Al-Zajjāj said concerning His words, “I have turned my face”: that is, I have directed my intention, through my worship and affirmation of His oneness, to Allah, the Lord of the worlds.

The same applies to His words, “And set your faces aright.” Here, “faces” refers to aims and intentions—the actions of the heart and the foundation of religion—which may be set aright or made to deviate. As the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“There is no heart among the hearts of the servants but that it is between two fingers of the Most Merciful. If He wills to set it aright, He does so; and if He wills to cause it to deviate, He does so.”

Setting one’s face aright is thus the opposite of causing it to deviate or turn aside; this is the straight path. When a person sets his intention aright and directs it correctly, without veering to the right or left, his intention is directed towards Allah, the Lord of the worlds. As He said:

“Neither eastern nor western.”

Likewise, al-Rabī‘ ibn Anas said: “Make your prostration sincerely for Allah”—so prostrate to none but Allah. It is reported from al-Dahhāk and Ibn Qutaybah:

“When the time for prayer comes and you are near a mosque, pray in it. Let none of you say, ‘I will pray in my own mosque.’”

It is as though he meant: Pray to Allah at every mosque; do not single out one mosque over another. On either of these two interpretations, the explanation we have given applies.

It is reported from Mujāhid, al-Suddī, and Ibn Zayd:

“Wherever you are, face the Kaaba when praying.”

According to this interpretation, setting one’s face aright means facing the Kaaba. This, however, is open to question, for this verse was revealed in Mecca, whereas facing the Kaaba was made obligatory only in Medina—unless setting one’s face aright is understood to mean facing the direction one was commanded to face.