DRAFT
Part 1: The Qibla
Full Text
إِنَّا أَرْسَلْنَا إِلَيْكُمْ رَسُولًا شَاهِدًا عَلَيْكُمْ كَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا إِلَىٰ فِرْعَوْنَ رَسُولًا
Indeed, We [We] have sent to you a Messenger (as) a witness upon you, as We sent to Firaun a Messenger.
[Al-Quran 73:15]
Surah al-Muzammil is known as a Meccan (المكية) surah. It means that it was revealed during the first thirteen years of the mission of Prophet-Messenger Muhammad ﷺ , before he emigrated from Makkah to Medina.
Moses (عليه السلام) was sent as a messenger to Pharaoh. He demanded the release of the Bani Israel:
فَأْتِيَاهُ فَقُولَا إِنَّا رَسُولَا رَبِّكَ فَأَرْسِلْ مَعَنَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ وَلَا تُعَذِّبْهُمْ ۖ قَدْ جِئْنَاكَ بِآيَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّكَ ۖ وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَىٰ مَنِ اتَّبَعَ الْهُدَىٰ
إِنَّا قَدْ أُوحِيَ إِلَيْنَا أَنَّ الْعَذَابَ عَلَىٰ مَن كَذَّبَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ
So go to him and say, "Indeed, we both (are) Messengers (of) your Lord, so send with us (the) Children (of) Israel, and (do) not torment them. Verily, we came to you with a Sign from your Lord. And peace on (one) who follows the Guidance.
Indeed, we verily, it has been revealed to us that the punishment (will be) on (one) who denies and turns away."
[Al-Quran 20:47-48]
He demanded the release of the Bani Israel, so they could go for a three day journey to:
יחוְשָֽׁמְע֖וּ לְקֹלֶ֑ךָ וּבָאתָ֡ אַתָּה֩ וְזִקְנֵ֨י יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל אֶל־מֶ֣לֶךְ מִצְרַ֗יִם וַֽאֲמַרְתֶּ֤ם אֵלָיו֙ יְהֹוָ֞ה אֱלֹהֵ֤י הָֽעִבְרִיִּים֙ נִקְרָ֣ה עָלֵ֔ינוּ וְעַתָּ֗ה נֵֽלֲכָה־נָּ֞א דֶּ֣רֶךְ שְׁל֤שֶׁת יָמִים֙ בַּמִּדְבָּ֔ר וְנִזְבְּחָ֖ה לַֽיהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ:
18And they will hearken to your voice, and you shall come, you and the elders of Israel, to the king of Egypt, and you shall say to him, 'The Lord God of the Hebrews has happened upon us, and now, let us go for a three days' journey in the desert and offer up sacrifices to the Lord, our God.'
[The Torah, Exodus 3:18]
Prophet Abraham, the forefather of the Bani Israel, had announced the Hajj for all mankind. I think the three day journey including the sacrifice refers to the very Hajj (pilgrimage) which Muslims perform annually. The three main days are eight, ninth and tenth of Dhul-Hijjah, the month of pilgrimage, and the last month of the lunar hijri calendar:
- eighth dhulhijjah:
- Stay at Mina
- ninth dhulhijjah:
- Spend the day in Arafat, and night at Muzdalifah
- tenth dhulhijjah:
- Rami: pelt stones at Satan (the obelisks)
- Hadi: sacrifice an animal
- Halq / Taqsir: cut hair
- Tawaf-e-Ziyarah: circumambulate the qibla
While Pharaoh refused, Moses instructed them regarding the Qibla:
وَأَوْحَيْنَا إِلَىٰ مُوسَىٰ وَأَخِيهِ أَن تَبَوَّآ لِقَوْمِكُمَا بِمِصْرَ بُيُوتًا وَاجْعَلُوا بُيُوتَكُمْ قِبْلَةً وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَبَشِّرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ
And We inspired Moses and his brother thus, "Establish, you twain, houses for your people in Egypt; and make you your houses a qiblah (the centre of worship); and be you steadfast in prayer, and give Glad Tidings to those who believe."
[Al-Quran 10:87, Translation: Hamid S. Aziz]
And We inspired to Moses and his brother, "Settle your people in Egypt in houses and make your houses [facing the] qiblah and establish prayer and give good tidings to the believers."
[Al-Quran 10:87, Translation: Sahih International]
It is said that during the early Meccan period, the Muslims were commanded to face Jerusalem, where the masjid built by Solomon, popularly known as the Temple of Solomon, used to be in ancient times, even though it no longer existed. The Temple of Solomon was built several centuries after the Exodus.
When Messenger Muhammad ﷺ migrated to Medina, escaping from the oppression of The Quraish, he was asked to face the Qibla in Mecca:
۞ سَيَقُولُ السُّفَهَاءُ مِنَ النَّاسِ مَا وَلَّاهُمْ عَن قِبْلَتِهِمُ الَّتِي كَانُوا عَلَيْهَا ۚ قُل لِّلَّهِ الْمَشْرِقُ وَالْمَغْرِبُ ۚ يَهْدِي مَن يَشَاءُ إِلَىٰ صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ
Will say the foolish ones from the people, "What (has) turned them from their direction of prayer which they were used to [on it]." Say, "For Allah (is) the east and the west. He guides whom He wills to a path straight."
وَكَذَٰلِكَ جَعَلْنَاكُمْ أُمَّةً وَسَطًا لِّتَكُونُوا شُهَدَاءَ عَلَى النَّاسِ وَيَكُونَ الرَّسُولُ عَلَيْكُمْ شَهِيدًا ۗ وَمَا جَعَلْنَا الْقِبْلَةَ الَّتِي كُنتَ عَلَيْهَا إِلَّا لِنَعْلَمَ مَن يَتَّبِعُ الرَّسُولَ مِمَّن يَنقَلِبُ عَلَىٰ عَقِبَيْهِ ۚ وَإِن كَانَتْ لَكَبِيرَةً إِلَّا عَلَى الَّذِينَ هَدَى اللَّهُ ۗ وَمَا كَانَ اللَّهُ لِيُضِيعَ إِيمَانَكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ بِالنَّاسِ لَرَءُوفٌ رَّحِيمٌ
2:143 And thus We made you a community (of the) middle way so that you will be witnesses over the mankind, and will be the Messenger on you a witness. And not We made the direction of prayer which you were used to [on it] except that We make evident (he) who follows the Messenger from (he) who turns back on his heels. And indeed, it was certainly a great (test) except for those whom guided (by) Allah. And not will Allah let go waste your faith. Indeed, Allah (is) to [the] mankind Full of Kindness, Most Merciful.
قَدْ نَرَىٰ تَقَلُّبَ وَجْهِكَ فِي السَّمَاءِ ۖ فَلَنُوَلِّيَنَّكَ قِبْلَةً تَرْضَاهَا ۚ فَوَلِّ وَجْهَكَ شَطْرَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ ۚ وَحَيْثُ مَا كُنتُمْ فَوَلُّوا وُجُوهَكُمْ شَطْرَهُ ۗ وَإِنَّ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ لَيَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّهُ الْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّهِمْ ۗ وَمَا اللَّهُ بِغَافِلٍ عَمَّا يَعْمَلُونَ
2:144 Indeed, We see (the) turning (of) your face towards the heaven. So We will surely turn you (to the) direction of prayer you will be pleased with. So turn your face towards the direction (of) Al-Masjid Al-Haraam and wherever that you are [so] turn your faces (in) its direction. And indeed, those who were given the Book surely know that it (is) the truth from their Lord. And not (is) Allah unaware of what they do.
وَلَئِنْ أَتَيْتَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ بِكُلِّ آيَةٍ مَّا تَبِعُوا قِبْلَتَكَ ۚ وَمَا أَنتَ بِتَابِعٍ قِبْلَتَهُمْ ۚ وَمَا بَعْضُهُم بِتَابِعٍ قِبْلَةَ بَعْضٍ ۚ وَلَئِنِ اتَّبَعْتَ أَهْوَاءَهُم مِّن بَعْدِ مَا جَاءَكَ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ ۙ إِنَّكَ إِذًا لَّمِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ
2:145 And even if you come (to) those who were given the Book with all (the) signs, not they would follow your direction of prayer, and not (will) you (be) a follower (of) their direction of prayer. And not some of them (are) followers (of the) direction of prayer (of each) other. And if you followed their desires from after [what] came to you of the knowledge, indeed, you (would) then (be) surely among the wrongdoers.
الَّذِينَ آتَيْنَاهُمُ الْكِتَابَ يَعْرِفُونَهُ كَمَا يَعْرِفُونَ أَبْنَاءَهُمْ ۖ وَإِنَّ فَرِيقًا مِّنْهُمْ لَيَكْتُمُونَ الْحَقَّ وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ
2:146 (To) those whom We gave [them] the Book, they recognize it like they recognize their sons. And indeed, a group of them surely they conceal the Truth while they know.
[Al-Quran 2:142-146]
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