The saying of the Exalted: "The foolish among the people will say"—and they are the polytheists of the Arabs according to the interpretation of Al-Hasan—"what has turned them away from their qiblah (direction of prayer) which they were upon?" It is Bayt al-Maqdis (Jerusalem). This verse was revealed after the Prophet, upon him peace, was directed toward the Kaaba. It is before it in the compilation [of the Quran], and it is after it in the revelation. This is because when Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, directed the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) toward the Kaaba from Bayt al-Maqdis, the polytheists said: "O Muhammad, you turned away from the qiblah of your forefathers, then you returned to it? And by Allah, you shall surely return to their religion." So Allah revealed: "The foolish among the people will say, what has turned them away from their qiblah which they were upon?" up to the end of the verse. [Verse 143]
قَوْله تَعَالَى: ﴿سَيَقُولُ السُّفَهَاءُ مِنَ النَّاس﴾ وهم مشركو الْعَرَب فِي تَفْسِير الْحسن ﴿مَا ولاهم﴾ أَي: مَا حَولهمْ ﴿عَنْ قِبْلَتِهِمُ الَّتِي كَانُوا عَلَيْهَا﴾ هِيَ بَيت الْمُقَدّس؛ نزلت هَذِه الْآيَة بعد مَا صرف النَّبي عليه السلام إِلَى الْكَعْبَة؛ فَهِيَ قبلهَا فِي التَّأْلِيف، وَهِي بعْدهَا فِي التَّنْزِيل؛ وَذَلِكَ أَن رَسُول اللَّهِ ﷺ لما حوله اللَّه ﷿ إِلَى الْكَعْبَة من بَيت الْمُقَدّس، قَالَ الْمُشْركُونَ: يَا مُحَمَّد، رغبت عَنْ قبْلَة آبَائِك، ثمَّ رجعت إِلَيْهَا؟ وَأَيْضًا وَالله لترجعَنَّ إِلَى دينهم؛ فَأنْزل اللَّه: ﴿سَيَقُولُ السُّفَهَاءُ مِنَ النَّاسِ مَا وَلَّاهُمْ عَنْ قِبْلَتِهِمُ الَّتِي كَانُوا عَلَيْهَا﴾ الْآيَة.
[الْآيَة ١٤٣]
