Quran 2:143 — Al-Baqara, verse 143
M. A. S. Abdel Haleem · selected translation
We have made you [believers] into a just community, so that you may bear witness [to the truth] before others and so that the Messenger may bear witness [to it] before you. We only made the direction the one you used to face [Prophet] in order to distinguish those who follow the Messenger from those who turn on their heels: that test was hard, except for those God has guided. God would never let your faith go to waste [believers], for God is most compassionate and most merciful towards people.
وَكَذَٰلِكَ جَعَلْنَاكُمْ أُمَّةً وَسَطًا لِتَكُونُوا شُهَدَاءَ عَلَى النَّاسِ وَيَكُونَ الرَّسُولُ عَلَيْكُمْ شَهِيدًا ۗ وَمَا جَعَلْنَا الْقِبْلَةَ الَّتِي كُنْتَ عَلَيْهَا إِلَّا لِنَعْلَمَ مَنْ يَتَّبِعُ الرَّسُولَ مِمَّنْ يَنْقَلِبُ عَلَىٰ عَقِبَيْهِ ۚ وَإِنْ كَانَتْ لَكَبِيرَةً إِلَّا عَلَى الَّذِينَ هَدَى اللَّهُ ۗ وَمَا كَانَ اللَّهُ لِيُضِيعَ إِيمَانَكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ بِالنَّاسِ لَرَءُوفٌ رَحِيمٌ
wakadhālika jaʿalnākum ummatan wasaṭan litakūnū shuhadāa ʿalā l-nāsi wayakūna l-rasūlu ʿalaykum shahīdan wamā jaʿalnā l-qib'lata allatī kunta ʿalayhā illā linaʿlama man yattabiʿu l-rasūla mimman yanqalibu ʿalā ʿaqibayhi wa-in kānat lakabīratan illā ʿalā alladhīna hadā l-lahu wamā kāna l-lahu liyuḍīʿa īmānakum inna l-laha bil-nāsi laraūfun raḥīmun
Other translations
- A. J. Arberry
- Thus We appointed you a midmost nation that you might be witnesses to the people, and that the Messenger might be a witness to you; and We did not appoint the direction thou wast facing, except that We might know who followed the Messenger from him who turned on his heels -- though it were a grave thing save for those whom God has guided; but God would never leave your faith to waste - truly, God is All-gentle with the people, All-compassionate.
- Muhammad Asad
- And thus have We willed you to be a community of the middle way, so that [with your lives] you might bear witness to the truth before all mankind, and that the Apostle might bear witness to it before you. And it is only to the end that We might make a clear distinction between those who follow the Apostle and those who turn about on their heels that We have appointed [for this community] the direction of prayer which thou [O Prophet] hast formerly observed: for this was indeed a hard test for all but those whom God has guided aright. But God will surely not lose sight of your faith-for, behold, God is most compassionate towards man, a dispenser of grace.
- Sahih International
- And thus We have made you a median [i.e., just] community that you will be witnesses over the people and the Messenger will be a witness over you. And We did not make the qiblah which you used to face except that We might make evident who would follow the Messenger from who would turn back on his heels. And indeed, it is difficult except for those whom Allāh has guided. And never would Allāh have caused you to lose your faith [i.e., your previous prayers]. Indeed Allāh is, to the people, Kind and Merciful.
Words
| # | Word | Meaning | Root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | وَكَذَٰلِكَwakadhālika | And thus | — |
| 2 | جَعَلْنَـٰكُمْjaʿalnākum | We made you | جعل |
| 3 | أُمَّةًۭummatan | a community | أمم |
| 4 | وَسَطًۭاwasaṭan | (of the) middle way | وسط |
| 5 | لِّتَكُونُوا۟litakūnū | so that you will be | كون |
| 6 | شُهَدَآءَshuhadāa | witnesses | شهد |
| 7 | عَلَىʿalā | over | — |
| 8 | ٱلنَّاسِl-nāsi | the mankind | نوس |
| 9 | وَيَكُونَwayakūna | and will be | كون |
| 10 | ٱلرَّسُولُl-rasūlu | the Messenger | رسل |
| 11 | عَلَيْكُمْʿalaykum | on you | — |
| 12 | شَهِيدًۭا ۗshahīdan | a witness | شهد |
| 13 | وَمَاwamā | And not | — |
| 14 | جَعَلْنَاjaʿalnā | We made | جعل |
| 15 | ٱلْقِبْلَةَl-qib'lata | the direction of prayer | قبل |
| 16 | ٱلَّتِىallatī | which | — |
| 17 | كُنتَkunta | you were used to | كون |
| 18 | عَلَيْهَآʿalayhā | [on it] | — |
| 19 | إِلَّاillā | except | — |
| 20 | لِنَعْلَمَlinaʿlama | that We make evident | علم |
| 21 | مَنman | (he) who | — |
| 22 | يَتَّبِعُyattabiʿu | follows | تبع |
| 23 | ٱلرَّسُولَl-rasūla | the Messenger | رسل |
| 24 | مِمَّنmimman | from (he) who | — |
| 25 | يَنقَلِبُyanqalibu | turns back | قلب |
| 26 | عَلَىٰʿalā | on | — |
| 27 | عَقِبَيْهِ ۚʿaqibayhi | his heels | عقب |
| 28 | وَإِنwa-in | And indeed | — |
| 29 | كَانَتْkānat | it was | كون |
| 30 | لَكَبِيرَةًlakabīratan | certainly a great (test) | كبر |
| 31 | إِلَّاillā | except | — |
| 32 | عَلَىʿalā | for | — |
| 33 | ٱلَّذِينَalladhīna | those whom | — |
| 34 | هَدَىhadā | guided | هدي |
| 35 | ٱللَّهُ ۗl-lahu | (by) Allah | أله |
| 36 | وَمَاwamā | And not | — |
| 37 | كَانَkāna | will | كون |
| 38 | ٱللَّهُl-lahu | Allah | أله |
| 39 | لِيُضِيعَliyuḍīʿa | let go waste | ضيع |
| 40 | إِيمَـٰنَكُمْ ۚīmānakum | your faith | أمن |
| 41 | إِنَّinna | Indeed | — |
| 42 | ٱللَّهَl-laha | Allah | أله |
| 43 | بِٱلنَّاسِbil-nāsi | (is) to [the] mankind | نوس |
| 44 | لَرَءُوفٌۭlaraūfun | Full of Kindness | رأف |
| 45 | رَّحِيمٌۭraḥīmun | Most Merciful | رحم |