= The direction from where sun rises)
• وَ — Wa…(ul) – And (= Conj., links words, phrases or clauses; additionally; but; also; more over; though; when; while; yet; whereupon)
• الۡمَغۡرِبُ‌ — Mugh-rib — The West (= The direction in which sun sets)
• يَهۡدِىۡ — Yauh-dee — Guides (= v., Direct towards the correct way; puts on proper path; shows the right road)
• مَنۡ — Mun…(ya) — Whomever (= Anyone; what; whatever; who; whoever; whoso)
• يَّشَآءُ — Ya-shaa-o — He pleases (= Chooses; decrees; desires; destines; likes; prefers; selects; wants; wills; wishes)
• اِلٰٓى — E-laa — To (= In the direction of; towards)
• صِراطٍ‏ — Say-raa-t…(im) — Road (= Course; direction; lines; path; route; way)
• مُّسۡتَقِيۡمٍ — Moos-ta-qee-m — Right (= Appropriate; best; correct; proper; straight)

* Note 002:143.   The significance of قِبۡلَت (Qib-la) to offer prayers facing in one direction is recognized.   The Jewish and Christians practiced that and Moslems also prayed facing Qib-la in Jerusalem.   Then the Holy Qor-aan revelation 002:145 directed the Moslems to use Kau-ba as their Qib-la.   From then on the Moslems have offered their prayers that way both at home and in travelling.   Mosques the world over are built facing Kau-ba to facilitate public praying in their congregations.   Translation by Yusuf Ali verbalized the aspect: “Islam lays great stress on social prayer in order . . . (to foster) Universal Brotherhood and mutual co-operation.”

Our Commentary titled as Repetitions in the Holy Qor-aan have benefits  illustrated some in the Note 002:141.   Following words and phrases used in other verses are part of this verse 002:143 also.

• 001:006 had taught a prayer which in 002:143, 002:214 and 006:040 is shown as God’s gift to all He chooses by putting on proper path and shown the right road, صِراطٍ مُّسۡتَقِيۡم.
• 002:009 had discussed the assertion of some among men, مِنَ النَّاسِ.
• 002:014 had described the conduct of the foolish, السُّفَهَآءُ‌.
• 002:106 had detailed the Almighty God’s discretion to do what He deems to be the most appropriate thing to do, مَنۡ يَّشَآءُ.
• 002:116 had directed man’s attention to the fact that all in the east and West belongs to Allah, لِّلّٰهِ الۡمَشۡرِقُ وَالۡمَغۡرِبُ.