The Qibla

The Qibla is the direction of prayer for Muslims. It refers to Al-Kaaba Al-Musharrafa, located at the center of the Grand Mosque, in Makkah Al-Mukarramah, west of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It is the second Qibla after Bayt Al-Maqdis (Al-Aqsa Mosque).

The Qibla turned from Al-Aqsa Mosque to the Grand Mosque about seventeen months after the immigration of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him (PBUH), to Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah. This is why the direction of the Mihrab was shifted from the north of the Mosque to its south.

Rules for turning to Qibla

When performing prayers, worshipers must turn to the direction of the Qibla. It is also a Sunnah to direct the dead towards it during burial and direct animals towards it when slaughtered. The prayer of a person is considered correct even if a mistake in the direction towards Qibla is made when far away from inhabited areas, unlike the one made when praying in urban areas.

Niches (Mihrab) of the mosques are considered the fulcrum of Qibla, as they are in the center of the prayer areas, and behind them, people line up to pray on the right and the left. The prayer of a person who deviated slightly from the Qibla without changing the direction is considered correct.

The inside of Al-Kaaba in full is considered part of the Qibla as the Prophet (PBUH) prayed voluntary Prayer in it. The obligatory prayer can be prayed also in it without turning to a specific direction. However, it is better to be prayed outside of Al-Kaaba to avoid disagreement and to trace the deeds of the Prophet (PBUH).

Role of astronomers in determining the direction of the Qibla in the past

Since the second half of the ninth century, Muslim astronomers began determining the direction of the Qibla by drawing Qibla circles for Islamic countries based on both geometric and astronomical guidance, centuries before the invention of the compass and the newly invented Qibla orientation device. Astronomers were able to determine the direction of the Qibla to a certain degree of certainty, where this was due to the accuracy and reliability of those circles that were based on reliable scientific foundations.

Moreover, Muslim scholars in ancient times are credited for their efforts in determining the direction of the Qibla to a certain degree of certainty. In recent times, thanks to the existence of modern devices such as the Qibla orientation device dedicated to determining the direction of the Qibla, identifying the direction of the Qibla requires knowing the distance between the country for which the direction of the Qibla is to be determined and Makkah Al-Mukarramah, in addition to knowing the longitude and latitude of that country.

As for the Qibla circles tackled in the advanced books of astronomers, the scholar Ahmed Sousa mentioned two circles already covered by Ibn Al-Wardi, who died in 1457, and Al-Sfaxi, who died in 1455, as well as the Qibla circles covered by Al-Qazwini, who died in 1283. He also explored the description of Abu Ubaydallah Al-Bakri, Ibn Saraqa al-Amiri, and Ibn Jamaʿah. On the other hand, the circle explored by Shihab Al-Din Ahmad Al-Umari in his book Masalik Al-Absar Fi Mamalik Al-Amsar was presented with a description specifying the direction of the Qibla for all the people of the earth, where such direction was determined from the directions of Al-Kaaba Al-Musharrafa. He also drew another circle depicting zodiac signs, astronomical objects, and the seven planets.

Scholars' contribution to Qibla evidence

Muslim scholars and astronomers made contributions to Qibla's evidence, which shows that Makkah Al-Mukarramah and Al-Kabaa Al-Musharrafa mediate the world. This is compelling evidence when cited to prove the validity of the Muslim scholars' description of Makkah Al-Mukarramah and Al-Kabaa Al-Musharrafa as being the core of the earth and the center of the world.

The Arab traveler and geographer Ibn Hawqal, who died in 977, is considered one of the Muslim astronomers who contributed to determining the direction of the Qibla. He wrote his book entitled Sourat Al-Ard after traveling to the Islamic countries on a journey that lasted twenty-eight years. He submitted his first draft to Saif Al-Dawla (ruler) Al-Hamdani. The book was published by De Jouet, a Dutch orientalist, in 1873, within the collection of the Arab Geographical Library. A second edition was later printed in London, the British capital, in 1938, with another most recent edition published in Beirut.

Ibn Hawqal divided the regions into twenty. He put a picture of each region and started with the Arabian lands, joining them within one region. He commented: "I began with the Arabian lands because they house the Qibla and Makkah Al-Mukarramah, which is the mother of villages and the state and home of the Arabs who none but them inhabited it."

Ibn Yunus Al-Masry is one of the greatest Arab and Muslim astronomers after Al-Battani and Abi Al-Wafa Al-Buzjani, in terms of astronomical research which helped Muslims in drawing the circle of the world surrounding Al-Kabaa, the Qibla of all Muslims in the world.

Al-Biruni's method in determining the direction of the Qibla

Al-Biruni is one of the prominent early Muslim scholars in the fields of astronomy, geography, and mathematics. He authored a large number of books and articles, including the book entitled Dala'il Al-Qibla, several articles elaborating upon the evidence on determining the direction of the Qibla, an article entitled Taqwim Al-Qibla Laisa Bi Tashih Toulouha Wa Aardouha, and an article entitled Talafi Awared Al-Zalla Fi Kitab Dala'il Al-Qibla.

Al-Biruni mentioned two methods for determining the direction of the Qibla, where one is based on trigonometric calculations according to the laws of mathematics that were adopted during his time, and the second is a purely geometric method, which he called the correct method to determine the direction of the Qibla. This method does not need complex calculations. Rather, it facilitates determining the direction of the Qibla for Imams in Muslim countries.

Dr. Abdullah Yousef Al-Ghunaim, a researcher, found the part that was lost on the Arabian Peninsula in the book entitled Al-Masalik Wal Mamalik, written by the Andalusian geographer Abi Ubaidullah Al-Bakri. He verified the part and published it in 1977.

Al-Bakri's description of the Arabian Peninsula is the first text on determining the direction of the Qibla for the countries of the Islamic world. Al-Bakri wrote: "The direction of the Qibla for the people of Kufa and Baghdad is located on the corner between the door and the stone of Al-Kaaba, and is slightly closer to its door. The direction of the Qibla for the inhabitants of the Arabian Peninsula is located to the right of this corner and is slightly closer to the stone of Al-Kaaba. The direction of the Qibla for the inhabitants of the Levant is located toward Mizab (rain gutter) of Al-Kaaba. The direction of the Qibla for the people of Yemen is located toward the Yamani corner of Al-Kaaba. The direction of the Qibla for the people of Al-Yamama is located toward the corner encompassing the black stone of Al-Kaaba. The direction of the Qibla for the people of Basra is located toward the door of Al-Kaaba. The direction of the Qibla for the inhabitants of Jeddah and its surroundings, being Aswan, Upper Egypt, and beyond the sea, is located between the western Yamani corners of Al-Kaaba.

Determining the direction of the Qibla

Islamic Fiqh has dictated several methods for determining the direction of the Qibla. These methods include relying on a compass to directly determine such direction, looking toward the direction of Makkah Al-Mukarramah from the country where the direction of the Qibla is sought, or searching for such location in one direction, should Makkah Al-Mukarramah be located between two locations, and using the stars for navigation at night or the sunrise and sunset during the day.

It is permissible for those who pray a voluntary prayer in a plane or a ship to turn to any side other than the direction of the Qibla, but this is not the same for the obligatory prayer, in which they should follow the direction they determine to the best of their ability. If they could not and did not know how to turn to the Qibla, their prayer remains acceptable.

It is forbidden to turn to the Qibla or turn away from it while relieving oneself in a public space without a barrier. However, this is permissible in urban areas. In case there were drawn plans for incomplete buildings, or buildings that were not initiated and they include toilets that are parallel to the Qibla, it is better to modify them to avoid aligning the Kabaa while turning to it or from it.

Determining the direction of the Qibla in Mosques

An electronic gadget is used to determine the Qibla in Mosques and praying area buildings. It uses a magnetic needle that moves horizontally on a fixed vertical axis. It is used by rotating the directing indicator around the gadget until it is aligned with the map of the country desired to determine the Qibla, and it can be used in any country in the world.

The Qibla is determined by calculating its location and the angle of its inclination to the sunrise and sunset location according to longitude and latitude, or by calculating the angle of its inclination from the north and south directions by observing Polaris at night, or by using the compass, provided that magnetic deviation measurements are taken according to the observer's location to determine the direction of the Qibla from the exit of the Grand Mosque.

Pieces of evidence of the Qibla are divided into three types: earth-related like mountains, villages, and rivers, air-related like wind, and sky-related like stars. The sky-related evidence is estimative and it is either day evidence like sun or night evidence in which the constellation known as Capricornus is adopted. It is a fixed constellation that looks motionless.

The most accurate method to determine the location of the Qibla rests upon knowing the longitude and latitude of Makkah Al-Mukarramah. This method is based on what is known as astronomical and geometric evidence. Accordingly, in 1973, the Supreme Judicial Council in Saudi Arabia issued a Fatwa authorizing the determination of the direction of the Qibla upon using a specific device, which works to determine the direction of the Qibla up to a specific degree of certainty. The council noted that should determining the location of the Qibla upon using the device be possible, other methods based on jurisprudence may not be used.