تِلكَ أُمَّةٌ قَد خَلَت ۖ لَها ما كَسَبَت وَلَكُم ما كَسَبتُم ۖ وَلا تُسأَلونَ عَمّا كانوا يَعمَلونَ

That was a community that has passed on. They will reap what they sowed, and you will reap what you sowed. You won’t be questioned about their deeds.

وَقالوا كونوا هودًا أَو نَصارىٰ تَهتَدوا ۗ قُل بَل مِلَّةَ إِبراهيمَ حَنيفًا ۖ وَما كانَ مِنَ المُشرِكينَ

They say, “Be Jews or Christians, and you will be guided.” Say, “Rather, the faith of Abraham, the Monotheist, and he was not of the polytheists.”

قولوا آمَنّا بِاللَّهِ وَما أُنزِلَ إِلَينا وَما أُنزِلَ إِلىٰ إِبراهيمَ وَإِسماعيلَ وَإِسحاقَ وَيَعقوبَ وَالأَسباطِ وَما أوتِيَ موسىٰ وَعيسىٰ وَما أوتِيَ النَّبِيّونَ مِن رَبِّهِم لا نُفَرِّقُ بَينَ أَحَدٍ مِنهُم وَنَحنُ لَهُ مُسلِمونَ

Say, “We believe in God, and in what was revealed to us, and in what was revealed to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes, and in what was given to Moses and Jesus, and in what was given to the prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and to Him we submit.”

فَإِن آمَنوا بِمِثلِ ما آمَنتُم بِهِ فَقَدِ اهتَدَوا ۖ وَإِن تَوَلَّوا فَإِنَّما هُم في شِقاقٍ ۖ فَسَيَكفيكَهُمُ اللَّهُ ۚ وَهُوَ السَّميعُ العَليمُ

If they believe as you believe, then they are guided. But if they turn away, they are in schism. God will be sufficient for you against them. He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.

صِبغَةَ اللَّهِ ۖ وَمَن أَحسَنُ مِنَ اللَّهِ صِبغَةً ۖ وَنَحنُ لَهُ عابِدونَ

God’s coloring—what color could be superior to God’s? “We are worshipers of Him.”

أَم تَقولونَ إِنَّ إِبراهيمَ وَإِسماعيلَ وَإِسحاقَ وَيَعقوبَ وَالأَسباطَ كانوا هودًا أَو نَصارىٰ ۗ قُل أَأَنتُم أَعلَمُ أَمِ اللَّهُ ۗ وَمَن أَظلَمُ مِمَّن كَتَمَ شَهادَةً عِندَهُ مِنَ اللَّهِ ۗ وَمَا اللَّهُ بِغافِلٍ عَمّا تَعمَلونَ

Do you assert that Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes were Jews or Christians? Say, “Are you more knowledgeable, or is God?” Who is more unjust than one who conceals a testimony he has from God? God is not unaware of what you do.

تِلكَ أُمَّةٌ قَد خَلَت ۖ لَها ما كَسَبَت وَلَكُم ما كَسَبتُم ۖ وَلا تُسأَلونَ عَمّا كانوا يَعمَلونَ

That was a community that has passed on. They are responsible for their actions, and you are responsible for yours. You won’t be questioned about what they did.

سَيَقولُ السُّفَهاءُ مِنَ النّاسِ ما وَلّاهُم عَن قِبلَتِهِمُ الَّتي كانوا عَلَيها ۚ قُل لِلَّهِ المَشرِقُ وَالمَغرِبُ ۚ يَهدي مَن يَشاءُ إِلىٰ صِراطٍ مُستَقيمٍ

The foolish among the people will say, “Why did they change their prayer direction?” Say: “To God belong the East and the West, He guides whom He wills to a straight path.”

وَكَذٰلِكَ جَعَلناكُم أُمَّةً وَسَطًا لِتَكونوا شُهَداءَ عَلَى النّاسِ وَيَكونَ الرَّسولُ عَلَيكُم شَهيدًا ۗ وَما جَعَلنَا القِبلَةَ الَّتي كُنتَ عَلَيها إِلّا لِنَعلَمَ مَن يَتَّبِعُ الرَّسولَ مِمَّن يَنقَلِبُ عَلىٰ عَقِبَيهِ ۚ وَإِن كانَت لَكَبيرَةً إِلّا عَلَى الَّذينَ هَدَى اللَّهُ ۗ وَما كانَ اللَّهُ لِيُضيعَ إيمانَكُم ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ بِالنّاسِ لَرَءوفٌ رَحيمٌ

We made you a balanced community, so that you may be witnesses over humanity, and the Messenger may be a witness over you. We established your former prayer direction to differentiate those who follow the Messenger from those who turn back on their heels. It was indeed significant, except for those whom God has guided. God won’t let your faith be wasted. Indeed, God is, to the people, Kind and Merciful.

قَد نَرىٰ تَقَلُّبَ وَجهِكَ فِي السَّماءِ ۖ فَلَنُوَلِّيَنَّكَ قِبلَةً تَرضاها ۚ فَوَلِّ وَجهَكَ شَطرَ المَسجِدِ الحَرامِ ۚ وَحَيثُ ما كُنتُم فَوَلّوا وُجوهَكُم شَطرَهُ ۗ وَإِنَّ الَّذينَ أوتُوا الكِتابَ لَيَعلَمونَ أَنَّهُ الحَقُّ مِن رَبِّهِم ۗ وَمَا اللَّهُ بِغافِلٍ عَمّا يَعمَلونَ

We observed you turning your face towards the heavens, so We will guide you to a direction that will please you. Turn your face towards the Sacred Mosque, and wherever you may be, face it. Those given the Scripture know this to be the truth from their Lord. God is not unaware of what they do.