Qiblah is an
ArabicArabic is a Central Semitic language, thus related to and classified alongside other Semitic languages such as Hebrew and the Neo-Aramaic languages. In terms of speakers, the Arabic macrolanguage is the largest member of the Semitic language family. It is spoken by more than 280 million people as...
word for the direction that should be faced when a
Muslim:A Muslim , , is an adherent of the religion of Islam. The feminine form is Muslimah . Literally, the word means "one who submits ". Muslim is the participle of the same verb of which Islam is the infinitive. Muslims believe that there is only one God, translated in Arabic as Allah...
praysPrayer is the act of addressing a god or spirit for the purpose of worship or petition. Specific forms of this may include praise, requesting guidance or assistance, confessing sins, as an act of reparation or an expression of one's thoughts and emotions...
during Salah. Most
mosqueA mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. Muslims often refer to the mosque by its Arabic name, masjid, —...
s contain a
nicheA mihrab is a niche in the wall of a mosque that indicates the qibla, that is, the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca and hence the direction that Muslims should face when praying...
in a wall that indicates the qiblah.
The qiblah has importance to more than just the salaat, and plays an important part in everyday ceremonies. The head of an animal that is slaughtered using
HalalHalal is an Arabic term designating any object or an action which is permissible to use or engage in, according to Islamic law. It is the opposite of haraam. The term is widely used to designate food seen as permissible according to Islamic law...
methods is aligned with the qiblah. After death, Muslims are buried with their faces in the direction of the qiblah.
Thus, archeology can indicate a Muslim
necropolisA necropolis is a large cemetery or burial ground, usually including structural tombs. The word comes from the Greek νεκρόπολις - nekropolis, meaning "city of the dead"...
if no other signs are present.
Originally, the direction of the Qiblah was toward the Noble Sanctuary (Temple Mount) in
JerusalemJerusalem is the capital of Israel and its largest city in both population and area, with a population of 747,600 residents over an area of if disputed East Jerusalem is included...
(and it is therefore called the First of the Two Qiblahs).
Qiblah is an
ArabicArabic is a Central Semitic language, thus related to and classified alongside other Semitic languages such as Hebrew and the Neo-Aramaic languages. In terms of speakers, the Arabic macrolanguage is the largest member of the Semitic language family. It is spoken by more than 280 million people as...
word for the direction that should be faced when a
Muslim:A Muslim , , is an adherent of the religion of Islam. The feminine form is Muslimah . Literally, the word means "one who submits ". Muslim is the participle of the same verb of which Islam is the infinitive. Muslims believe that there is only one God, translated in Arabic as Allah...
praysPrayer is the act of addressing a god or spirit for the purpose of worship or petition. Specific forms of this may include praise, requesting guidance or assistance, confessing sins, as an act of reparation or an expression of one's thoughts and emotions...
during Salah. Most
mosqueA mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. Muslims often refer to the mosque by its Arabic name, masjid, —...
s contain a
nicheA mihrab is a niche in the wall of a mosque that indicates the qibla, that is, the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca and hence the direction that Muslims should face when praying...
in a wall that indicates the qiblah.
The qiblah has importance to more than just the salaat, and plays an important part in everyday ceremonies. The head of an animal that is slaughtered using
HalalHalal is an Arabic term designating any object or an action which is permissible to use or engage in, according to Islamic law. It is the opposite of haraam. The term is widely used to designate food seen as permissible according to Islamic law...
methods is aligned with the qiblah. After death, Muslims are buried with their faces in the direction of the qiblah.
Thus, archeology can indicate a Muslim
necropolisA necropolis is a large cemetery or burial ground, usually including structural tombs. The word comes from the Greek νεκρόπολις - nekropolis, meaning "city of the dead"...
if no other signs are present.
History of the Qiblah
Originally, the direction of the Qiblah was toward the Noble Sanctuary (Temple Mount) in
JerusalemJerusalem is the capital of Israel and its largest city in both population and area, with a population of 747,600 residents over an area of if disputed East Jerusalem is included...
(and it is therefore called the First of the Two Qiblahs). At least since Mishnaic times (AD200), Jews face the
Temple MountThe Temple Mount , also known as Mount Moriah and by Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary , is a religious site in the Old City of Jerusalem. Due to its importance for Judaism and Islam it is one of the most contested religious sites in the world.The Temple Mount contains the holiest site in Judaism...
in Jerusalem while praying. The
MishnahThe Mishnah or Mishna is the first major written redaction of the Jewish oral traditions called the "Oral Torah" and the first major work of Rabbinic Judaism. It was redacted c...
speaks about this in
Berakhot (Talmud)Berakhot is the first masekhet of Seder Zeraim of the Mishnah, the first major text of Jewish law. It primarily addresses the rules regarding the Shema, the Amidah, Birkat Hamazon , Kiddush , Havdalah and other blessings and prayers...
chapter 4, Mishnahs 5 and 6 and this practice is even found as early as I Kings 8:35-36. In Islam, this qiblat was used for over 13 years, from 610 CE until 623 CE. Seventeen months after Muhammad's 622 CE arrival in
MedinaMedina is a city in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia, and serves as the capital of the Al Madinah Province...
, the Qiblah became oriented towards the
KaabaThe Kaaba is a cuboidal building in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, and is the most sacred site in Islam. The building predates Islam, and, according to Islamic tradition, the first building at the site was built by Abraham. The building has a mosque built around it, the Masjid al-Haram...
in
MeccaMecca , sometimes spelled Makkah is the holiest meeting site of the Islamic religion. The city is modern, cosmopolitan and whilst being closed to non-Muslims is nonetheless ethnically diverse.Islamic tradition attributes the beginning of Mecca to Ishmael's descendants...
. According to accounts from the prophet
MuhammadMuhammad ibn ‘Abdullāh , is the founder of the religion of Islam [ إِسْلامْ ] and is regarded by Muslims as a messenger and prophet of , the last and the greatest law-bearer in a series of Islamic prophets as taught by the...
's companions, the change happened very suddenly during the noon prayer in Medina, in a mosque now known as
Masjid al-QiblatainMasjid al-Qiblatain is a mosque in Medina that is historically important for Muslims as the place where a companion leading the prayer was told of the change of Qibla and did 180 turn he is said to have been commanded to change the direction of prayer from Jerusalem to Mecca...
(Mosque of the Two Qiblahs). Muhammad was leading the prayer when he received revelations from
AllahAllah is the standard Arabic word for God. While the term is best known in the West for its use by Muslims as a reference to God, it is used by Arabic-speakers of all Abrahamic faiths, including Christians and Jews, in reference to "God"...
instructing him to take the
KaabaThe Kaaba is a cuboidal building in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, and is the most sacred site in Islam. The building predates Islam, and, according to Islamic tradition, the first building at the site was built by Abraham. The building has a mosque built around it, the Masjid al-Haram...
as the Qiblah (literally, "turn your face towards the Masjid al Haram").
According to the historical accounts, Muhammad, who had been facing Jerusalem, upon receiving this revelation, immediately turned around to face Mecca, and those praying behind him also did so.
The Qiblah, for any point of reference on the Earth, is the direction of the Kaaba. Some Muslims from North America determine this direction using a
rhumb lineIn navigation, a rhumb line is a line crossing all meridians of longitude at the same angle, i.e. a path derived from a defined
initial bearing...
, while most Muslims worldwide use a
great circleA great circle of a sphere is a circle that runs along the surface of that sphere so as to cut it into two equal halves, as distinct from a small circle. The great circle therefore has both the same circumference and the same center as the sphere...
. In Muslim religious practice, supplicants must face this direction in prayer. Muslims do not worship the Kaaba or its contents; the Kaaba is simply a focal point for prayer. If someone is inside the Kaaba, or the exact opposite point on earth, they are allowed to pray facing any direction.
In ancient times, Muslims traveling abroad used an
astrolabeAn astrolabe is a historical astronomical instrument used by classical astronomers, navigators, and astrologers. Its many uses include locating and predicting the positions of the Sun, Moon, planets, and stars; determining local time given local latitude and vice-versa; surveying; and...
to find the Qiblah.
Two methods in determining the direction of the Qiblah
Several Muslim mathematicians and astronomers, such as
al-Biruni' , often known as Alberuni, Al Beruni or variants, was a Persian polymath scholar of the 11th century....
, have discussed the correct way of determining the Qiblah direction from any point on the Earth's surface. They agree that at the two moments in each year when the sun is directly overhead the Kaaba, the direction of shadows in any sunlit place will point directly away from the Qiblah. This happens on May 27 or May 28 at 9:18 GMT and on July 15 or July 16 at 9:27 GMT.
Likewise there are two moments in each year when the Sun is directly over the
antipodesIn geography, the antipodes of any place on Earth is the point on the Earth's surface which is diametrically opposite to it...
of the Kaaba. This happens on January 12 or January 13 at 21:29 GMT and on November 28 at 21:09 GMT.
Because the Earth is almost a sphere, this is almost the same as saying that
the Qiblah from a place is the direction in which a bird would start flying in order to get to the Kaaba by the shortest possible way.
North American rules: The traditional and the Mercator map
In recent years, Muslims from North America have used two rules to determine the direction of the Qiblah. A Muslim praying from
Anchorage, AlaskaAnchorage is a consolidated city-borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. With an estimated 279,243 municipal residents in 2008 , it is Alaska's largest city and constitutes more than 40 percent of the state's total population; only New York has a higher percentage...
should pray almost due North if determining the Qiblah according to the traditional rule. However, when one looks at the world on a
MercatorThe Mercator projection is a cylindrical map projection presented by the Flemish geographer and cartographer Gerardus Mercator, in 1569. It became the standard map projection for nautical purposes because of its ability to represent lines of constant course, known as rhumb lines or loxodromes, as...
map, Mecca appears to be southeast of Anchorage. The
rhumb lineIn navigation, a rhumb line is a line crossing all meridians of longitude at the same angle, i.e. a path derived from a defined
initial bearing...
from most points in North America to Mecca will point toward the southeast, but the distance to Mecca along this route on the actual surface of the earth is longer than the traditional
great circleA great circle of a sphere is a circle that runs along the surface of that sphere so as to cut it into two equal halves, as distinct from a small circle. The great circle therefore has both the same circumference and the same center as the sphere...
route.
The vast majority of Muslim communities in North America face toward the northeast, following the great-circle route. A minority faces towards the southeast according to early Islamic methods including sighting the stars, sun, wind, etc.
Muslims consider the direction of Qiblah very important because the fact that all Muslims pray towards the Kaaba is traditionally considered to be symbol of the unity of
all Muslims worldwideUmmah is an Arabic word meaning "community" or "nation". It is commonly used to mean either the collective nation of states, or the whole Arab world...
under the law of God.
Most Qiblah calculating programs use the traditional method and do not mention the Mercator map method.
The Qiblah from space
In April 2006,
AngkasaThe Malaysian National Space Agency is the national Malaysian space agency. It was established in 2002 and its charter includes aims to upgrade, stimulate and foster the country's ability in the field of space through integrated and coordinated efforts by developing and applying space...
, the
MalaysiaMalaysia is a country in Southeast Asia that consists of thirteen states and three Federal Territories, with a total landmass of . The capital city is Kuala Lumpur, while Putrajaya is the seat of the federal government. The population stands at over 28 million inhabitants...
n space agency, sponsored a
conference of scientists and religious scholars to address the issue of how the Qiblah should be determined when one is in
orbitIn physics, an orbit is the gravitationally curved path of one object around a point or another body, for example the gravitational orbit of a planet around a star....
. The conference concluded that the astronaut should determine the location of the qibala ""according to [their] capability". There have already been several
Muslim:A Muslim , , is an adherent of the religion of Islam. The feminine form is Muslimah . Literally, the word means "one who submits ". Muslim is the participle of the same verb of which Islam is the infinitive. Muslims believe that there is only one God, translated in Arabic as Allah...
astronauts, among them the very first being Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the latest being the first Muslim woman in space
Anousheh AnsariAnousheh Ansari is an engineer and the Iranian-American co-founder and chairman of Prodea Systems, Inc and a spaceflight participant with the Russian space program. Her previous business accomplishments include serving as co-founder and CEO of Telecom Technologies, Inc. . The Ansari family is also...
and the Malaysian angkasawan
Sheikh Muszaphar ShukorSheikh Muszaphar Shukor is a Malaysian orthopaedic surgeon and was the first Malaysian to go into space. He was launched to the International Space Station aboard Soyuz TMA-11 with the Expedition 16 crew on October 10 2007...
.
Grand Ayatollah Ali al-SistaniSayyid Ali al-Husayni al-Sistani also known as Grand Ayatollah Sistani is the current highest-ranking Shi'a Muslim religious scholar in Iraq who leads the Hawza of Najaf. He is a Grand Ayatollah and Twelver Shi'a marja born in Iran and residing in Iraq since 1951...
has stated that one should face the direction of the Earth. Ayatollah Al-Sistani follows the Shiite sect of Islam.
See also
- Masjid al Haram
- Black Stone
The Black Stone also called as "Hijre Aswad" or "Sang-e-Sayah" in Urdu, is a Muslim relic, which according to Islamic tradition dates back to the time of Adam and Eve. Some consider it to be a tektite or a meteorite...
- Kaaba
The Kaaba is a cuboidal building in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, and is the most sacred site in Islam. The building predates Islam, and, according to Islamic tradition, the first building at the site was built by Abraham. The building has a mosque built around it, the Masjid al-Haram...
- Craig retroazimuthal projection
The Craig retroazimuthal map projection was created by James Ireland Craig in 1909. It is a cylindrical projection preserving the direction from any place to another, predetermined place while avoiding some of the bizarre distortion of the Hammer retroazimuthal projection...
- Qiblih
In the Bahá'í Faith the Qiblih is the location that Bahá'ís should face when saying their daily obligatory prayers, and is fixed at the Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh, near `Akká, in present day Israel....
, the Bahá'íThe Bahá'í Faith is a monotheistic religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh in nineteenth-century Persia, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind. There are an estimated five to six million Bahá'ís around the world in more than 200 countries and territories.The Bahá'í Faith teaches a doctrine of...
equivalent of the Qiblah
External links