Quran 2:144 — Al-Baqara, verse 144
M. A. S. Abdel Haleem · selected translation
Many a time We have seen you [Prophet] turn your face towards Heaven, so We are turning you towards a prayer direction that pleases you. Turn your face in the direction of the Sacred Mosque: wherever you [believers] may be, turn your faces to it. Those who were given the Scripture know with certainty that this is the Truth from their Lord: God is not unaware of what they do.
قَدْ نَرَىٰ تَقَلُّبَ وَجْهِكَ فِي السَّمَاءِ ۖ فَلَنُوَلِّيَنَّكَ قِبْلَةً تَرْضَاهَا ۚ فَوَلِّ وَجْهَكَ شَطْرَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ ۚ وَحَيْثُ مَا كُنْتُمْ فَوَلُّوا وُجُوهَكُمْ شَطْرَهُ ۗ وَإِنَّ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ لَيَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّهُ الْحَقُّ مِنْ رَبِّهِمْ ۗ وَمَا اللَّهُ بِغَافِلٍ عَمَّا يَعْمَلُونَ
qad narā taqalluba wajhika fī l-samāi falanuwalliyannaka qib'latan tarḍāhā fawalli wajhaka shaṭra l-masjidi l-ḥarāmi waḥaythu mā kuntum fawallū wujūhakum shaṭrahu wa-inna alladhīna ūtū l-kitāba layaʿlamūna annahu l-ḥaqu min rabbihim wamā l-lahu bighāfilin ʿammā yaʿmalūna
Other translations
- A. J. Arberry
- We have seen thee turning thy face about in the heaven; now We will surely turn thee to a direction that shall satisfy thee. Turn thy face towards the Holy Mosque; and wherever you are, turn your faces towards it. Those who have been given the Book know it is the truth from their Lord; God is not heedless of the things they do.
- Muhammad Asad
- We have seen thee [O Prophet] often turn thy face towards heaven [for guidance]: and now We shall indeed make thee turn in prayer in a direction which will fulfil thy desire. Turn, then, thy face towards the Inviolable House of Worship; and wherever you all may be, turn your faces towards it [in prayer]. And, verily, those who have been vouchsafed revelation aforetime know well that this [commandment] comes in truth from their Sustainer; and God is not unaware of what they do.
- Sahih International
- We have certainly seen the turning of your face, [O Muḥammad], toward the heaven, and We will surely turn you to a qiblah with which you will be pleased. So turn your face [i.e., yourself] toward al-Masjid al-Ḥarām. And wherever you [believers] are, turn your faces [i.e., yourselves] toward it [in prayer]. Indeed, those who have been given the Scripture [i.e., the Jews and the Christians] well know that it is the truth from their Lord. And Allāh is not unaware of what they do.
Words
| # | Word | Meaning | Root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | قَدْqad | Indeed | — |
| 2 | نَرَىٰnarā | We see | رأي |
| 3 | تَقَلُّبَtaqalluba | (the) turning | قلب |
| 4 | وَجْهِكَwajhika | (of) your face | وجه |
| 5 | فِىfī | towards | — |
| 6 | ٱلسَّمَآءِ ۖl-samāi | the heaven | سمو |
| 7 | فَلَنُوَلِّيَنَّكَfalanuwalliyannaka | So We will surely turn you | ولي |
| 8 | قِبْلَةًۭqib'latan | (to the) direction of prayer | قبل |
| 9 | تَرْضَىٰهَا ۚtarḍāhā | you will be pleased with | رضو |
| 10 | فَوَلِّfawalli | So turn | ولي |
| 11 | وَجْهَكَwajhaka | your face | وجه |
| 12 | شَطْرَshaṭra | towards the direction | شطر |
| 13 | ٱلْمَسْجِدِl-masjidi | (of) Al-Masjid | سجد |
| 14 | ٱلْحَرَامِ ۚl-ḥarāmi | Al-Haraam | حرم |
| 15 | وَحَيْثُwaḥaythu | and wherever | حيث |
| 16 | مَاmā | that | — |
| 17 | كُنتُمْkuntum | you are | كون |
| 18 | فَوَلُّوا۟fawallū | [so] turn | ولي |
| 19 | وُجُوهَكُمْwujūhakum | your faces | وجه |
| 20 | شَطْرَهُۥ ۗshaṭrahu | (in) its direction | شطر |
| 21 | وَإِنَّwa-inna | And indeed | — |
| 22 | ٱلَّذِينَalladhīna | those who | — |
| 23 | أُوتُوا۟ūtū | were given | أتي |
| 24 | ٱلْكِتَـٰبَl-kitāba | the Book | كتب |
| 25 | لَيَعْلَمُونَlayaʿlamūna | surely know | علم |
| 26 | أَنَّهُannahu | that it | — |
| 27 | ٱلْحَقُّl-ḥaqu | (is) the truth | حقق |
| 28 | مِنmin | from | — |
| 29 | رَّبِّهِمْ ۗrabbihim | their Lord | ربب |
| 30 | وَمَاwamā | And not | — |
| 31 | ٱللَّهُl-lahu | (is) Allah | أله |
| 32 | بِغَـٰفِلٍbighāfilin | unaware | غفل |
| 33 | عَمَّاʿammā | of what | — |
| 34 | يَعْمَلُونَyaʿmalūna | they do | عمل |