Surah Al-Baqarah
وَلِلَّهِ ٱلْمَشْرِقُ وَٱلْمَغْرِبُ ۚ فَأَيْنَمَا تُوَلُّوا۟ فَثَمَّ وَجْهُ ٱللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ وَٰسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ
Wa lillāhil-masyriqu wal-magrib(u), fa'ainamā tuwallū faṡamma wajhullāh(i), innallāha wāsi‘un ‘alīm(un).
And to Allah belongs the east and the west. So wherever you [might] turn, there is the Face of Allah. Indeed, Allah is all-Encompassing and Knowing.
📝 Footnotes
36) The Face of Allah (wajhullāh) can mean 'the Essence of Allah SWT' or 'the Pleasure of Allah SWT', whereas what is meant here is the direction of the Qiblah approved by Allah SWT when someone cannot determine the correct direction for certain reasons. This intent is illustrated in the cause of revelation (sabab nuzul) narrated by ‘Amir bin Rabi‘ah RA. He said, "We accompanied the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) on a journey. Suddenly, the sky became overcast with clouds, making it difficult for us to determine the direction of the Qiblah. So, we prayed and marked our praying positions. When the sun emerged, we realized we had prayed without facing the Qiblah. We reported this to the Messenger of Allah, and then this verse was revealed." (Narrated by Ibn Majah, al-Baihaqi, and at-Tirmidhi).