Verse 144 of Surah Al-Baqarah, within the framework of elucidating the change of the Qibla from Bayt al-Maqdis (Jerusalem) to the Kaaba, stands as one of the key verses of the Holy Quran addressing profound social, epistemological, and educational issues in early Islam. This verse, by referring to the difficulty of an abrupt change of the Qibla and its impact on the Islamic Ummah, touches upon themes such as faith, divine guidance, and the educational challenges within the religious community. The present text, by consolidating the content of the lecture series and exegetical analyses, endeavours to explicate the profound meanings of this verse for educated and specialised audiences in a scientific and systematic manner. The structure of the text, with thematic subdivisions and detailed analyses, is designed to elucidate the semantic connections among concepts while preserving all details. In this respect, refined Persian metaphors and allegories have been employed to enrich the literary quality and appeal of the text, yet its scientific and academic essence remains intact.
وَإِنْ كَانَتْ لَكَبِيرَةً إِلَّا عَلَى الَّذِينَ هَدَى اللَّهُ ۚ وَمَا كَانَ اللَّهُ لِيُضِيعَ إِيمَانَكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ بِالنَّاسِ لَرَءُوفٌ رَحِيمٌ
This verse refers to the difficulty of the Qibla change for the Islamic Ummah but emphasises that this hardship is bearable for those who have received divine guidance. Allah, with His compassion and mercy, preserves the faith of the believers and does not allow it to perish.
وَكَذَلِكَ جَعَلْنَاكُمْ أُمَّةً وَسَطًا
The change of the Qibla from Bayt al-Maqdis to the Kaaba was a symbolic and social act that occurred abruptly during prayer. This transformation was designed to consolidate the position of the Islamic Ummah as a balanced and moderate community.
قَدْ نَرَى تَقَلُّبَ وَجْهِكَ فِي السَّمَاءِ
The turning of the Prophets (peace be upon him) face towards the heavens signified his eagerness and expectation to receive the divine command concerning the Qibla. This movement set the groundwork for the Qibla change to the Kaaba.
The first section, by explicating the text and context of verse 144 of Surah Al-Baqarah, addressed the importance of the Qibla change as a symbolic and social transformation. This verse, by emphasising divine guidance, Allahs compassion, and the Prophets role in receiving revelation, provides a framework for understanding divine tests and their social consequences. The Qibla change not only consolidated the identity of the Islamic Ummah but also offered a standard for measuring the faith and perseverance of believers.
The Qibla change occurred suddenly and during prayer, in contrast to gradual changes that normally take place in nature and society. This abruptness was heavy for the Islamic Ummah due to its profound social and epistemological implications.
In Islamic philosophy, a philosophical sudden change, that is, an instantaneous transformation without preparation, does not exist. The Qibla change, as customary suddenness, occurred perceptibly within a brief time span.
The sudden Qibla change was heavy for Jews and Christians because their Qibla (Bayt al-Maqdis) was changed to the Kaaba, which was geographically and culturally more distant.
From the perspective of Quranic psychology, the Prophets (peace be upon him) love for guiding the Ummah was a manifestation of his sincerity; however, God considered any deviation from the truth, even if motivated by good intentions, as oppression.
The Islamic Ummah, from the dawn of Islam until today, has faced two destructive currents: (1) the rigid and austere current, exemplified by the Khawarij; (2) the aimless and secular current, exemplified by the pragmatists.
From the viewpoint of religious sociology, these two currents, as the principal agents of the Ummahs decline, have obstructed the realisation of religious ideals. The rigid current, through harshness, and the secular current, through aimlessness, have undermined religious cohesion.
The rigid current, by enforcing stringent beliefs, deprives society of the right to life and freedom. This current showed no mercy even towards the Imams (peace be upon them).
From the perspective of Islamic history, the Khawarij, through their fanaticism, caused the schism of the Ummah and weakened the position of the Imam (peace be upon him). This current obstructed the acceptance of the infallible leadership.
Historically, the Khawarij even insulted the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) in the mosque, yet he responded with silence in observance of the verse:
اسْتَمِعُوا وَأَنْصِتُوا
Translation: Listen attentively and be silent.
From the perspective of Shii theology, this conduct serves as a paradigm for managing social conflicts and preserving unity in the face of fanaticism.
The fanaticism of the rigid current caused society to be deprived of the merit of benefiting from the Imam. This deprivation led to the occultation of the Imam of the Age (may God hasten his reappearance).
From the perspective of Shii theology, occultation is the consequence of societal immaturity in accepting infallible leadership. Fanaticism hindered connection with the Imam.
The secular current, with its emphasis on pragmatism and disbelief, leads to the dissolution of religious identity. This current, under the slogan everyone be together, weakens faith.
From the viewpoint of religious political philosophy, secularism, by promoting religious indifference, contradicts the concept of the moderate Ummah (Ummah Wasat) and disrupts religious cohesion.
A poem that advises live such that neither Muslim nor disbeliever is pleased with you exemplifies secular thought that undermines religious identity.
From the perspective of religious literature, this poem promotes aimlessness and dissolution of religious identity, which contradicts Quranic ideals.
The two rigid and secular currents have historically caused the defeat of Ummah and nations. Through extremism and negligence, these two have weakened religious cohesion.
From the perspective of Islamic history, these two currents, as primary agents of the Ummahs decline, have obstructed unity and religious progress.
Both the rigid current (through harshness) and the secular current (through aimlessness) are oppressive. God warned the Prophet (peace be upon him) against falling into the secular current (followers of desires).
From the perspective of Quranic ethics, oppression encompasses any deviation from the truth, whether through extremism or negligence. This viewpoint demonstrates the comprehensiveness of the concept of oppression.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) was not part of the rigid current, but due to his eagerness for guidance, he could have inclined towards the secular current. God preserved him from this danger.
From the perspective of Shii theology, the Prophets infallibility shielded him from all deviations, but the divine warning stresses the necessity of commitment to truth.
Section Five addressed the challenges faced by the Islamic Ummah in confronting the two rigid and secular currents. These currents, through extremism and negligence, led to the Ummahs decline and the weakening of religious identity. The divine warning to the Prophet (peace be upon him) highlights his infallibility and the necessity of adherence to divine knowledge. Reforming these challenges requires avoidance of extremism and negligence and realising the concept of the moderate Ummah.
God created creation with diversity, and the uniformity of humans, such as the imposition of rigid beliefs, contradicts divine wisdom. Diversity is a sign of unity within multiplicity.
From the perspective of Quranic philosophy, diversity in creation reflects divine wisdom. Uniformity, by disregarding this diversity, leads to deviation.
Unity is like the fingers of a hand that, despite their diversity, act harmoniously. Unity lies in coordination and joint function, not in uniformity.
From the viewpoint of Quranic sociology, this parable emphasises the necessity to preserve diversity within the religious community and to create harmony amid differences. Unity is realised in united function, not uniformity.
Wrong love, such as following desires, is oppression even if motivated by good intention. God warns the Prophet (peace be upon him) against this form of oppression.
From the perspective of Quranic ethics, good intention alone does not justify an action. The act must conform to knowledge and truth to be free from oppression.
Wrong love, such as taking pleasure in others
