Surah Al-Baqarah (The Cow) in English

1. سيقول السفهاء من الناس ما ولاهم عن قبلتهم التي كانوا عليها قل لله المشرق والمغرب يهدي من يشاء إلى صراط مستقيم

   142

   The foolish among the people will say, ‘What has turned them away from the qiblah they were following?’ Say, ‘To Allah belong the east and the west. He guides whomever He wishes to a straight path.’

   sa-yaqūlu s-sufahāʾu mina n-nāsi mā wallāhum ʿan qiblatihimu llatī kānū ʿalayhā qul li-llāhi l-mashriqu wa-l-maghribu yahdī man yashāʾu ʾilā ṣirāṭin mustaqīmin

2. وكذلك جعلناكم أمة وسطا لتكونوا شهداء على الناس ويكون الرسول عليكم شهيدا وما جعلنا القبلة التي كنت عليها إلا لنعلم من يتبع الرسول ممن ينقلب على عقبيه وإن كانت لكبيرة إلا على الذين هدى الله وما كان الله ليضيع إيمانكم إن الله بالناس لرءوف رحيم

   143

   Thus We have made you a middle nation that you may be witnesses to the people, and that the Apostle may be a witness to you. We did not appoint the qiblah you were following, but that We may ascertain those who follow the Apostle from those who turn back on their heels. It was indeed a hard thing except for those whom Allah has guided. And Allah would not let your prayers go to waste. Indeed Allah is most kind and merciful to mankind.

   wa-ka-dhālika jaʿalnākum ʾummatan wasaṭan li-takūnū shuhadāʾa ʿalā n-nāsi wa-yakūna r-rasūlu ʿalaykum shahīdan wa-mā jaʿalnā l-qiblata llatī kunta ʿalayhā ʾillā li-naʿlama man yattabiʿu r-rasūla mimman yanqalibu ʿalā ʿaqibayhi wa-ʾin kānat la-kabīratan ʾillā ʿalā lladhīna hadā llāhu wa-mā kāna llāhu li-yuḍīʿa ʾīmānakum ʾinna llāha bi-n-nāsi la-raʾūfun raḥīmun

3. قد نرى تقلب وجهك في السماء فلنولينك قبلة ترضاها فول وجهك شطر المسجد الحرام وحيث ما كنتم فولوا وجوهكم شطره وإن الذين أوتوا الكتاب ليعلمون أنه الحق من ربهم وما الله بغافل عما يعملون

   144

   We certainly see you turning your face about in the sky. We will surely turn you to a qiblah of your liking: so turn your face towards the Holy Mosque, and wherever you may be, turn your faces towards it! Indeed those who were given the Book surely know that it is the truth from their Lord. And Allah is not oblivious of what they do.

   qad narā taqalluba wajhika fī s-samāʾi fa-la-nuwalliyannaka qiblatan tarḍāhā fa-walli wajhaka shaṭra l-masjidi l-ḥarāmi wa-ḥaythu mā kuntum fa-wallū wujūhakum shaṭrahū wa-ʾinna lladhīna ʾūtū l-kitāba la-yaʿlamūna ʾannahu l-ḥaqqu min rabbihim wa-mā llāhu bi-ghāfilin ʿammā yaʿmalūna

4. ولئن أتيت الذين أوتوا الكتاب بكل آية ما تبعوا قبلتك وما أنت بتابع قبلتهم وما بعضهم بتابع قبلة بعض ولئن اتبعت أهواءهم من بعد ما جاءك من العلم إنك إذا لمن الظالمين

   145

   Even if you bring those who were given the Book every [kind of] sign, they will not follow your qiblah. Nor shall you follow their qiblah, nor will any of them follow the qiblah of the other. And if you follow their desires, after the knowledge that has come to you, you will be one of the wrongdoers.

   wa-la-ʾin ʾatayta lladhīna ʾūtū l-kitāba bi-kulli ʾāyatin mā tabiʿū qiblataka wa-mā ʾanta bi-tābiʿin qiblatahum wa-mā baʿḍuhum bi-tābiʿin qiblata baʿḍin wa-la-ʾini ttabaʿta ʾahwāʾahum min baʿdi mā jāʾaka mina l-ʿilmi ʾinnaka ʾidhan la-mina ẓ-ẓālimīna