"And even if you bring every sign to those who have been given the Book, they would not follow your Qiblah. And you are not to follow their Qiblah, nor are they to follow each other's Qiblah. And if you were to follow their desires after the knowledge that has come to you, you will then certainly be among the unjust." (2:145)

In continuing the discussion on the subject of the Qiblah, or the divinely-ordained orientation, the present verse provides yet another instance of the maliciousness of the People of the Book. It is not that they demand solid and convincing arguments in order to be able to accept the new injunction with regard to the Qiblah: it is sheer stubbornness which does not allow them to give their assent, and no proof in the world, declares the Holy Qur'an, is ever going to satisfy them. In fact, their two groups display an equal malice even towards each other - the Jews have adopted the Baytul-Maqdis as their Qiblah, while the Christians have chosen the East, and each group rejects the Qiblah of the other. On the other hand, the Holy Prophet Sallallahu 'Alayhi Wasallam: Peace be upon him, cannot accept either of these two orientations, for the new Qiblah of the Muslims - the Baytullah - has been instituted by a divine commandment, and is never going to be abrogated.

So, there is no likelihood of an agreement between the People of the Book and the Muslims in this, matter. The Baytul-Maqdis, no doubt, had once been instituted by a di­vine commandment, but that commandment has now been abrogated. Anyone who follows an abrogated injunction, and ignores the new injunction which has replaced the earlier one, is actually disobeying Allah, and acting upon his individual opinion and personal desire. Naturally, it is impossible for the Holy Prophet Sallallahu 'Alayhi Wasallam: Peace be upon him to follow the desires of the People of the Book. But, supposing for the sake of supposition, were he to do so even after having received a definite injunction through the Wahy (Revelation), he would be counted among the unjust - that is, among those who disobey divine commandments. Such a situation, however, can never arise. Being a prophet, he is essentially sinless, and as such cannot possibly be among the unjust. From this principle it logically follows that it is impossible for him to favour the desires of the People of the Book, and to accept their Qiblah as his own.

Let us make it quite clear that this warning is outwardly addressed to the Holy Prophet Sallallahu 'Alayhi Wasallam: Peace be upon him, but is, in fact, intended for his Ummah, which is being asked to realize fully the gravity of the sin of ignoring or disobeying the injunction which has finally established the Baytullah as the Qiblah of the Muslims.

As for the phrase: "You are not to follow their Qiblah", it is meant to declare that the Baytullah shall now stay as the Qiblah upto the end of the world. Thus, the declaration refutes the scoffing allegation of the People of the Book that there was no stability in the Islamic injunctions, and that the Muslims might again adopt the Baytul-Maqdis as their Qiblah. (Al-Bahr al-Muhit)

» Posted by Seifeddine-M on 24th May 2011

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