Commentary
And when the importance of the qiblah grew, their statements regarding the diversity of their disturbances and arguments spread. They were people of knowledge and scripture, and many eras had passed for them while they were marked as being on the right path. Therefore, hypocrisy emerged, and the wheel of falsehood and discord turned. The market of immorality was established there on a firm footing. The situation necessitated further confirmation of its matter, to magnify its importance and to refute the doubts of the foolish. So Allah, the Most High, said again, expressing with a phrase indicative of his leadership, blessings and peace be upon him, and the waiting of the worshippers for him,
"And from wherever you come out" meaning: for the obligatory prayer, by following from this direction in which you are now in the noble city, which is to the north of the honored Ka'bah, or from other directions from the east, west, and south. "So turn your face towards" meaning: directly towards "the Sacred Mosque." As for your heart, it is towards Allah.
And when the estimation was that you are commanded to do this so that it is not thought that this was done due to his ﷺ desire for it, while he had a choice in it, and it is assumed that returning to the first qiblah is beneficial for what has spread in that of the words that penetrated the hearts like arrows. He added to it his saying: "And indeed, it is the truth from your Lord," confirming it with various confirmations, adding it to the attribute of benevolence by the goodness of upbringing and consideration of the outcomes and rulings of matters.
And when the estimation was: Indeed, your Lord is All-Knowing of what they said of the doubts that circulated among the people and the fear of their consequences, He added to it what is more general than it, saying: "And Allah is not unaware of what" meaning: of anything of what "they do" meaning: the foolish among the Jews and others in the future. He will refute it and nullify its harm, and He will cast it away and distance it from Him. And regarding the reading of the address, you are in this standing and after it, He will overpower it and affirm it and keep it if it is sincere for His sake, otherwise He will make it scattered dust. Al-Harali said: Whoever turns his heart in his prayer to other than his Lord, the direction of his body towards the Ka'bah will not benefit him, because that is a true ruling whose reality is the direction of the heart. And whoever turns his heart to anything of creation in his prayer, he is like one who has turned his face away from the direction of his qiblah. Just as the jurisprudential parts are negated by turning away from the Ka'bah physically, so too is acceptance negated by turning the face of the heart away from the Lord spiritually. Therefore, this address has been directed to those who have believed and those who have submitted, because he ﷺ is free from such a thing. The end.
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