وَقَالَتِ الۡيَهُوۡدُ لَـيۡسَتِ النَّصٰرٰى عَلٰى شَىۡءٍ وَّقَالَتِ النَّصٰرٰى لَـيۡسَتِ الۡيَهُوۡدُ عَلٰى شَىۡءٍۙ وَّهُمۡ يَتۡلُوۡنَ الۡكِتٰبَؕ كَذٰلِكَ قَالَ الَّذِيۡنَ لَا يَعۡلَمُوۡنَ مِثۡلَ قَوۡلِهِمۡۚ فَاللّٰهُ يَحۡكُمُ بَيۡنَهُمۡ يَوۡمَ الۡقِيٰمَةِ فِيۡمَا كَانُوۡا فِيۡهِ يَخۡتَلِفُوۡنَ
وَمَنۡ اَظۡلَمُ مِمَّنۡ مَّنَعَ مَسٰجِدَ اللّٰهِ اَنۡ يُّذۡكَرَ فِيۡهَا اسۡمُهٗ وَسَعٰـى فِىۡ خَرَابِهَا ؕ اُولٰٓـئِكَ مَا كَانَ لَهُمۡ اَنۡ يَّدۡخُلُوۡهَآ اِلَّا خَآئِفِيۡنَ ؕ لَهُمۡ فِى الدُّنۡيَا خِزۡىٌ وَّلَهُمۡ فِى الۡاٰخِرَةِ عَذَابٌ عَظِيۡمٌ
وَلِلّٰهِ الۡمَشۡرِقُ وَالۡمَغۡرِبُ فَاَيۡنَمَا تُوَلُّوۡا فَثَمَّ وَجۡهُ اللّٰهِؕ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيۡمٌ
Translation
(2:113) The Jews say: “The Christians have no basis for their beliefs,” and
the Christians say: “The Jews have no basis for their beliefs.” They say so
even though they read the Scripture. The claim of those who have no knowledge
(of the Scripture) is similar.113 Allah will judge between them
concerning their differences on the Day of Resurrection. (2:114) Who is more iniquitous than he who bars Allah’s places of worship,
that His name be mentioned there, and seeks their destruction? It does not behove
such people to enter them, and should they enter, they should enter in fear.114
There is degradation for them in this world and a mighty chastisement in the
Next. (2:115) The East and the West belong to Allah. To whichever direction you
turn, you will be turning to Allah.115 Allah is All-Embracing,
All-Knowing.116
Commentary
113. The reference is to the polytheists of Arabia.
114. Places of worship should properly remain in the custody of devout and
God-fearing people, so that even if bad people did go there they would be deterred
from committing misdeeds through fear of punishment. This is a subtle reference
to the wrong perpetrated by the unbelievers of Makka, who had barred their own
compatriots - the Muslims - from worshipping in the House of God.
115. God is neither eastern nor western. East and west, north and south,
and indeed all places and directions are His, though He is not confined to any
particular place or direction. Hence, if any place or direction is fixed for
worship this does not mean that God dwells there. Likewise, changes in the direction
of Prayer is not a proper subject for controversy and dispute.
116. That is, God is neither limited, mean, narrow-minded, nor poor in resources.
All such notions about God, which arise from considering Him as essentially
similar to human beings, are erroneous. God's realm is boundless and so is His
vision and the range of His benevolence and mercy. Moreover, God's knowledge
is all-embracing. He knows who remembers Him, as well as where, when and why
he does that.
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