Surah 2:142
"The fools among the people will say, ‘What has turned them from the direction (of prayer) which they were (facing) toward?’ Say: ‘The East and the West (belong) to God. He guides whomever He pleases to a straight path.’"
2.142 – What has turned them from the direction (of prayer) which they were (facing) toward?
The direction of Muslim ritual prayer is known as the qibla. This passage (vv. 142–50) seems to refer to a dispute about the correct direction. According to Muslim tradition, the Muslims in Medina prayed in the direction of Jerusalem until Muhammad recited that they should instead turn around and pray in the direction of Mecca (understood from “the Sacred Mosque” in vv. 144, 149–50).
- from The Quran with Christian Commentary: A Guide to Understanding the Scripture of Islam