It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) that once the people were offering the dawn prayer in the Masjid of Quba when someone came to them and said: "Last night Qur'an was revealed to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and he (peace and blessings be upon him) has been commanded to pray facing the Ka'bah." (Hearing this,) they turned their faces (while still in prayer) towards the Ka'bah, whereas their faces had been towards Sham; then they swung round towards the Ka'bah.
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصلاة / 2189
It is narrated from Sayyiduna al-Bara' bin Azib (may Allah be pleased with him) that when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) came to Madinah, he kept praying facing Bayt al-Maqdis for sixteen or seventeen months, but he wished to pray facing the Ka'bah. So Allah Almighty revealed this verse: "We see the turning of your face towards the heaven. We shall surely turn you to a qiblah that you will be pleased with. So turn your face towards al-Masjid al-Haram." [Surah al-Baqarah: 144]
A man who had been praying with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) passed by some people of the Ansar who were praying facing Bayt al-Maqdis and were in the state of bowing (ruku'), and he said: I bear witness that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) (has received the command to face the Ka'bah). So those people also turned towards the Ka'bah. Some foolish people, who were in fact the Jews, said: "What has turned them away from their qiblah which they used to face?" [Surah al-Baqarah: 142] Then Allah Almighty said: "Say: To Allah belong the east and the west. He guides whom He wills to a straight path." [Surah al-Baqarah: 142]
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصلاة / 2190
It is narrated from al-Bara' bin Azib (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed facing Bayt al-Maqdis for sixteen or seventeen months. His heartfelt wish was that his qiblah would become the House of Allah. He led the 'Asr prayer (facing the Ka'bah). A man from among those who had prayed with him went out. He passed by a mosque where people were praying in congregation and were in the state of bowing, and he said: By Allah! I bear witness that I have prayed with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) facing Makkah (the House of Allah). Hearing this, those people immediately turned round towards the House of Allah.
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصلاة / 2191
It is narrated from Sayyiduna al-Bara' bin Azib (may Allah be pleased with him) that some people said: Those who died or were martyred before the change of the qiblah, we do not know what to say about them. So Allah Almighty revealed this verse: "And Allah would never let your faith (your prayers) go to waste. Indeed, Allah is Most Kind and Most Merciful to the people." [Surah al-Baqarah: 143]
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصلاة / 2192
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to pray (in Makkah) facing Bayt al-Maqdis, keeping the Ka'bah between himself and Bayt al-Maqdis. After that, when he (migrated and) came to Madinah, he kept praying facing Bayt al-Maqdis for sixteen months. Then Allah turned him towards the Ka'bah.
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصلاة / 2193
It is narrated from Sa'id bin al-Musayyib (may Allah have mercy on him) that he said: I heard Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him) say that after coming to Madinah, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) kept praying facing Bayt al-Maqdis for sixteen months; then, two months before the Battle of Badr, he (peace and blessings be upon him) began to face al-Masjid al-Haram.
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصلاة / 2194
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) that in "So turn your face towards al-Masjid al-Haram" [Surah al-Baqarah: 144], 'shatr' means facing towards it.
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصلاة / 2195