(p-547) His saying - Exalted and Majestic is He -: "Say, My Lord has commanded justice, and establish your faces at every place of worship, and invoke Him, sincere to Him in religion, as He began you, you will return." "A group He guided, and a group has deserved to be in error. Indeed, they have taken the devils as allies besides Allah, and they think that they are guided." His saying, Exalted is He, "Say, My Lord has commanded justice"; "Be just"; and for this reason, His saying, Exalted is He, "and establish" is connected to it; carrying it on the meaning; and "justice": is fairness and truth; the interpreters have differed regarding His saying, Exalted is He, "and establish your faces at every place of worship"; it was said: He meant towards the Kaaba; this was said by Mujahid and Al-Suddi; and the intended meaning - according to this - is the legislation of the qibla and the command to adhere to it; and it was said: He meant the command to bring intention for Allah, Exalted and Majestic is He, in every prayer; and the direction towards Him, Exalted is He; as you say: "I have directed my face towards Allah, Exalted is He"; this was said by Al-Rabi. Al-Qadi Abu Muhammad, may Allah have mercy on him, said: The face should not be taken as it is the part that is wounded; rather it is the intended goal and the source. It was said: The intended meaning of this term is the permissibility of prayer in every place on earth; that is: "Wherever you are, it is a mosque for you; it is obligatory upon you in prayer to establish your faces therein for Allah - Exalted and Majestic is He -"; a group said: The reason for this is that a people would only pray in their mosques; in their qibla; so when the prayer came in other than that from the mosques, they would not pray therein; and His saying, Exalted is He, "sincere to Him." Al-Hasan ibn Abi Al-Hasan, Qatadah, Ibn Abbas, Mujahid, and others said: The intended meaning of His saying - Blessed and Exalted is He -: "as He began you, you will return"; is the announcement of resurrection; that is: "As He created you and brought you into existence, so He will return you after death"; so the pause - according to this interpretation - is at "you will return"; and "a group" is in the accusative case as "guided"; and the second is accusative by an action; its estimation is: "and He punished a group"; or: "He led astray a group who have deserved...". (p-548) And Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with both of them, also said; and Abu Al-Aliyah, and Muhammad ibn Kab, and Mujahid also; and Sa'id ibn Jubair, and Al-Suddi, and Jabir ibn Abdullah; and it has been narrated with this meaning from the Prophet - blessings and peace be upon him -: The intended meaning of His saying, Exalted is He, "as He began you, you will return"; is the announcement that the people of misery and disbelief in this world; those who have been decreed upon them; they are the people of misery in the Hereafter; and the people of happiness and faith; those who have been decreed for them in this world; they are its people in the Hereafter; nothing will change from the matters which He has decreed; and planned; and executed; so the pause - in this interpretation - in His saying: "you will return"; is not good; and "a group" - according to this interpretation - is in the accusative case as a state; and the second is connected to the first; and in the reading of Ubayy ibn Kab: "you will return two groups, a group He guided and a group has deserved to be in error." And the pronoun in "Indeed, they"; refers back to the group who have deserved to be in error and "allies"; its meaning is: supporters; and companions; and brothers; and "and they think"; its meaning is: they assume; it is said: "I thought; I assume; assumption; and presumptive."

Al-Tabari said: And this verse is evidence of the error of the saying of whoever claimed that Allah, glorified and exalted is He, does not punish anyone for a sin they committed; or a misguidance they believed in; except that they come to it with knowledge from Him of the place of correctness. And Abbas ibn al-Fadl; and Sahl ibn Shu'ayb; and 'Isa ibn Umar read: "that they have taken"; with the opening of the alif.