Commentary of the Quran (Chapter 2:115)
By: Mohammad Sobhanie
Omnipresence of God in the Universe
بِسْمِ اللَّـهِ الرَّحْمَـٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
وَلِلَّـهِ الْمَشْرِقُ وَالْمَغْرِبُ ۚ فَأَيْنَمَا تُوَلُّوا فَثَمَّ وَجْهُ اللَّـهِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّـهَ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ ﴿١١٥﴾
Translation:
2:115 To Allah belong the East and the West. Whichever way you turn, there is God’s presence. God is Omnipresent and Omniscient.
Commentary: The descendants of the Children of Israel who lived in Medina were dismayed with the change in the direction the Qiblah [Arabic: (قبله)] from the Al-Aqsa Mosque [Arabic: (المسجد الاقصى)] in Jerusalem towards the Kaaba [Arabic: (الکعبه)] in Mecca [Arabic: (مکه)]. They taunted the Prophet and his companions and said, “What has turned them away from the direction of prayer they once followed?” [Al-Baqara 2:142]. In reply to the critiques, the verse continues to say, “O Prophet tell them, to Allah belongs the East and the West. He guides whom He wills to a straight path.”
سَيَقُولُ السُّفَهَاءُ مِنَ النَّاسِ مَا وَلَّاهُمْ عَن قِبْلَتِهِمُ الَّتِي كَانُوا عَلَيْهَا ۚ قُل لِّلَّـهِ الْمَشْرِقُ وَالْمَغْرِبُ ۚ يَهْدِي مَن يَشَاءُ إِلَىٰ صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ ﴿١٤٢﴾
2:142 The ignorant among the people will say, “What has turned them away from the direction of prayer they once followed?” Say, “To God belong the East and the West. He guides whom He wills to a straight path.”
The aforementioned verse complements the above response and says, “East and West belongs to Allah (SWT) and you would find the presence of Allah (SWT) whichever direction you turn.”
وَلِلَّـهِ الْمَشْرِقُ وَالْمَغْرِبُ ۚ فَأَيْنَمَا تُوَلُّوا فَثَمَّ وَجْهُ اللَّـهِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّـهَ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ ﴿١١٥﴾
2:115 To Allah belongs the East and the West. Whichever way you turn, there is God’s presence. God is Omnipresent and Omniscient.
Appendix:
[وَجْهُ اللَّـهِ] literally means the face of Allah (SWT) and in here implies His presence.
Word-for-Word Translation:
2:115 [وَلِلَّـهِ] and for Allah is [الْمَشْرِقُ] the east [وَالْمَغْرِبُ] and the west [فَأَيْنَمَا]so whenever [تُوَلُّوا] you turn (your face) [فَثَمَّ] so there will be [وَجْهُ] face [اللَّـهِ] of Allah [إِنَّ] surely [اللَّـهَ] Allah [وَاسِعٌ] is infinite All-Embracing [عَلِيمٌ] All-knower
Commentary on the Quran (Chapter 3:47) By Mohammad Sobhanie