وَجَلَand aweالَّذِيwhichهُوَit isصِفَةٌa characteristicمِنْofصِفَاتِهِhis attributes
And awe, which is one of His characteristics,
لَكِنْbutهُنَاكَthere isكَلِمَةٌa wordاخْتَلَفَdifferedالْمُفَسِّرُونَthe interpretersفِيهَاin it::
but there is a word that the interpreters differed about,
وَهِيَand it isقَوْلُهُHis sayingتَعَالَىthe Most High::﴿(وَلِلَّهِAnd to Allah belongsالْمَشْرِقُthe eastوَالْمَغْرِبُand the westفَأَيْنَمَاSo whereverتُوَلُّواyou turnفَثَمَّthen there isوَجْهُthe face ofاللَّهِAllah﴿(البَقَرَةُ:Al-Baqarah:١١٥115))
and it is His saying, the Most High: "And to Allah belongs the east and the west; so wherever you turn, there is the face of Allah." (Al-Baqarah: 115)
فَأَيْنَمَاSo whereverتُوَلُّواyou turn؛;يَعْنِيit means::إِلَىtoأَيِّanyمَكَانٍplaceتُوَلُّواyou turn your facesوُجُوهَكُمْyour facesعِندَatالصَّلَاةِthe prayerفَتَمَّthen there is؛;أَيُّmeaning::فَهُنَاكَthere isوَجْهٌthe faceاللَّهِof Allah
So wherever you turn; it means: to any place you turn your faces at the prayer, then there is the face of Allah.
فَمِنْهُمْSome of themمِنْofقَالَsaid::إِنَّIndeedالْوَجْهَthe faceبِمَعْنَىmeansالْجِهَةِthe direction؛;لِقَوْلِهِdue to His sayingتَعَالَىthe Most High::وَلِكُلِّAnd for eachوِجْهَةٌhis directionهُوَhe isمُوَلٍّهَاturning to it
Some of them said: Indeed, the face means the direction; due to His saying, the Most High: "And for each there is a direction to which he turns."
﴾(الْبَقَرَةُAl-Baqarah::١٤٨148؛;فَالْمُرَادُSo what is meantبِالْوَجْهِby the faceالْجِهَةُis the direction;أَيْthat isفَثَمَّthere isجِهَةٌa direction ofاللَّهِAllah;أَيْthat isفَثَمَّthere isالْجِهَةُthe directionالَّتِيwhichيَقْبَلُacceptsاللَّهُAllahصَلَاتَكُمْyour prayersإِلَيْهَاto it.
So what is meant by the face is the direction; that is, there is a direction of Allah; that is, there is the direction which Allah accepts your prayers to it.
قَالُواThey said::لَأَنَّهَاBecause it wasنَزَلَتْrevealedفِيinحَالَa stateالسَّفَرِ؛of travel;إِذَاWhenصَلَّىa person praysالْإِنْسَانُthe personالْنَّافِلَةَ؛the voluntary prayer;فَإِنَّهُhe praysيُصَلِّيhe praysحَيْثُwhereverكَانَhe wasوَجْهَهُfacingأوorإِذَاifاشْتَبَهَتِthe qibla is confusedالْقِبْلَةُ؛the qibla;فَإِنَّهُhe strivesيَتَحَرَّىto ascertainوَيُصَلِّيand praysحَيْثُwhereverكَانَhe wasوَجْهَهُhis face.
They said: Because it was revealed in a state of travel; when a person prays the voluntary prayer, he prays wherever his face was, or if the qibla is confused, then he strives to ascertain and prays wherever his face was.
وَلَكِنَّButالصَّحِيحُthe correctأَنْis thatالْمُرَادَwhat is meantبِالْوَجْهِby the faceهُنَاhereوَجْهٌthe faceاللَّهِof Allahالْحَقِيقِيُّ؛the real;أَيْthat isإِلَىtoأَيِّanyجِهَةٍdirectionتَتَوَجَّهُونَ؛you face;فَثَمَّthere isوَجْهٌthe faceاللَّهِAllahسُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى؛the Most High;لِأَنَّbecauseاللَّهَAllahمُحِيطٌis encompassingبِكُلِّwith allشَيْءٍ؛something;وَلِأَنَّهُand becauseثَبَتَit has been establishedعَنْfromالنَّبِيِّthe Prophetأَنْthatالْمُصَلِّيthe one who praysإِذَاwhenقَامَhe standsيُصَلِّي؛praying;فَإِنَّthen trulyاللَّهُAllahيَقْبَلُacceptsوَجْهَهُhis face؛;وَلِهَذَاand for this reasonنَهَىhe forbadeأَنْthatيَبْصُقَto spitأَمَامَin front ofوَجْهَهُ؛his face;
But the correct is that what is meant by the face here is the true face of Allah; that is, to any direction you face; there is the face of Allah, the Most High; because Allah is encompassing with all things; and because it has been established from the Prophet that when the one who prays stands up to pray, then truly Allah accepts his face; and for this reason, he forbade to spit in front of his face;
فَإِذَاSo ifصَلَّيْتَyou prayedفِيinمَكَانٍa placeلَاnotتَدْرِيyou knowأَيْنَwhereالْقِبْلَةُ؛the qibla;وَاجْتَهَدْتَand you endeavoredوَتَحَرَّيْتَand you strivedوَصَلَّيْتَand prayed;وَصَارَتْand it becameالْقِبْلَةَthe qiblaفِيinالْوَاقِعِthe realityخَلْفَكَ؛behind you;فَاللَّهُthen indeed Allahيَكُونُisقَبْلَin front ofوَجْهِكَ؛your face;
So if you prayed in a place where you do not know where the qibla is; and you endeavored and strived, and you prayed and the qibla became in reality behind you; then indeed Allah is in front of your face even in this case.
(١)(1)رَوَاهُNarrated byالْبُخَارِيُّ؛Al-Bukhari;(٤٠٦)(406)،,وَمُسْلِمٌand Muslim;(٥٤٧)(547)؛;عَنْfromابْنِIbnعُمَرَ؛Umar;رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَاmay Allah be pleased with them.
(1) Narrated by Al-Bukhari (406), and Muslim (547); from Ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with them.