Quran Universe
10:87

وَأَوۡحَيۡنَآ إِلَىٰ مُوسَىٰ وَأَخِيهِ أَن تَبَوَّءَا لِقَوۡمِكُمَا بِمِصۡرَ بُيُوتٗا وَٱجۡعَلُواْ بُيُوتَكُمۡ قِبۡلَةٗ وَأَقِيمُواْ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَۗ وَبَشِّرِ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ

Waawhayna ila moosa waakheehi an tabawwaa liqawmikuma bimisra buyootan waijAAaloo buyootakum qiblatan waaqeemoo alssalata wabashshiri almumineena

And We inspired to Moses and his brother, "Settle your people in Egypt in houses and make your houses [facing the] qiblah and establish prayer and give good tidings to the believers."

Word by word
  1. وَأَوۡحَيۡنَآAnd We inspired
  2. إِلَىٰto
  3. مُوسَىٰMusa
  4. وَأَخِيهِand his brother
  5. أَنthat
  6. تَبَوَّءَاSettle
  7. لِقَوۡمِكُمَاyour people
  8. بِمِصۡرَin Egypt
  9. بُيُوتٗا(in) houses
  10. وَٱجۡعَلُواْand make
  11. بُيُوتَكُمۡyour houses
  12. قِبۡلَةٗ(as) places of worship
  13. وَأَقِيمُواْand establish
  14. ٱلصَّلَوٰةَۗthe prayer
  15. وَبَشِّرِAnd give glad tidings
  16. ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ(to) the believers
Yunus · 10:87Makkah

When the streets are unsafe, make your home a place of prayer.

Turning houses into places of worship

The instruction
public prayer unsafefear of Firaun
so
homes facing qiblahplaces of worship
establish prayergive good news
Where worship happens
only at the mosqueor not at all
at home toothe house as a prayer place

Ibn Abbas said the Children of Israel told Musa they could not pray in public before Firaun's people. So Allah let them pray in their houses, built facing the qiblah. Mujahid said they feared being killed at their gatherings, so prayer could be in secret.

Your home is where you scroll, eat, work, and argue. Does it have a corner where you pray? A rug by the window, facing qiblah, can turn a flat into a place of worship.

Home is for rest. Worship happens elsewhere.

My home can be a place of prayer, especially when life outside is hard.

Try this

Set up a small prayer corner at home today, even just a folded mat facing qiblah.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

And We revealed to Musa and his brother (saying): "Provide dwellings for your people in Egypt, and make your dwellings as places for your worship, and perform the Salah, and give glad tidings to the believers. (87)

They were commanded to pray inside Their Homes

Allah tells us why He saved the Children of Israel from Fir'awn and his people. He tells us how he saved them. Allah commanded Musa and his brother Harun to take houses for their people in Egypt,

وَاجْعَلُوا بُيُوتَكُمْ قِبْلَةً

(and make your dwellings as places for your worship,) Al-'Awfi reported that Ibn 'Abbas said, while interpreting this Ayah: "The Children of Israel said to Musa, 'We cannot offer our prayers in public in front of Fir'awn's people.' So Allah permitted them to pray in their houses. They were commanded to build their houses in the direction of the Qiblah." Mujahid commented,

وَاجْعَلُوا بُيُوتَكُمْ قِبْلَةً

(and make your dwellings as places for your worship,) When Banu Israel feared that Fir'awn might kill them in their gatherings at their temples, they were commanded to take their houses as places of worship. The houses should be facing the Qiblah and the prayer could be in secret." This was stated by Qatadah and Ad-Dahhak as well.