Qibla
The direction Muslims face for prayer and ritual.
The qibla (Arabic: قبلة, lit. 'direction') is the direction towards the Kaaba in the Sacred Mosque in Mecca, used by Muslims in various religious contexts, particularly the direction of prayer for the salah. According to Islamic tradition, the Kaaba is believed to be a sacred site built by prophets Abraham and Ishmael, and its use as the qibla was ordained by God in several verses of the Quran revealed to Muhammad in the second Hijri year. Prior to this revelation, Muhammad and his followers in Medina faced Jerusalem for prayers.
- field
- Islamic ritual and law
- known_for
- Direction faced during Muslim prayers and other religious rites
- location
- Kaaba, Sacred Mosque, Mecca, Saudi Arabia
- religious_significance
- Necessary condition for validity of salah; also used for burial, slaughter, supplication, and pilgrimage
Lore & Background
The qibla is the direction of the Kaaba, a cube-like building at the centre of the Sacred Mosque in Mecca. According to the Quran, it was built by Abraham and Ishmael. Before the revelation of verses commanding prayer toward the Sacred Mosque, Muhammad and the Muslims in Medina prayed toward Jerusalem. Islamic tradition says these verses were revealed during a prayer congregation, and Muhammad and his followers immediately changed direction in the middle of the ritual; the location became the Masjid al-Qiblatayn ('The Mosque of the Two Qiblas').
Reader's Guide
The qibla is central to Islamic practice, serving as the direction for obligatory prayers (salah), entering the ihram for hajj, aligning the deceased for burial, turning animals during slaughter, and making supplications. Most mosques contain a mihrab indicating the qibla. Islamic scholars distinguish between facing the Kaaba accurately (ayn al-ka'ba) and facing its general direction (jihat al-ka'ba), with most considering the latter acceptable when precise direction cannot be determined. Muslim astronomers developed spherical trigonometric formulas to calculate the exact qibla direction from any location, and the qibla can also be determined by observing the shadow of a vertical rod when the Sun is directly overhead in Mecca (27–28 May and 15–16 July).
Did You Know?
- The qibla was originally toward Jerusalem before being changed to Mecca in the second Hijri year.
- The qibla can be determined by the shadow of a vertical rod on 27–28 May and 15–16 July when the Sun is directly overhead in Mecca.
- The Qarmatians, a now-defunct Shia sect, rejected the Kaaba as the qibla and sacked Mecca in 930.
- Most Islamic scholars consider facing the general direction of the Kaaba (jihat al-ka'ba) acceptable if the precise direction cannot be ascertained.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Qibla?
The Qibla is the direction a Muslim turns toward when performing prayer or other religious acts. It points specifically to the Kaaba situated in the Sacred Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
Why do Muslims face the Qibla during salah?
Facing the Qibla is regarded as a necessary condition for the prayer to be valid under Islamic law. The direction was set by divine command in the second year after the Hijra, shifting the orientation from Jerusalem to Mecca.
How was the Qibla direction originally established?
Before the revelation in the second Hijri year, early Muslims in Medina oriented their prayers toward Jerusalem. God then directed Muhammad through Quranic verses to redirect worship toward the Kaaba, a site Islamic tradition attributes to the prophets Abraham and Ishmael.
Does the Qibla apply only to the five daily prayers?
No, its use extends well beyond daily salah. The Qibla direction is also observed in burial orientation, ritual slaughter, supplication, and the pilgrimage to Mecca.
What makes the Qibla religiously significant?
It serves as a single unifying focal point that links every Muslim worldwide to one sacred direction during worship. Rooted in the Quran, it is treated as an essential element of proper ritual practice in Islamic jurisprudence.
More in Islamic Traditions And Concepts 1-21
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