What is the meaning of the saying of Allah the Exalted: "It is not righteousness that you turn your faces toward the east and the west" to the end of the verse?
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The questioner : What is the meaning of the saying of Allah the Exalted: [Al-Baqarah 2:177] to the end of the verse? Yes.
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and I send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his Companions. The meaning of the saying of Allah the Exalted:[Al-Baqarah 2:177] is that when the Jews saw the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) turn toward the Ka'bah instead of the Sacred Mosque, and the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) had, upon first arriving in Madinah, prayed toward the Sacred Mosque for sixteen or seventeen months.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And he (peace and blessings be upon him) loved to be commanded to turn toward the Ka'bah, so he would turn his face to the sky, anticipating the descent of Jibril with that command. So Allah the Exalted revealed:[Al-Baqarah 2:144] to the end of what Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) mentioned in this matter. So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) turned toward the Ka'bah. The Jews criticized this, saying that he first turned toward the Sacred Mosque and then turned toward the Ka'bah. So Allah the Exalted clarified that facing the east or the west is not righteousness, but righteousness is obedience to Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) and belief in Him, [Al-Baqarah 2:177] to the end of the verse. The meaning is that righteousness is through belief in Allah, the Last Day, the angels, the Book, and the Prophets; a belief that necessitates obeying the command of Allah the Exalted and avoiding His prohibition. This is the reality of righteousness. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.
Righteousness is not that you turn your faces toward the east or the west
ليس البر أن تولوا وجوهكم قبل المشرق والمغربThe Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and I send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his Companions. The meaning of the saying of Allah the Exalted:
Righteousness is not that you turn your faces toward the east or the west, but [true] righteousness is [in] one who believes in Allah, the Last Day, the angels, the Book, and the prophets
لَيْسَ الْبِرَّ أن تُوَلُّوا وُجُوهَكُمْ قِبَلَ الْمَشْرِقِ وَالْمَغْرِبِ وَلَكِنَّ الْبِرَّ مَنْ ءامَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الأخر وَالْمَلائِكَةِ وَالْكِتَابِ وَالنَّبِيِّينَThe questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And he (peace and blessings be upon him) loved to be commanded to turn toward the Ka'bah, so he would turn his face to the sky, anticipating the descent of Jibril with that command. So Allah the Exalted revealed:
We have certainly seen the turning of your face, [O Muhammad], toward the heaven, and We will surely turn you to a qiblah with which you will be pleased. So turn your face toward al-Masjid al-Haram
قَدْ نَرَى تَقَلُّبَ وَجْهِكَ فِي السَّمَاءِ فَلَنُوَلِّيَنَّكَ قِبْلَةً تَرْضَاهَا فَوَلِّ وَجْهَكَ شَطْرَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِbut [true] righteousness is [in] one who believes in Allah, the Last Day, the angels, the Book, and the prophets
وَلَكِنَّ الْبِرَّ مَنْ ءامَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الأخر وَالْمَلائِكَةِ وَالْكِتَابِ وَالنَّبِيِّينَThe questioner : May Allah bless you.