وَلِلَّهِ ٱلْمَشْرِقُ وَٱلْمَغْرِبُ فَأَيْنَمَا تُوَلُّوا۟ فَثَمَّ وَجْهُ ٱللَّهِ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ وَٰسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ
“Unto Allah belong the East and the West, and whithersoever ye turn, there is Allah's Countenance. Lo! Allah is All-Embracing, All-Knowing.” — M. M. Pickthall
Fahreddin er-Râzî12-13. c.✓ Citation verified
According to this exegete, the word 'wajh' in the expression 'fasmma wajhullah' is not an organ attributed to Allah, but rather an attribution for purposes of exaltation, as in the expressions 'baytullah' and 'nakatullah'; that is, what is meant is the direction that Allah commanded to be turned toward. Furthermore, regarding the reason for the revelation of the verse, according to the majority's view, this verse is concerned with prayer, particularly the permission to turn toward the qibla in supererogatory prayers during travel. Some exegetes have interpreted the verse as concerning a matter outside of prayer, namely the destruction of mosques and the situation of the Negus.
أن إضافة وجه الله كإضافة بيت الله وناقة الله ، والمراد منها الإضافة بالخلق والإيجاد على سبيل التشريف
Kurtubî13. c.✓ Citation verified
According to Kurtubî, what is meant by 'east' and 'west' are the eastern and western directions of Allah's dominion; the particular mention of these two directions is an expression of exaltation (similar to the expressions 'baytullah' and 'nakatullah'). Furthermore, scholars have presented five views regarding the expression 'fa ayna ma tawallû fasmma wajhullah', one of which is based on the story of the Companions who prayed toward different directions without knowing the qibla on a dark night, and another is based on the Prophet praying supererogatory prayers on his mount in whatever direction it faced. In this context, the author conveys that turning toward the qibla can be abandoned in cases of necessity and permission, citing jurisprudential disagreements.
المشرق موضع الشروق والمغرب موضع الغروب أي هما له ملك وما بينهما من الجهات والمخلوقات بالايجاد والاختراع كما تقدم وخصهما بالذكر والاضافة إليه تشريفا نحو بيت الله وناقة الله
İbn Kesîr14. c.✓ Citation verified
Ibn Kesîr transmits various views regarding the verse about the qibla: According to some, this verse is concerned with the abrogation of the qibla from Bayt al-Maqdis to the Kaaba; according to others, the verse was revealed before the obligation of turning toward the Kaaba was prescribed, and was revealed to inform the Muslims that wherever they turn in prayer, Allah is there. Furthermore, reports are mentioned regarding the story of the Companion who was confused about the direction of the qibla in cloudy weather and prayed toward different directions, as well as [claims] that it was revealed due to the death of the Negus. Weaknesses in the chains of transmission of these different reports are also pointed out.
وقال آخرون بل أنزل الله هذه الآية قبل أن يفرض التوجه إلى الكعبة وإنما أنزلها ليعلم نبيه صلى الله عليه وسلم وأصحابه أن لهم التوجه بوجوههم للصلاة حيث شاءوا من نواحي المشرق والمغرب لأنهم لا يوجهون وجوههم وجها من ذلك وناحية إلا كان جل ثناؤه في ذلك الوجه وتلك الناحية
Beydâvî13. c.✓ Citation verified
According to Beydâwî, the expressions 'east and west' refer to all directions of the earth; that is, the entire earth belongs to Allah and is not specific to a particular place. Therefore, even if they are prevented from praying in the Sacred Mosque or the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the earth has been made a mosque for them, and wherever they turn, Allah's face/direction is there. Beydâwî also transmits reports that this verse was revealed regarding a traveler praying while on an animal, or regarding a group that was confused about the qibla and prayed toward different directions; and according to one view, this was a preparation for the abrogation of the qibla.
فأينما تولوا ففي أي مكان فعلتم التولية شطر القبلة فثم وجه الله أي جهته التي أمر بها فإن إمكان التولية لا يختص بمسجد أو مكان
Taberî9-10. c.✓ Citation verified
Taberî explains the fact that 'east and west' in the verse belong to Allah in terms of ownership and divine governance; that is, the entirety of the eastern and western directions of the sky are His dominion and His creation. He also transmits different reports regarding the reason for the revelation of the verse: the change of the qibla from Bayt al-Maqdis to the Kaaba, freedom of direction in supererogatory prayer during travel, or the situation of those who do not know the qibla in darkness. He begins to state his own preference at the end, but the text is cut off at this point.
لله ملكهما وتدبيرهما، كما يقال: لفلان هذه الدار، يعني بها أنها له ملكا
Comparison
Common ground
All exegetes accept that the expressions 'wajh' and 'east-west' do not confine Allah to a place or organ, but rather indicate an attribution/exaltation or ownership. Furthermore, most of them transmit reports linking the reason for the revelation of the verse to prayer (particularly supererogatory prayer during travel or cases of confusion about the qibla) and connect it with the issue of the abrogation of the qibla.
Differences
While Râzî addresses the matter more on a theological/doctrinal plane and emphasizes Allah's transcendence from being a body, Taberî and Ibn Kesîr place weight on the evaluation of the chains of transmission and preference among reports. While Kurtubî details jurisprudential disagreements into five views, Beydâwî interprets east-west more comprehensively as 'the entirety of the earth' and connects it to a jurisprudential conclusion such that the error of the jurist does not require correction. Moreover, the report about the Negus is only mentioned by Râzî and Ibn Kesîr.
Historical context
Early-period exegetes such as Taberî and Ibn Kesîr focused on transmitting reports and evaluating their chains of transmission, while later exegetes such as Râzî and Beydâwî processed linguistic/rhetorical analysis and theological arguments more systematically; Kurtubî, for his part, balanced the combination of reports and jurisprudential inferences. The fundamental line of interpretation (that Allah is transcendent from place, and that the attribution is exalting in nature) has remained fixed throughout the periods; only the method of treatment and points of emphasis have changed.