Hadith Reference 1:
It is narrated from Anas (رضي الله عنه) that:"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to offer Salah facing Bayt al-Maqdis (Jerusalem). Then, the following verse was revealed:
قَدْ نَرَى تَقَلُّبَ وَجْهِكَ فِي السَّمَاءِ فَلَنُوَلِّيَنَّكَ قِبْلَةً تَرْضَاهَا فَوَلِّ وَجْهَكَ شَطْرَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ
('Indeed, We see the turning of your face towards the sky. So, We shall turn you to a Qiblah that will please you; so turn your face towards Al-Masjid Al-Haram.' [Al-Baqarah: 144])
A man from Banu Salamah passed by a group of people who were offering Fajr prayer while in the state of Rukū‘ (bowing), and they had already completed one Rak'ah. He called out, "Behold! The Qiblah has been changed!" Upon hearing this, they immediately turned towards the new Qiblah while remaining in their prayer."
(Sahih Muslim: 527)
Hadith Reference 2:
It is narrated from Abu Hurairah (رضي الله عنه) that the Prophet (ﷺ) said:"The Qiblah is between the East and the West."
(Jami‘ at-Tirmidhi: 342, 344 | Sunan Ibn Majah: 1011)
- This Hadith has been authenticated as Sahih by Al-Hakim in Al-Mustadrak (1/205).
- Imam al-Dhahabi also agreed with this classification.
- Al-Bayhaqi (2/9) and Ad-Daraqutni (1/1) have also recorded it.
Key Lessons from These Ahadith:
❶ The Change of Qiblah – Initially, Muslims used to face Bayt al-Maqdis (Jerusalem) in Salah. However, after the revelation of Al-Baqarah: 144, the Qiblah was permanently changed to Al-Masjid al-Haram (Ka‘bah in Makkah).❷ Obedience in Salah – When the command of Qiblah change was announced, the Companions (Sahabah) immediately adjusted their direction while remaining in Salah, demonstrating their immediate submission to divine instruction.
❸ Defining the Qiblah – The Hadith of Abu Hurairah (رضي الله عنه) establishes that the Qiblah for prayer is between the East and the West, especially for those residing in regions such as Madinah and surrounding areas.
- This means a slight deviation from the exact direction of the Ka‘bah does not invalidate the prayer, as long as one is generally facing towards it.
- If someone realizes mid-prayer that they were facing the wrong direction, they should immediately adjust towards the correct Qiblah without breaking the Salah.
- If a person unknowingly prayed in the wrong direction, their prayer is still valid as long as they made an effort to determine the Qiblah.
- For people living far from Makkah, it is sufficient for them to face the general direction of the Qiblah, rather than the precise alignment.
- This principle applies especially to those praying in open deserts, ships, or airplanes where an exact determination might be difficult.
Source:This content is taken from Sheikh Taqi al-Din Abi al-Fath's book "Diya' al-Islam fi Sharh al-Imam bi Ahadith al-Ahkam", translated by Maulana Mahmood Ahmad Ghaznfar.
