Quran Universe
2:145

وَلَئِنۡ أَتَيۡتَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ بِكُلِّ ءَايَةٖ مَّا تَبِعُواْ قِبۡلَتَكَۚ وَمَآ أَنتَ بِتَابِعٖ قِبۡلَتَهُمۡۚ وَمَا بَعۡضُهُم بِتَابِعٖ قِبۡلَةَ بَعۡضٖۚ وَلَئِنِ ٱتَّبَعۡتَ أَهۡوَآءَهُم مِّنۢ بَعۡدِ مَا جَآءَكَ مِنَ ٱلۡعِلۡمِ إِنَّكَ إِذٗا لَّمِنَ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ

Walain atayta allatheena ootoo alkitaba bikulli ayatin ma tabiAAoo qiblataka wama anta bitabiAAin qiblatahum wama baAAduhum bitabiAAin qiblata baAAdin walaini ittabaAAta ahwaahum min baAAdi ma jaaka mina alAAilmi innaka ithan lamina alththalimeena

And if you brought to those who were given the Scripture every sign, they would not follow your qiblah. Nor will you be a follower of their qiblah. Nor would they be followers of one another's qiblah. So if you were to follow their desires after what has come to you of knowledge, indeed, you would then be among the wrongdoers.

Word by word
  1. وَلَئِنۡAnd even if
  2. أَتَيۡتَyou come
  3. ٱلَّذِينَ(to) those who
  4. أُوتُواْwere given
  5. ٱلۡكِتَٰبَthe Book
  6. بِكُلِّwith all
  7. ءَايَةٖ(the) signs
  8. مَّاnot
  9. تَبِعُواْthey would follow
  10. قِبۡلَتَكَۚyour direction of prayer
  11. وَمَآand not
  12. أَنتَ(will) you (be)
  13. بِتَابِعٖa follower
  14. قِبۡلَتَهُمۡۚ(of) their direction of prayer
  15. وَمَاAnd not
  16. بَعۡضُهُمsome of them
  17. بِتَابِعٖ(are) followers
  18. قِبۡلَةَ(of the) direction of prayer
  19. بَعۡضٖۚ(of each) other
  20. وَلَئِنِAnd if
  21. ٱتَّبَعۡتَyou followed
  22. أَهۡوَآءَهُمtheir desires
  23. مِّنۢfrom
  24. بَعۡدِafter
  25. مَا[what]
  26. جَآءَكَcame to you
  27. مِنَof
  28. ٱلۡعِلۡمِthe knowledge
  29. إِنَّكَindeed,you
  30. إِذٗا(would) then
  31. لَّمِنَ(be) surely among
  32. ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَthe wrongdoers
Al-Baqarah · 2:145Madinah

No sign moves a heart set on its desire.

Why more proof does not always help

Every sign brought
every proofall the signs
meets
desirealready decided
result
no changethey would not follow
The warning turned inward
follow their wishesafter knowledge came
hold to what you knowknowledge raises the stakes

The People of the Scripture knew the truth, yet Ibn Kathir says no proof would make them abandon their desires. Then the warning is aimed at the Prophet ﷺ and his community: following others' wishes after knowledge has come is wrongdoing, because the proof against one who knows is stronger.

You know the facts about a habit. The article, the doctor's warning, the ayah. You still scroll past it, waiting for one more proof. The problem was never missing evidence. Knowing more makes your choice weigh more.

If I just had more proof, I would change.

When desire is in charge, proof is never enough. What I already know is my test.

Try this

Pick one thing you already know is right and do the first small step today.

Related10:9610:97
Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

And even if you were to bring to the People of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) all the Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.), they would not follow your Qiblah (prayer direction), nor are you going to follow their Qiblah. And they will not follow each other's Qiblah. Verily, if you follow their desires after that which you have received of knowledge (from Allah), then indeed you will be one of the wrongdoers (145)

The Stubbornness and Disbelief of the Jews

Allah describes the Jews' disbelief, stubbornness and defiance of what they know of the truth of Allah's Messenger ﷺ, that if the Prophet ﷺ brought forward every proof to the truth of what he was sent with, they will never obey him or abandon following their desires. In another instance, Allah said:

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ حَقَّتْ عَلَيْهِمْ كَلِمَتُ رَبِّكَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ - وَلَوْ جَاءَتْهُمْ كُلُّ آيَةٍ حَتَّىٰ يَرَوُا الْعَذَابَ الْأَلِيمَ

(Truly, those, against whom the Word (wrath) of your Lord has been justified, will not believe. Even if every sign should come to them, until they see the painful torment.)(10:96-97)

This is why Allah said here:

وَلَئِنْ أَتَيْتَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ بِكُلِّ آيَةٍ مَّا تَبِعُوا قِبْلَتَكَ

(And even if you were to bring to the People of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) all the Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.), they would not follow your Qiblah (prayer direction)).

Allah's statement:

وَمَا أَنتَ بِتَابِعٍ قِبْلَتَهُمْ

(...nor are you going to follow their Qiblah ), indicates the vigor with which Allah's Messenger ﷺ implements what Allah commanded him. Allah's statement also indicates that as much as the Jews adhere to their opinions and desires, the Prophet ﷺ adheres by Allah's commands, obeying Him and following what pleases Him, and that he would never adhere to their desires in any case. Hence, praying towards Bayt Al-Maqdis was not because it was the Qiblah of the Jews, but because Allah had commanded it. Allah then warns those who knowingly defy the truth, because the proof against those who know is stronger than against other people. This is why Allah said to His Messenger ﷺ and his Ummah:

وَلَئِنِ اتَّبَعْتَ أَهْوَاءَهُم مِّن بَعْدِ مَا جَاءَكَ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ إِنَّكَ إِذًا لَّمِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ

(Verily, if you follow their desires after that which you have received of knowledge (from Allah), then indeed you will be one of the wrongdoers.)