Transliteration:( Wa likullinw wijhatun huwa muwalleehaa fastabiqul khairaat; ayna maa takoonoo yaati bikumullaahu jamee'aa; innal laaha 'alaa kulli shai'in qadeer )
"For every person there is a direction [309] to which he faces, so strive to surpass [310] others in doing good deeds. Wherever you may be—Allah will bring you forth altogether [311]. Verily, Allah has power over everything."
This verse teaches that every individual has a Qibla (direction)—physically or spiritually:
The Qibla of the body is the Ka'bah in Makkah
The Qibla of the heart is the Holy Prophet ﷺ, the spiritual axis of divine love and guidance
The Qibla of worldly desires (nafs) is Shaytan, the carnal distractions of life
📌 People may turn their faces toward a direction in worship, but their hearts reveal their true spiritual orientation.
Allah encourages believers to strive to surpass one another in good deeds:
Healthy competition in righteousness is praiseworthy
Greed in material wealth, however, is blameworthy
💡 Key insight:
If a person offers his spot in the first row of prayer to a latecomer out of sincere respect or religious courtesy, it is allowed
But if it is done for show, fear, or worldly favor, it becomes meaningless or even discouraged
📌 The desire to excel in virtue is a sign of true Imaan
The phrase “Allah will bring you forth altogether” points to the Day of Resurrection (Yawm al-Hashr):
In the beginning, everyone—believers and non-believers—will be gathered together
This is why the Day of Judgment is also called “Hashr” (Gathering)
Later:
The people will be separated into groups:
Believers with believers
Disbelievers with disbelievers
📖 Allah says:
“And today, be separate, O you culprits.” (Surah Yaseen, 36:59)
📌 This transformation from unity to separation highlights both:
The unity of divine judgment, and
The consequence-based sorting of individuals according to their deeds and beliefs
The tafsir of Surah Baqarah verse 147 by Ibn Kathir is unavailable here.
Please refer to Surah Baqarah ayat 146 which provides the complete commentary from verse 146 through 147.
(2:148) Everyone has a direction towards which he turns; so excel one another in good works.[149] Allah will bring you all together wherever you might be, for nothing is beyond His power.
149. There is a subtle gap between this sentence and the next, a gap which the reader can fill with just a little reflection. The idea conveyed here is that anyone who prays will, after all, have to turn his face in some direction. But what is of real significance is not the turning of one’s face in some specific direction but one’s orientation to righteousness for the sake of which one performs the ritual Prayer. A man’s real concern should be moral excellence rather than controversies regarding such formal regulations as the direction of Prayer.
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