The People of Truth, the God-fearing

Surah Al-Baqarah Ayat 177

لَّيۡسَ ٱلۡبِرَّ أَن تُوَلُّواْ وُجُوهَكُمۡ قِبَلَ ٱلۡمَشۡرِقِ وَٱلۡمَغۡرِبِ وَلَـٰكِنَّ ٱلۡبِرَّ مَنۡ ءَامَنَ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلۡيَوۡمِ ٱلۡأَخِرِ وَٱلۡمَلَـٰٓٮِٕڪَةِ وَٱلۡكِتَـٰبِ وَٱلنَّبِيِّـۧنَ وَءَاتَى ٱلۡمَالَ عَلَىٰ حُبِّهِۦ ذَوِى ٱلۡقُرۡبَىٰ وَٱلۡيَتَـٰمَىٰ وَٱلۡمَسَـٰكِينَ وَٱبۡنَ ٱلسَّبِيلِ وَٱلسَّآٮِٕلِينَ وَفِى ٱلرِّقَابِ وَأَقَامَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتَى ٱلزَّڪَوٰةَ وَٱلۡمُوفُونَ بِعَهۡدِهِمۡ إِذَا عَـٰهَدُواْ‌ۖ وَٱلصَّـٰبِرِينَ فِى ٱلۡبَأۡسَآءِ وَٱلضَّرَّآءِ وَحِينَٱلۡبَأۡسِ‌ۗ أُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ ٱلَّذِينَ صَدَقُواْ‌ۖ وَأُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ هُمُ ٱلۡمُتَّقُونَ۞

This was one of the ayats that was discussed at our weekly Usrah.

It is an ayat where Allah SWT clearly spells out the criteria for being a dutiful person.

It begins by saying that true piety/ righteousness does not consist in turning your faces towards the east or the west.

Tafsir Al-Jalalain explains the phrase turning your faces as "in prayer".

The kitab Asbab Al-Nuzul by Al-Wahidi cites the following hadith for the revelation of this verse:

Said Qatadah: “It was mentioned to us that a man asked the Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, about righteousness, and as an answer Allah, exalted is He, revealed this verse”. He continued: “Before the obligatory duties were prescribed, a man could enter Paradise by his mere utterance of the formula of testification: 'There is no god save Allah and Muhammad is His slave and messenger', if he died believing in it. And so Allah, exalted is He, revealed this verse”.

As interpreted by Muhammad Asad, the Qur'an stresses the principle that mere compliance with outward forms does not fulfil the requirements of piety.

In fact, as further expounded in this ayat, true piety, as in the dutiful person, is the one who

1. believes in God
   
2. believes in the Last Day
3. believes in the angels
4. believes in the Book, that is, the scriptures,
5. believes in the prophets,
6. who gives of his substance, however much he himself may cherish it, to kinsmen
7. similarly to orphans
8. similarly to the needy
9. similarly to the traveller*
   
10. similarly to beggars
11. who frees slaves (whether captive or bonded)
    
12. observes prayer
13. pays the alms
    
14. fulfils his covenant / promises
    
15. endures with fortitude his misfortunes
    
16. endures with fortitude his illnesses and hardship
    
17. endures with fortitude in times of peril

The ayat ends by emphasising that for those who fulfil the above, it is they that have proved themselves true, and it is they, they who are conscious of God.



[Muhammad Asad] *traveller denotes any person who is far from his home, and especially one who, because of this circumstance, does not have sufficient means of livelihood at his disposal. In its wider sense it describes a person who, for any reason whatsoever, is unable to return home either temporarily or permanently: for instance, a political exile or refugee



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