Source:
Excerpted from the book Ṣaḥīḥ Ṣalāh an-Nabī ﷺ, published by Maktabah Dār al-Andalus, authored by Shaykh ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ʿAzīz.
﴿وَحَيْثُ مَا كُنْتُمْ فَوَلُّوا وُجُوهَكُمْ شَطْرَهُ﴾
Translation:
“And wherever you are, turn your faces toward it (the Sacred Mosque).”
❀ If one is in a place where the Qiblah is not visible, then one should pray in the general direction of the Qiblah. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to the people of Madinah:
«مَا بَيْنَ الْمَشْرِقِ وَالْمَغْرِبِ قِبْلَةٌ»
Translation:
“What lies between the east and the west is Qiblah.”
❀ If the direction of the Qiblah is unknown, one should search for it, and whichever direction the heart feels most assured about, one should pray in that direction.
❀ If during the prayer it becomes known that the direction is incorrect, one should immediately turn toward the correct direction. If someone is praying in the wrong direction out of ignorance, he should be informed.
When the Qiblah was changed from Bayt al-Maqdis to the Kaʿbah, some people were unaware of this change and were praying facing Bayt al-Maqdis. A man passed by and loudly proclaimed: “I bear witness that I prayed with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ facing the Kaʿbah.” Upon hearing this, the people turned their faces toward the Kaʿbah during the prayer itself.
❀ If one has already prayed facing the wrong direction and later comes to know that the direction was incorrect, then repeating the prayer is not required.
Sayyidunā ʿĀmir ibn Rabīʿah رضي الله عنه narrates: We were traveling with the Prophet ﷺ, and due to darkness of the night we could not determine the direction of the Qiblah. Each person prayed according to his own estimation. In the morning, when this was mentioned to the Prophet ﷺ, the following verse was revealed:
﴿فَأَيْنَمَا تُوَلُّوا فَثَمَّ وَجْهُ اللَّهِ﴾
Translation:
“So wherever you turn, there is the Face of Allah.”
❀ For voluntary (nafl) prayers offered on a mount, it is necessary to face the Qiblah once at the beginning; thereafter, it is not required.
(Details are mentioned in the discussion on voluntary prayers.)
❀ In a state of fear, when a person is praying while fleeing or under extreme danger, facing the Qiblah is not required.
(Details are mentioned in the discussion on Ṣalāt al-Khawf.)
Excerpted from the book Ṣaḥīḥ Ṣalāh an-Nabī ﷺ, published by Maktabah Dār al-Andalus, authored by Shaykh ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ʿAzīz.
Facing the Qiblah
❀ If one is near the Qiblah, then one should stand directly facing it. Allah Almighty says:﴿وَحَيْثُ مَا كُنْتُمْ فَوَلُّوا وُجُوهَكُمْ شَطْرَهُ﴾
Reference: Al-Baqarah: 2/144
Translation:
“And wherever you are, turn your faces toward it (the Sacred Mosque).”
❀ If one is in a place where the Qiblah is not visible, then one should pray in the general direction of the Qiblah. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to the people of Madinah:
«مَا بَيْنَ الْمَشْرِقِ وَالْمَغْرِبِ قِبْلَةٌ»
Reference: Jāmiʿ at-Tirmidhī, Book of Ṣalāh, 342 – Ṣaḥīḥ
Translation:
“What lies between the east and the west is Qiblah.”
❀ If the direction of the Qiblah is unknown, one should search for it, and whichever direction the heart feels most assured about, one should pray in that direction.
❀ If during the prayer it becomes known that the direction is incorrect, one should immediately turn toward the correct direction. If someone is praying in the wrong direction out of ignorance, he should be informed.
When the Qiblah was changed from Bayt al-Maqdis to the Kaʿbah, some people were unaware of this change and were praying facing Bayt al-Maqdis. A man passed by and loudly proclaimed: “I bear witness that I prayed with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ facing the Kaʿbah.” Upon hearing this, the people turned their faces toward the Kaʿbah during the prayer itself.
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Book of Ṣalāh, 399; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, 1186
❀ If one has already prayed facing the wrong direction and later comes to know that the direction was incorrect, then repeating the prayer is not required.
Sayyidunā ʿĀmir ibn Rabīʿah رضي الله عنه narrates: We were traveling with the Prophet ﷺ, and due to darkness of the night we could not determine the direction of the Qiblah. Each person prayed according to his own estimation. In the morning, when this was mentioned to the Prophet ﷺ, the following verse was revealed:
﴿فَأَيْنَمَا تُوَلُّوا فَثَمَّ وَجْهُ اللَّهِ﴾
Reference: Al-Baqarah: 2/115; Jāmiʿ at-Tirmidhī, Book of Ṣalāh, 345 – Ḥasan
Translation:
“So wherever you turn, there is the Face of Allah.”
❀ For voluntary (nafl) prayers offered on a mount, it is necessary to face the Qiblah once at the beginning; thereafter, it is not required.
(Details are mentioned in the discussion on voluntary prayers.)
❀ In a state of fear, when a person is praying while fleeing or under extreme danger, facing the Qiblah is not required.
(Details are mentioned in the discussion on Ṣalāt al-Khawf.)
