❖ The Correct Qiblah Direction for Mosques and Its Sharʿi Status ❖
Extracted from: Fatāwā ʿIlmiyyah, Vol. 1 – Kitāb al-Masājid, p. 236
Question by: Abdul Wahhab, Dera Ghazi Khan
In Dera Ghazi Khan, all mosques—whether Deobandi, Barelvi, Ahl-e-Ḥadīth, or Shia—are constructed diagonally toward the west according to Qiblah direction meters. However, one mosque administrator has built his mosque directly facing the west, claiming that this slight deviation doesn’t matter, and he takes responsibility for the prayers. He is neither an ‘Ālim nor a Muftī.
He seeks clarification:
➊ Is this claim valid?
➋ Are the other mosques wrong for aligning diagonally using Qiblah meters?
➌ Is this the beginning of a new Fitnah?
➍ If a traveler prays without knowing the Qiblah direction, is his prayer valid? If he finds out later that the direction was wrong, is the prayer still valid?
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu wa as-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh. Ammā baʿd…
﴿فَوَلِّ وَجْهَكَ شَطْرَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ ۚ وَحَيْثُ مَا كُنتُمْ فَوَلُّوا وُجُوهَكُمْ شَطْرَهُ﴾
“So turn your face toward al-Masjid al-Ḥarām. And wherever you are, turn your faces toward it.”
(Sūrat al-Baqarah: 144)
This command is binding in all places and times where prayer is performed.
“When you stand for prayer, complete your wuḍū, then face the Qiblah and say the takbīr.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 6251; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 397)
① Those near the Kaʿbah must face the exact direction.
② Those farther away should face the general direction of Makkah.
(Refer: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Ḥadīth 40)
③ Deliberately turning away from the Qiblah when the direction is known is impermissible.
④ Those who exert effort but still face the wrong direction are excused. The Prophet ﷺ said:
“What lies between the east and the west is Qiblah.”
(Sunan al-Tirmidhī: 344 – Ḥadīth ḥasan ṣaḥīḥ)
ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb رضي الله عنه said:
“Between the east and the west is Qiblah.”
(Muṣannaf Ibn Abī Shaybah: 2/362; Ḥadīth 7430 – Ṣaḥīḥ Isnāduh)
No.
If a Qiblah meter and the consensus of all schools show the Kaʿbah direction to be diagonally west, then altering the direction without scholarly backing is wrong and baseless.
No.
Aligning the mosque diagonally to match the precise Qiblah is correct based on astronomical and geographical tools, which are permissible in Sharīʿah.
✔ Yes.
Introducing a new direction without valid reasoning or consultation from scholars is a serious innovation and may lead people away from the true direction of the Kaʿbah.
✔ If a person makes genuine effort (ijtihād) to determine the direction and prays, the prayer is valid.
But:
✔ Qiblah direction meters and tools are valid and reliable.
✔ The mosque caretaker’s unauthorized change is wrong and leads to confusion.
✔ Worship should be directed as accurately as possible toward the Kaʿbah.
✔ Intentional deviation from the Qiblah, when the correct direction is known, invalidates the prayer.
✔ Unintentional mistakes in direction are excused based on sound effort.
“I am responsible for your prayers,”
This is false and baseless.
No one can assume responsibility for someone else’s ṣalāh in Sharīʿah. Every person is individually accountable before Allah.
ھذا ما عندي، والله أعلم بالصواب
Extracted from: Fatāwā ʿIlmiyyah, Vol. 1 – Kitāb al-Masājid, p. 236
Question by: Abdul Wahhab, Dera Ghazi Khan
❖ Question Summary:
In Dera Ghazi Khan, all mosques—whether Deobandi, Barelvi, Ahl-e-Ḥadīth, or Shia—are constructed diagonally toward the west according to Qiblah direction meters. However, one mosque administrator has built his mosque directly facing the west, claiming that this slight deviation doesn’t matter, and he takes responsibility for the prayers. He is neither an ‘Ālim nor a Muftī.
He seeks clarification:
➊ Is this claim valid?
➋ Are the other mosques wrong for aligning diagonally using Qiblah meters?
➌ Is this the beginning of a new Fitnah?
➍ If a traveler prays without knowing the Qiblah direction, is his prayer valid? If he finds out later that the direction was wrong, is the prayer still valid?
❖ Answer:
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu wa as-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh. Ammā baʿd…
✦ Qur’anic Command to Face the Qiblah
﴿فَوَلِّ وَجْهَكَ شَطْرَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ ۚ وَحَيْثُ مَا كُنتُمْ فَوَلُّوا وُجُوهَكُمْ شَطْرَهُ﴾
“So turn your face toward al-Masjid al-Ḥarām. And wherever you are, turn your faces toward it.”
(Sūrat al-Baqarah: 144)
This command is binding in all places and times where prayer is performed.
✦ Prophetic Instruction
“When you stand for prayer, complete your wuḍū, then face the Qiblah and say the takbīr.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 6251; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 397)
✦ Rulings on Facing the Qiblah
① Those near the Kaʿbah must face the exact direction.
② Those farther away should face the general direction of Makkah.
(Refer: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Ḥadīth 40)
③ Deliberately turning away from the Qiblah when the direction is known is impermissible.
④ Those who exert effort but still face the wrong direction are excused. The Prophet ﷺ said:
“What lies between the east and the west is Qiblah.”
(Sunan al-Tirmidhī: 344 – Ḥadīth ḥasan ṣaḥīḥ)
ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb رضي الله عنه said:
“Between the east and the west is Qiblah.”
(Muṣannaf Ibn Abī Shaybah: 2/362; Ḥadīth 7430 – Ṣaḥīḥ Isnāduh)
❖ Response to Specific Questions
➊ Is the claim of the mosque caretaker valid?
No.If a Qiblah meter and the consensus of all schools show the Kaʿbah direction to be diagonally west, then altering the direction without scholarly backing is wrong and baseless.
➋ Are other mosques wrong for following Qiblah meters?
No.Aligning the mosque diagonally to match the precise Qiblah is correct based on astronomical and geographical tools, which are permissible in Sharīʿah.
➌ Is this a new Fitnah?
✔ Yes.
Introducing a new direction without valid reasoning or consultation from scholars is a serious innovation and may lead people away from the true direction of the Kaʿbah.
➍ What if a traveler does not know the Qiblah direction?
✔ If a person makes genuine effort (ijtihād) to determine the direction and prays, the prayer is valid.
But:
- If the correct direction is known later and the prayer time has passed, the prayer remains valid.
- If the time remains, it is preferable to repeat the prayer facing the correct Qiblah.
❖ Summary of the Ruling:
✔ Qiblah direction meters and tools are valid and reliable.
✔ The mosque caretaker’s unauthorized change is wrong and leads to confusion.
✔ Worship should be directed as accurately as possible toward the Kaʿbah.
✔ Intentional deviation from the Qiblah, when the correct direction is known, invalidates the prayer.
✔ Unintentional mistakes in direction are excused based on sound effort.
⚠ Regarding the statement:
“I am responsible for your prayers,”
This is false and baseless.No one can assume responsibility for someone else’s ṣalāh in Sharīʿah. Every person is individually accountable before Allah.
ھذا ما عندي، والله أعلم بالصواب
