ثُمَّ أَخْبَرَنَا اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ الْعِلَّةَ الَّتِي...

ثُمَّ أَخْبَرَنَا اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ الْعِلَّةَ الَّتِي مِنْ أَجْلِهَا لَمْ يُحَوِّلْ قِبْلَتَهُ مِنْ أَوَّلِ الْبِعْثَةِ فَقَالَ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالَى‏ وَ ما جَعَلْنَا الْقِبْلَةَ الَّتِي كُنْتَ عَلَيْها إِلَى قَوْلِهِ‏ لَرَؤُفٌ رَحِيمٌ‏- فَسَمَّى سُبْحَانَهُ الصَّلَاةَ هَاهُنَا إِيمَاناً Then Allah -azwj Mighty and Majestic Informed us of the reason for which the Qiblah had not been transferred from the beginning of the Prophet-hood.

The Blessed and Exalted Said: And We did not Make the Qiblah which you were upon – up to His -azwj Words: Affectionate, Merciful [2:143] . The Glorious Named the Salat as Eman over here’. وَ قَالَ ع فِي قَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى‏ فَوَلِّ وَجْهَكَ شَطْرَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرامِ‏ قَالَ مَعْنَى شَطْرِهِ نَحْوُهُ إِنْ كَانَ مَرْئِيّاً وَ بِالدَّلَائِلِ وَ الْأَعْلَامِ إِنْ كَانَ مَحْجُوباً And he -asws said regarding Words of the Exalted: So turn then your face towards the Sacred Masjid; [2:144] .

فَلَوْ عُلِمَتِ الْقِبْلَةُ لَوَجَبَ اسْتِقْبَالُهَا وَ التَّوَلِّي وَ التَّوَجُّهُ إِلَيْهَا وَ لَوْ لَمْ يَكُنِ الدَّلِيلُ عَلَيْهَا مَوْجُوداً حَتَّى تَسْتَوِيَ الْجِهَاتُ كُلُّهَا فَلَهُ حِينَئِذٍ أَنْ يُصَلِّيَ بِاجْتِهَادِهِ حَيْثُ أَحَبَّ وَ اخْتَارَ حَتَّى يَكُونَ عَلَى يَقِينٍ مِنَ الدَّلَالاتِ الْمَنْصُوبَةِ وَ الْعَلَامَاتِ الْمَبْثُوثَةِ If you know the Qiblah, it is obligated to face it, and the turning and the directing towards it, and there does not happen to be any existent signs upon it to the extent that all the direction are same, at that time it is for him to pray Salat by his striving wherever he likes and choose (a direction) until he would be upon certainty from the installed signs and the markers spread out.

فَإِنْ مَالَ عَنْ هَذَا التَّوَجُّهِ مَعَ مَا ذَكَرْنَا حَتَّى يَجْعَلَ الشَّرْقَ غَرْباً وَ الْغَرْبَ شَرْقاً زَالَ مَعْنَى اجْتِهَادِهِ وَ فَسَدَ حَالُ اعْتِقَادِهِ If he inclines away from this direction along with what we -asws mentioned until he makes the east as west, and the west as east, the meaning of his striving would be lost and the state of his belief would be corrupted’.

قَالَ وَ قَدْ جَاءَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ص خَبَرٌ مَنْصُوصٌ مُجْمَعٌ عَلَيْهِ أَنَّ الْأَدِلَّةَ الْمَنْصُوبَةَ عَلَى بَيْتِ اللَّهِ الْحَرَامِ لَا تَذْهَبُ بِكُلِّيَّتِهَا حَادِثَةٌ مِنَ الْحَوَادِثِ مَنّاً مِنَ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى عَلَى عِبَادِهِ فِي إِقَامَةِ مَا افْتَرَضَ عَلَيْهِمْ‏.