Quran Universe
2:144

قَدۡ نَرَىٰ تَقَلُّبَ وَجۡهِكَ فِي ٱلسَّمَآءِۖ فَلَنُوَلِّيَنَّكَ قِبۡلَةٗ تَرۡضَىٰهَاۚ فَوَلِّ وَجۡهَكَ شَطۡرَ ٱلۡمَسۡجِدِ ٱلۡحَرَامِۚ وَحَيۡثُ مَا كُنتُمۡ فَوَلُّواْ وُجُوهَكُمۡ شَطۡرَهُۥۗ وَإِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ لَيَعۡلَمُونَ أَنَّهُ ٱلۡحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّهِمۡۗ وَمَا ٱللَّهُ بِغَٰفِلٍ عَمَّا يَعۡمَلُونَ

Qad nara taqalluba wajhika fee alssamai falanuwalliyannaka qiblatan tardaha fawalli wajhaka shatra almasjidi alharami wahaythu ma kuntum fawalloo wujoohakum shatrahu wainna allatheena ootoo alkitaba layaAAlamoona annahu alhaqqu min rabbihim wama Allahu bighafilin AAamma yaAAmaloona

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. And wherever you [believers] are, turn your faces toward it [in prayer]. Indeed, those who have been given the Scripture well know that it is the truth from their Lord. And Allah is not unaware of what they do.

Word by word
  1. قَدۡIndeed
  2. نَرَىٰWe see
  3. تَقَلُّبَ(the) turning
  4. وَجۡهِكَ(of) your face
  5. فِيtowards
  6. ٱلسَّمَآءِۖthe heaven
  7. فَلَنُوَلِّيَنَّكَSo We will surely turn you
  8. قِبۡلَةٗ(to the) direction of prayer
  9. تَرۡضَىٰهَاۚyou will be pleased with
  10. فَوَلِّSo turn
  11. وَجۡهَكَyour face
  12. شَطۡرَtowards the direction
  13. ٱلۡمَسۡجِدِ(of) Al-Masjid
  14. ٱلۡحَرَامِۚAl-Haraam
  15. وَحَيۡثُand wherever
  16. مَاthat
  17. كُنتُمۡyou are
  18. فَوَلُّواْ[so] turn
  19. وُجُوهَكُمۡyour faces
  20. شَطۡرَهُۥۗ(in) its direction
  21. وَإِنَّAnd indeed
  22. ٱلَّذِينَthose who
  23. أُوتُواْwere given
  24. ٱلۡكِتَٰبَthe Book
  25. لَيَعۡلَمُونَsurely know
  26. أَنَّهُthat it
  27. ٱلۡحَقُّ(is) the truth
  28. مِنfrom
  29. رَّبِّهِمۡۗtheir Lord
  30. وَمَاAnd not
  31. ٱللَّهُ(is) Allah
  32. بِغَٰفِلٍunaware
  33. عَمَّاof what
  34. يَعۡمَلُونَthey do
Al-Baqarah · 2:144Madinah

Allah saw him looking up at the sky.

A silent longing that was answered

The unspoken wish
the Prophet ﷺloved Ibrahim's Qiblah
keeps looking up
We have seenyour face turning
answer
a Qiblah you loveAl-Masjid Al-Haram
How he waited
act on the wish alonedecide for yourself
long, then waitsupplicate and look up

The Prophet ﷺ prayed toward Bayt Al-Maqdis as commanded, yet he loved the Qiblah of Ibrahim. He would supplicate and keep looking up at the sky, waiting for Allah's command rather than changing it himself. Then came: We have seen the turning of your face.

There is a wish you have not told anyone. A job, a child, a healing, a way out. You look up at the ceiling at night more than you admit. The verse says your silent looking up is seen. Keep asking, and keep obeying while you wait.

If I do not say it out loud, no one knows what I long for.

Allah sees even the turning of my face before I speak.

Try this

Tonight, look up and name your quiet wish to Allah in one sentence.

Related2:1422:143
Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

Verily, We have seen the turning of your (Muhammad's) face towards the heaven. Surely, We shall turn you to a Qiblah (prayer direction) that shall please you, so turn your face in the direction of Al-Masjid Al-Haram (at Makkah). And wheresoever you people are, turn your faces (in prayer) in that direction. Certainly, the people who were given the Scripture (i.e., Jews and Christians) know well that, that (your turning towards the direction of the Ka'bah at Makkah in prayers) is the truth from their Lord. And Allah is not unaware of what they do (144)

The First Abrogation in the Qur'an was about the Qiblah

Ali bin Abu Talhah related that Ibn 'Abbas narrated: The first abrogated part in the Qur'an was about the Qiblah. When Allah's Messenger ﷺ migrated to Al-Madinah, the majority of its people were Jews, and Allah commanded him to face Bayt Al-Maqdis. The Jews were delighted then. Allah's Messenger ﷺ faced it for ten and some months, but he liked to face the Qiblah of Ibrahim (Ka'bah in Makkah). He used to supplicate to Allah and look up to the sky (awaiting Allah's command). Allah then revealed:

قَدْ نَرَىٰ تَقَلُّبَ وَجْهِكَ فِي السَّمَاءِ

(Verily, We have seen the turning of your (Muhammad's) face towards the heaven), until,

فَوَلُّوا وُجُوهَكُمْ شَطْرَهُ

(turn your faces (in prayer) in that direction.)

The Jews did not like this ruling and said:

مَا وَلَّاهُمْ عَن قِبْلَتِهِمُ الَّتِي كَانُوا عَلَيْهَا قُل لِّلَّهِ الْمَشْرِقُ وَالْمَغْرِبُ

("What has turned them (Muslims) from their Qiblah (prayer direction) to which they used to face in prayer." Say (O Muhammad), "To Allah belong both, east and the west.")(2:142)

Allah said:

فَأَيْنَمَا تُوَلُّوا فَثَمَّ وَجْهُ اللَّهِ

(...so wherever you turn (yourselves or your faces) there is the Face of Allah)(2:115),

and:

وَمَا جَعَلْنَا الْقِبْلَةَ الَّتِي كُنتَ عَلَيْهَا إِلَّا لِنَعْلَمَ مَن يَتَّبِعُ الرَّسُولَ مِمَّن يَنقَلِبُ عَلَىٰ عَقِبَيْهِ

(And We made the Qiblah (prayer direction towards Jerusalem) which you used to face, only to test those who followed the Messenger (Muhammad ﷺ) from those who would turn on their heels (i.e., disobey the Messenger).)(2:143)

Is the Qiblah the Ka'bah itself or its General Direction?

Al-Hakim related that 'Ali bin Abu Talib said:

فَوَلِّ وَجْهَكَ شَطْرَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ

(...so turn your face in the direction of Al-Masjid Al-Haram (at Makkah).) means its direction."

Al-Hakim then commented that the chain of this narration is authentic and that they (i.e., Al-Bukhari and Muslim) did not include it in their collections.

This ruling concerning the Qiblah is also the opinion of Abu Al-'Aliyah, Mujahid, 'Ikrimah, Sa'id bin Jubayr, Qatadah, Ar-Rabi' bin Anas and others. Allah's Statement:

وَحَيْثُ مَا كُنتُمْ فَوَلُّوا وُجُوهَكُمْ شَطْرَهُ

(And wheresoever you people are, turn your faces (in prayer) in that direction) is a command from Allah to face the Ka'bah from wherever one is on the earth: the east, west, north or south. The exception is of the voluntary prayer (Nafl) while one is traveling, for one is allowed to offer it in any direction his body is facing, while his heart is intending the Ka'bah. Also, when the battle is raging, one is allowed to offer prayer, however he is able. Also, included are those who are not sure of the direction and offer prayer in the wrong direction, thinking that it is the direction of the Qiblah, because Allah does not burden a soul beyond what it can bear.

The Jews had Knowledge that the (Muslim) Qiblah would later be changed

Allah stated that:

وَإِنَّ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ لَيَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّهُ الْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّهِمْ

(Certainly, the people who were given the Scripture (i.e., Jews and the Christians) know well that, that (your turning towards the direction of the Ka'bah at Makkah in prayers) is the truth from their Lord.)

This Ayah means: The Jews, who did not like that you change your Qiblah from Bayt Al-Maqdis, already knew that Allah will command you (O Muhammad) to face the Ka'bah. The Jews read in their Books their Prophets' description of Allah's Messenger ﷺ and his Ummah, and that Allah has endowed and honored him with the complete and honorable legislation. Yet, the People of the Book deny these facts because of their envy, disbelief and rebellion. This is why Allah threatened them when He said:

وَمَا اللَّهُ بِغَافِلٍ عَمَّا يَعْمَلُونَ

(And Allah is not unaware of what they do.)