"The foolish among the people will say..." (142-143)
"The foolish" are the light-minded, meaning the Jews, due to their aversion to facing the Kaaba, believing that abrogation is impossible. Others say they are the hypocrites, due to their eagerness to mock and criticize. Others say they are the polytheists, who said, "He turned away from the qibla of his forefathers, then returned to it; by God, he will return to their religion."
If you ask: What is the benefit of reporting their words before they occur?
I say: The benefit is that the suddenness of an unpleasant event is more severe, and knowing it beforehand prevents agitation when it happens, as the soul has already been prepared. Furthermore, a ready answer before it is needed is more effective against an opponent and better at repelling their mischief; "the arrow is feathered before it is shot."
"What has turned them away from their qibla?"
Meaning: What has diverted them from the direction they used to face, which is Jerusalem?
"To God belong the East and the West"
Meaning: All lands of the East and West, and the entire earth.
"He guides whom He wills to a straight path"
Meaning: Among the people, to that which wisdom and interest dictate, such as directing them at one time to Jerusalem and at another to the Kaaba.
"And thus We have made you a middle nation"
Just as this wondrous appointment was made, We have made you a "middle" (wasat) nation, meaning the best. It is a description using a noun that denotes the center of a thing. Therefore, it applies equally to the singular, plural, masculine, and feminine. Similar to this is the Prophet’s saying: "And take the thabaja (the middle)," meaning the middle ground between fat and lean.
It is said that the best are called "middle" because the edges are prone to defects and flaws, while the middle is protected and guarded.
"To be witnesses over the people"
It is narrated that on the Day of Resurrection, nations will deny that the prophets delivered the message. God will demand proof from the prophets, and the nation of Muhammad (peace be upon him) will be brought to testify. The nations will ask, "How did you know?" They will reply, "We knew this through God’s report in His speaking Book, upon the tongue of His truthful Prophet." Then Muhammad (peace be upon him) will be brought and asked about the state of his nation, and he will testify to their righteousness. This is the meaning of: "How then [will it be] when We bring from every nation a witness and bring you as a witness over these?" (An-Nisa: 41).
If you ask: Why was it not said "witnesses for them" instead of "over them"?
I say: Because a witness is like a watcher and guardian over the one testified for, the preposition of superiority ('ala) is used.
"The one you were upon"
This is not an adjective for the qibla; rather, it is the second object of "made." It means: We did not make the qibla—the direction you must face—the one you were upon previously (the Kaaba), except to test and try the people.
"That We may know"
Those who are steadfast in Islam and truthful in it, from those who are on the edge and turn back on their heels.
If you ask: How can He say "that We may know" when He has always known?
I say: It means: that We may know it with a knowledge to which reward is attached, meaning to see it manifest and realized. Or, it is said: so that the Messenger and the believers may know. It is attributed to God because they are His chosen ones. Or, it means: to distinguish the follower from the one who turns back, as in: "That God may distinguish the wicked from the good" (Al-Anfal: 37). Knowledge is used in place of distinction because distinction occurs through knowledge.
"And indeed, it is difficult, except for those whom God has guided"
The "in" is the lightened particle followed by the differentiating lam. The pronoun in "it was" refers to what the verse implies—the turning back, the change, or the appointment. "Difficult" means burdensome and arduous.
"And God would never let your faith go to waste"
Meaning: Your steadfastness in faith, and that you did not waver or doubt. Rather, He appreciated your deed and prepared for you a great reward. It may also mean: God would not leave your turning [of the qibla] as a corruption or a waste of your faith. It is said that for those who prayed toward Jerusalem before the change, their prayer is not lost.
"Indeed, God is, to the people, Kind and Merciful"
He does not waste their rewards and does not abandon what is in their best interest.
