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Surah 2

THE COW (Al-Madinah)

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Changing holy directions (qiblah)
Absurdity 2:139-158

139 Say (unto the People of the Scripture): Dispute ye with us concerning Allah when He is our Lord and your Lord? Ours are our works and yours your works. We look to Him alone.

140 Or say ye that Abraham, and Ishmael, and Isaac, and Jacob, and the tribes were Jews or Christians? Say: Do ye know best, or doth Allah? And who is more unjust than he who hideth a testimony which he hath received from Allah? Allah is not unaware of what ye do.

141 Those are a people who have passed away; theirs is that which they earned and yours that which ye earn. And ye will not be asked of what they used to do.

142 The foolish of the people will say: What hath turned them from the qiblah which they formerly observed? Say: Unto Allah belong the East and the West. He guideth whom He will unto a straight path.

Foolish people will say: "Why has the qiblah changed?" [1]

Say to them: "Allah can do whatever he likes."

143 Thus We have appointed you a middle nation, that ye may be witnesses against mankind, and that the messenger may be a witness against you. And We appointed the qiblah which ye formerly observed only that We might know him who followeth the messenger, from him who turneth on his heels. In truth it was a hard (test) save for those whom Allah guided. But it was not Allah's purpose that your faith should be in vain, for Allah is Full of Pity, Merciful toward mankind.

So we (Allah) changed it.

144 We have seen the turning of thy face to heaven (for guidance, O Muhammad). And now verily We shall make thee turn (in prayer) toward a qiblah which is dear to thee. So turn thy face toward the Inviolable Place of Worship, and ye (O Muslims), wheresoever ye may be, turn your faces (when ye pray) toward it. Lo! Those who have received the Scripture know that (this revelation) is the Truth from their Lord. And Allah is not unaware of what they do.

145 And even if thou broughtest unto those who have received the Scripture all kinds of portents, they would not follow thy qiblah, nor canst thou be a follower of their qiblah; nor are some of them followers of the qiblah of others. And if thou shouldst follow their desires after the knowledge which hath come unto thee, then surely wert thou of the evil-doers.

146 Those unto whom We gave the Scripture recognise (this revelation) as they recognise their sons. But lo! a party of them knowingly conceal the truth.

147 It is the Truth from thy Lord (O Muhammad), so be not thou of those who waver.

148 And each one hath a goal toward which he turneth; so vie with one another in good works. Wheresoever ye may be, Allah will bring you all together. Lo! Allah is Able to do all things.

Now we're going to make you face a different diretion when you pray. (And this revelation is true.)

149 And whencesoever thou comest forth (for prayer, O Muhammad) turn thy face toward the Inviolable Place of Worship. Lo! it is the Truth from thy Lord. Allah is not unaware of what ye do.

150 Whencesoever thou comest forth turn thy face toward the Inviolable Place of Worship; and wheresoever ye may be (O Muslims) turn your faces toward it (when ye pray) so that men may have no argument against you, save such of them as do injustice - Fear them not, but fear Me! - and so that I may complete My grace upon you, and that ye may be guided.

151 Even as We have sent unto you a messenger from among you, who reciteth unto you Our revelations and causeth you to grow, and teacheth you the Scripture and wisdom, and teacheth you that which ye knew not.

152 Therefore remember Me, I will remember you. Give thanks to Me, and reject not Me.

153 O ye who believe! Seek help in steadfastness and prayer. Lo! Allah is with the steadfast.

154 And call not those who are slain in the way of Allah "dead." Nay, they are living, only ye perceive not.

155 And surely We shall try you with something of fear and hunger, and loss of wealth and lives and crops; but give glad tidings to the steadfast,

156 Who say, when a misfortune striketh them: Lo! we are Allah's and lo! unto Him we are returning.

157 Such are they on whom are blessings from their Lord, and mercy. Such are the rightly guided.

158 Lo! (the mountains) As-Safa and Al-Marwah are among the indications of Allah. It is therefore no sin for him who is on pilgrimage to the House (of God) or visiteth it, to go around them (as the pagan custom is). And he who doeth good of his own accord, (for him) lo! Allah is Responsive, Aware.

So when you pray, Muhammad, turn your face in the proper direction.

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Notes

  1. What hath turned them from the qiblah? (v.142)

    The qibla is the holy direction -- the direction toward which Muslims pray. It is also the direction that the faces of dead Muslims point towards, the direction that the head of an animal is supposed to be aligned with when slaughtered, and the direction you are *not* supposed to face when doing your business in the bathroom.

    Originally the qibla was toward Jerusalem, but in these verses, Muhammad changes it to point towards the Kaaba in Mecca.

    The Kaaba, according to Islamic tradition, was the first building on earth. Built by Adam and re-built later by Abraham and Ishmael.

    None of this is true, of course. There was no Adam to build the Kaaba. Abraham probably didn't exist either, but if he did, he didn't visit Mecca. The stories in Islam are as messed up as they are made up. But that doesn't stop 1.3 billion people from believing them.

    So Allah changed the holy direction in verse 2:143-144 of the Quran. And he blathers on about it in the rest of the verses in this section of Surah 2.

    Allah guides whoever he wants on a straight path. And once in a while he changes the direction of the path for no reason whatsoever.

    Allah is Responsive, Aware. Arbitrary.

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