سَيَقُولُ ٱلسُّفَهَآءُ مِنَ ٱلنَّاسِ مَا وَلَّىٰهُمْ عَن قِبْلَتِهِمُ ٱلَّتِى كَانُوا۟ عَلَيْهَا قُل لِّلَّهِ ٱلْمَشْرِقُ وَٱلْمَغْرِبُ يَهْدِى مَن يَشَآءُ إِلَىٰ صِرَٰطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ
“The foolish of the people will say: What hath turned them from the qiblah which they formerly observed? Say: Unto Allah belong the East and the West. He guideth whom He will unto a straight path.” — M. M. Pickthall
Taberî9-10. c.✓ Citation verified
Taberî transmits different reports regarding the identity of the 'foolish ones' mentioned in the verse: according to a report from Ibn Abbas, they are Jews; according to a report from as-Suddi, they are hypocrites. He mentions that when the direction of prayer was changed from Jerusalem to the Kaaba, some people objected saying 'This man is homesick for his birthplace', and that Allah characterized those who said this as foolish due to their ignorance and hypocrisy. He works through these reports in a manner approaching preference and explains that the name 'foolish' stems from their belittling of the truth (safahu al-haqq).
يعني بقوله جل ثناؤه سيقول الجهال من الناس وهم اليهود، وأهل النفاق وإنما سماهم الله عز وجل سفهاء، لأنهم سفهوا الحق
Zemahşerî12. c.✓ Citation verified
According to Zamakhshari, the meaning of the expression in the verse is 'He guided me to a path/straight way'; the evidence for this is the statement indicating that everyone who does not believe in the afterlife has deviated from the right path. Additionally, in this context, he mentions the incident of Sumayyah ibn Usaal al-Hanafi from the Thaqif tribe, who entered Islam and returned to Yamama, cutting off the supply of provisions to the people of Mecca, and as a result the Meccans were punished with famine and forced to eat a food called 'ilhiz'; he reminds us that Abu Sufyan came to the Prophet and claimed he was 'a mercy to the worlds', while it is transmitted that he said fathers were killed by the sword and children by hunger.
لما أسلم ثمامة بن أثامة الحنفي ولحق باليمامة ومنع الميرة من أهل مكة وأخذهم الله بالسنين حتى أكلوا العلهز جاء أبو سفيان إلى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فقال له : أنشدك الله والرحم ألست تزعم أنك بعثت رحمة للعالمين فقال : بلى ، فقال : قتلت الآباء بالسيف ، والأبناء بالجوع
Fahreddin er-Râzî12-13. c.✓ Citation verified
This text transmits two views regarding the matter of the change of the direction of prayer to the Kaaba: according to the majority of exegetes, the change from Bayt al-Maqdis to the Kaaba occurred a certain period after the migration to Medina (various reports are transmitted on this matter ranging between 9-18 months); according to Abu Muslim, this change should be accepted because it is established by authentic reports. Additionally, the linguistic origins of the term 'direction of prayer' and the objections raised by Jews and Christians to the matter of abrogation are also discussed.
واختلفت الروايات في أنه عليه الصلاة والسلام متى حول القبلة بعد ذهابه إلى المدينة فعن أنس بن مالك رضي الله عنه بعد تسعة أشهر أو عشرة أشهر ، وعن معاذ بعد ثلاثة عشر شهرا وعن قتادة بعد ستة عشر شهرا وعن ابن عباس والبراء بن عازب بعد سبعة عشر شهرا ، وهذا القول أثبت عندنا من سائر الأقوال
Kurtubî13. c.✓ Citation verified
According to Qurtubi, the differences of opinion regarding the expression 'foolish ones' are transmitted: according to Mujahid and as-Suddi, they are the Jews of Medina; according to some, they are hypocrites; according to az-Zajjaj, they are the disbelieving Quraysh who rejected the change of direction of prayer. Furthermore, the reason for specifically mentioning 'among the people' is to indicate that foolishness can be found in inanimate objects and animals as well, thus it is being restricted to human beings. The text also transmits the narrative details of the event of changing the direction of prayer (the prayer in Quba, the hadith of Bara, the story of the mosque of two directions of prayer).
والمراد بالسفهاء هنا اليهود الذين بالمدينة قاله مجاهد السدى : المنافقون الزجاج : كفار قريش لما أنكروا تحويل القبلة قالوا : قد اشتاق محمد إلى مولده وعن قريب
İbn Kesîr14. c.✓ Citation verified
Ibn Kathir explains the verse regarding the change of direction of prayer by saying that the Prophet prayed between two corners in Mecca (the Kaaba and Bayt al-Maqdis), and when he migrated to Medina, it became impossible to combine these two, so Allah commanded him to face Bayt al-Maqdis, and he prayed this way for sixteen or seventeen months, the Prophet greatly desired to turn to the Kaaba, which was Ibrahim's direction of prayer, and he supplicated for it, and finally his desire was accepted and he was commanded to face the Kaaba. This change was first implemented in the afternoon prayer (according to some reports in the noon prayer), while the people of Quba, whose news arrived late, changed their direction in the dawn prayer.
فلما هاجر إلى المدينة تعذر الجمع بينهما فأمره الله بالتوجه إلى بيت المقدس قاله ابن عباس والجمهور ثم اختلف هؤلاء هل كان الأمر به بالقرآن أو بغيره على قولين
Beydâvî13. c.✓ Citation verified
According to Baydawi, the expression 'foolish ones' refers to the hypocrites, Jews, and polytheists who objected to the change of direction of prayer; forewarning of this objection carries benefits such as preparing the Prophet's heart, preparing the answer in advance, and bringing forth the miracle. He states that the direction of prayer is not inherently bound to a specific place due to an intrinsic property, but that what is truly important is to obey Allah's command. He expresses that facing Bayt al-Maqdis or the Kaaba changed according to the requirements of wisdom and benefit.
والقبلة في الأصل الحالة التي عليها الإنسان من الاستقبال، فصارت عرفا للمكان المتوجه نحوه للصلاة قل لله المشرق والمغرب لا يختص به مكان دون مكان بخاصية ذاتية تمنع إقامة غيره مقامه، وإنما العبرة بارتسام أمره لا بخصوص المكان
Comparison
Common ground
Taberî, Qurtubi, and Baydawi transmit the variety of reports regarding the expression 'foolish ones', which could be Jews, hypocrites, or polytheists; Ibn Kathir and ar-Razi base the historical process of the change of direction of prayer (the change from Bayt al-Maqdis to the Kaaba, its duration, and its stages) on reports. All the exegetes resort to both the transmission of reports and linguistic/rhetorical analysis together.
Differences
While Taberî and Qurtubi are mostly content with transmitting report differences and focus on the linguistic origins of the word 'foolish', Zamakhshari connects the matter to rational inference through the verse's denotation and constructs meaning through a historical event (the story of Sumayyah). While ar-Razi transfers the matter to a kalam/jurisprudential discussion (abrogation, ta'lil, the dispute between Ahl as-Sunnah and Mu'tazila), Ibn Kathir prioritizes historical-report reading based on authentic hadiths, and Baydawi presents a contextual commentary emphasizing the wisdom of the objection (the preparation of the Prophet, the emergence of the miracle).
Historical context
The earliest exegete Taberî displays report abundance and limits himself to stating preference, while later exegetes like Zamakhshari and ar-Razi have processed linguistic analysis and kalam discussions more systematically, Ibn Kathir has presented a more organized historical narrative based on hadith criticism, and Baydawi has resolved the matter with a summary and wisdom-focused synthesis. The fundamental issue (the change of direction of prayer and the identity of those who objected) has remained constant, while the approach and depth have varied according to the period's concerns.
Modern connection
These different readings remind us that a community's reactions to change often stem from lack of information or prejudice, which in turn points to the importance of approaching matters with patience and tolerance. Furthermore, it is seen that harmony between knowledge and faith is made possible through evaluating events within both historical and rational frameworks. Acting sincerely in social changes and establishing mutual dialogue continue to hold value as a constructive attitude in our time.
AI analysis — not a fatwa or ruling, not yet reviewed by a scholar