The Qur'an (Oxford World's Classics)

a
This refers to the change in the Muslims’ prayer direction from Jerusalem to
Mecca in the second year of the Hijra.
b
Literally ‘a middle nation’.
c
This reassured those who asked whether the prayers said towards Jerusalem had
been wasted.
The Qur
an
2: 136
16

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towards a prayer direction that pleases you.
a
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. 
145Yet even if you brought every proof to those who
were given the Scripture, they would not follow your prayer direc-
tion, nor will you follow theirs, nor indeed will any of them follow
one another’s direction. If you [Prophet] were to follow their desires,
after the knowledge brought to you, you would be doing wrong.
146Those We gave Scripture know it as well as they know their own
sons, but some of them hide the truth that they know. 
147The truth is
from your Lord, so do not be one of those who doubt. 
148Each
community has its own direction to which it turns: race to do good
deeds and wherever you are, God will bring you together.
b
God has
power to do everything.
149[Prophet], wherever you may have started out, turn your face in
the direction of the Sacred Mosque –
– this is the truth from your
Lord: He is not unaware of what you do –
–
150wherever you may have
started out, turn your face in the direction of the Sacred Mosque;
wherever any of you may be, turn your faces towards it, so that
people may have no argument against you
c
–
– except for the wrong-
doers among them: do not fear them; fear Me –
– and so that I may
perfect My favour on you and you may be guided, 
151just as We
d
have sent among you a Messenger of your own to recite Our rev-
elations to you, purify you and teach you the Scripture, wisdom,
and [other] things you did not know. 
152So remember Me; I will
remember you. Be thankful to Me, and never ungrateful.
153You who believe, seek help through steadfastness and prayer,
for God is with the steadfast. 
154Do not say that those who are killed
in God’s cause are dead; they are alive, though you do not realize it.
155We shall certainly test you with fear and hunger, and loss of
a
The Prophet secretly hoped to be allowed to face the Mosque in Mecca in prayer, as
it was so dear to him, being built by Abraham and Ishmael, as seen from verse 
127
onwards.
b
On the Day of Judgement, cf. 
5: 48.
c
Both Jews and polytheists questioned the choice of qibla (prayer direction) for their
own reasons.
d
Note the shift in pronoun from singular to plural of majesty (see Introduction,
p. xx).
The Cow
17
2: 155

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property, lives, and crops. But [Prophet], give good news to those
who are steadfast, 
156those who say, when afflicted with a calamity,
‘We belong to God and to Him we shall return.’
157These will be
given blessings and mercy from their Lord, and it is they who are
rightly guided.
158Safa and Marwa
a
are among the rites of God, so for those who
make major or minor
b
pilgrimage to the House
c
it is no o
ffence to
circulate between the two.
d
Anyone who does good of his own accord
will be rewarded, for God rewards good deeds, and knows every-
thing. 
159As for those who hide the proofs and guidance We send
down, after We have made them clear to people in the Scripture,
God rejects them, and so do others, 
160unless they repent, make
amends, and declare the truth. I will certainly accept their repent-
ance: I am the Ever Relenting, the Most Merciful. 
161As for those
who disbelieve and die as disbelievers, God rejects them, as do the
angels and all people. 
162They will remain in this state of rejection:
their punishment will not be lightened, nor will they be reprieved.
163Your God is the one God: there is no god except Him, the Lord
of Mercy, the Giver of Mercy. 
164In the creation of the heavens and
earth; in the alternation of night and day; in the ships that sail the
seas with goods for people; in the water which God sends down from
the sky to give life to the earth when it has been barren, scattering all
kinds of creatures over it; in the changing of the winds and clouds
that run their appointed courses between the sky and earth: there are
signs in all these for those who use their minds. 
165Even so, there are
some who choose to worship others besides God as rivals to Him,
loving them with the love due to God, but the believers have greater
love for God. If only the idolaters could see –
– as they will see
when they face the torment –
– that all power belongs to God, and
that God punishes severely. 
166When those who have been followed
disown their followers, when they all see the su
ffering, when all