Exegesis of the saying of Allah the Exalted: “So wherever you turn, there is the Face of Allah”

Question:
And the Shaykh said: Allah the Exalted said, “And to Allah belongs the east and the west.” If the Face is an attribute of essence, or if it is the direction? And if it is the direction, then this is a little interpretation, and it is an image of Him.

Answer:
The word “Face” in the language is used to mean the actual Face, which is the attribute of essence. It is also used to mean direction and orientation; you say, “He went to this direction,” meaning to this side, or “So-and-so went to this direction,” meaning to this side. The word “Face” is used in a third sense to mean intention and purpose. This means he made his intention and his work sincere for Allah, Mighty and Majestic. So the word “Face” in the Arabic language has several meanings, and what explains the intended meaning is the context in which the word “Face” is mentioned, which clarifies the intended meaning. When it came in the saying of Allah the Exalted, in the context of the direction of the qiblah, it indicated that the intended meaning is the direction, the intended meaning is the side. That is, He named the side to which Allah commanded turning. As the exegetes mention, the verse was revealed regarding one who exerted effort in determining the qiblah while traveling and prayed, then it became clear to him that it was different from what he had sought. His prayer is valid because he built it upon his ijtihad, and this was within his capacity and ability. All directions belong to Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He. So his prayer is valid because he exerted his capacity, sought, and did his best to the extent he could, and he prayed. So he does not repeat the prayer. It was also said that it was revealed regarding voluntary prayer while traveling, for the traveler may offer voluntary prayer in whatever direction his mount faces, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to do. So the one offering voluntary prayer while traveling is not required to face the Ka'bah; rather, it is permissible for him to offer voluntary prayer in the direction he is facing. Likewise, in the prayer of fear, the fearful person prays in the direction to which he is fleeing, whether it is toward the Ka'bah or not, because if he stopped and faced the Ka'bah, the enemy would catch him. The jurists said: “Facing the qiblah and not facing it,” because this is the limit of one’s ability. The intended meaning of this verse, the intended meaning is this direction, and the intended meaning is not the Face which is one of the attributes of Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He. Some of the scholars say, the Face which is the attribute, because it came in the hadith, before the one praying. This is in the hadith, before the one praying. If he turns away in his prayer, Allah, Exalted and Majestic, says, “To one better than me,” and then Allah turns His Face away from him, Glorified and Exalted is He. So Allah sets His Face before the Face of the one praying. This is in the authentic hadith. But the well-known interpretation of the verse is regarding these directions: the one who is traveling and is uncertain about the qiblah, or the one who is offering voluntary prayer, or the one in a state of fear. And likewise, the one who is unable to face the qiblah, such as the one who is crucified, the one who is buried, and the person in a dark prison who does not know where the qiblah is; he prays according to his ability, even if it is not toward the qiblah, and there is the Face of Allah. The Shaykh said: That is, there is the direction to which Allah commanded facing, according to one’s ability. Yes.