The Direction of Salat
وَكَذَٰلِكَ جَعَلْنَاكُمْ أُمَّةً وَسَطًا لِتَكُونُوا شُهَدَاءَ عَلَى النَّاسِ وَيَكُونَ الرَّسُولُ عَلَيْكُمْ شَهِيدًا ۗ وَمَا جَعَلْنَا الْقِبْلَةَ الَّتِي كُنْتَ عَلَيْهَا إِلَّا لِنَعْلَمَ مَنْ يَتَّبِعُ الرَّسُولَ مِمَّنْ يَنْقَلِبُ عَلَىٰ عَقِبَيْهِ ۚ وَإِنْ كَانَتْ لَكَبِيرَةً إِلَّا عَلَى الَّذِينَ هَدَى اللَّهُ ۗ وَمَا كَانَ اللَّهُ لِيُضِيعَ إِيمَانَكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ بِالنَّاسِ لَرَءُوفٌ رَحِيمٌ {143}
And like that, We Made you (Imams) as an intermediary community in order for you (Imams) to become witnesses upon the people, and the Rasool to become a witness upon you. And We did not Make the Qiblah which you were upon except for Us to Know who follows the Rasool from the one turns upon his heels; and even though it may be grievous, except upon those Guided by Allah. And Allah will not Waste your Eman, as Allah is Affectionate, Merciful with the people. [2:143]
حدثنا احمد بن محمد عن ابيه عن محمد عن ابن اذينة عن بريد العجلى قال سئلت ابا جعفر عليه السلام عن قول الله تبارك وتعالى وكذلك جعلناكم امة وسطا لتكونوا شهداء على الناس ويكون الرسول عليكم شهيدا قال نحن امة الوسط ونحن شهداء الله على خلقه وحجته في ارضه
Narrated to us Ahmad Bin Muhammad, from his father, from Muhammad, from Ibn Azina, from Bureyd Al-Ajaly who said,
‘I asked Abu Ja’far-asws about the Words of Allah-azwj Blessed and High And like that, We Made you (Imams) as an intermediary community in order for you (Imams) to become witnesses upon the people, and the Rasool to become a witness upon you all [2:143]. He-asws said: ‘We-asws are the intermediary community, and we-asws are the witnesses of Allah-azwj upon His-azwj Creatures in His-azwj Earth.[1]
[1] Basaair Al Darajaat – P 2 Ch 3 H 11