Mas-jidil-Haraam - (Inviolable Place of Worship)

Mas-jidil-Haraam - (Inviolable Place of Worship)

Surah ‘Al-Baqarah (The Cow) – Chapter – 2)

Stage – 1, Verse –144a of 286, Section –17 of 40 (Part - 2)

BisMIllaahir-Rahmaanir-Rahiim

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

We have seen the turning of thy face to heaven (for guidance, O Muhammad). And now verily We shall make thee turn (in prayer) towards a qiblah which is dear to thee. So turn thy face toward Inviolable Place of Worship.

Qad naraa taqalluba waj-hika fis-samaaa’; falaNuwalli-yannaka Qiblatan- tarzaahaa. Fa-walli wajhaka shatral-Mas-jidil-Haraam.

Lesson

Qiblatan- tarzaahaa – (toward a qiblah, which is dear to Thee), Qiblah, (Centre of attention, purpose of which is: turning towards the direction or place for worship). It has already been explained earlier. Tarzaahaa (which is dear to you), it indicates towards The Square Building (Ka’bah) which was constructed by the Prophet Abraham (peace be upon Him) and that was the favorite place of worship for the entire Arabs. 

Wajhaka – (Thy face), literal meaning of this word is face only or the mouth but the entire body is included in it. Here it means attention, wish, liking and fondness.

‘Al-Mas-jidil-Haraam – (Inviolable Place of Worship) Respectable and Glorious Mosque, that is to say; The Greatest Mosque at Makkah in which the Building of Ka’-bah is situated. First Drawing of the Present Building of this Mosque was prepared during the time of Caliph Mehdi Abbasi. There are large and magnificent courtyards on its four sides. This Building has forty one doors, six Minarets and one hundred fifty small and large Domes.  It is called Masjidil-Haraam (Inviolable Place of Worship). waging a war or going for hunting in its limits is forbidden (unlawful).

Actual Qiblah of the Muslims is the Inviolable Place of Worship at Makkah called Ka’-bah, which was the Qiblah of Prophet Abraham (peace be upon Him). Only for some time, the Bayt ul Muqaddas (the Temple at Jerusalem) was determined as Qiblah for trial. The Children of Israel used to reproach, “While the Divine of Muslims is different from us and is conformity to the religion of Abraham (peace be upon Him) then why they fix upon our Qiblah? The Messenger of God Almighty (glory, grace, blessings and peace be upon Him) used to desire that the Square Building (Ka’-bah) should be appointed as Qiblah by the Order of God Almighty, so that we may offer prayers turning toward the Masjidil-Haraam. He (glory, grace, blessings and peace be upon Him) used to look toward the sky over and over waiting for the revelation by means of the Angel (peace be upon Him). Such condition is being stated in this verse.

 

God Almighty fulfilled this desire of His Last Messenger (glory, grace, blessings and peace be upon Him) and commanded: And now verily We shall make thee turn (in prayer) towards a qiblah which is dear to thee. So turn thy face toward Inviolable Place of Worship. When it was ordered to change the Qiblah, at that time, He (glory, grace, blessings and peace be upon Him) was offering Zuhar prayer. Two Rak-‘at of the prayer had been offered, while their faces were toward the Temple of Jerusalem. During offering the prayer, He (glory, grace, blessings and peace be upon Him) and His followers turned their faces towards the Ka’-ba (the Square Building) and completed remaining two Rak-‘ats of their prayer. That Masjid of Madinah, in which this prayer was offered, is called Masjid Qiblatayn.        

    

Transliterated Holy Qur’an in Roman Script & Translated from Arabic to English by Marmaduke Pickthall, Published by Paak Company, 17-Urdu Bazaar, Lahore, Lesson collected from Dars e Qur’aan published By Idara Islaah wa Tableegh, Lahore (translated Urdu to English by Muhammad Sharif)