DDHK. ORG – Qibla is a mandatory benchmark when carrying out prayer fardhu. This is because it is a condition for the validity of prayer based on verse 144 of Surah Al-Baqarah.
However, the meaning of the Qibla differs according to the position of the person praying whether he is looking Kaaba or not seeing the Ka'ba but seeing the mosque, or not seeing the mosque at all because of the position joh from the Kaaba.
Narrated from Imam Malik, he said;
أن الكعبة قبلة أهل المسجد, والمسجد قبلة أهل مكة, ومكة قبلة أهل الحرم, والحرم قبلة أهل الدنيا
"The Kaaba building is the qibla of the congregation in the mosque, the mosque is the qibla of the people of Mecca, Mecca is the qibla of the people of al-Haram (hijaz), while al-Haram is the mecca of the world's population."
Ibn Rushd said;
أَمَّا إِذَا أَبْصَرَ الْبَيْتَ فَالْفَرْضُ عِنْدَهُمْ هُوَ التَّوَجُّهُ إِلَى عَيْنِ الْبَيْتِ وَلَا خِلَافٌ ِا خذَلَافٌ ِا. أَمَّا إِذَا غَابَتِ الْكَعْبَةَ عَنِ الْأَبْصَارِ فَاخْتَلَفُوا مِنْ ذَالِكَ فِي مَوْضِعَيْنِ: أَحَدُهُمْعُا وَالثَّانِي هَلْ فَرْضُهُ الْإِصَابَةَ أَوِ الْاجْتِهَادَ: أَعْنِي إِصَابَةُ الْجِهَةِ أَوِ الْعَيْنِ أَعْنِي إِصَابَةُ الْجِهَةِ أَوِ الْعَيْنِ أَعْنِِ فَذَهَبَ قَوْمٌ إِلَى أَنَّ الْفَرْضَ هُوَ الْعَيْنُ وَذَهَبَ آخَرُوْنَ إِلَى أَنَّهُ الْجِهَةَ.
“As for if someone can see the Kaaba, then there is no difference of opinion that it is obligatory for him to face the building. Whereas if he cannot see the Kaaba then the scholars differ in the following two matters; (1) Is it obligatory to face the Kaaba building or towards the Kaaba? (2) Does it have to be precise regarding the direction or building of the Ka'ba or is it sufficient to direct it? A group of clerics requires that they face the building exactly, while the others just face it."
What is meant by the building is the Kaaba; the cube-shaped black stone designated by the Prophet as the Qibla when he was in the forbidden mosque as reported by Ibn 'Abbas;
لما دخل النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم البيت دعا في نواحيه كلها ولم يصل حتى خرج منه فلما خرج ركع ركعتين في قبل الكعبة, وقال هذه القبلة
“When the Prophet sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam entered the Kaaba, he prayed facing all directions and he did not pray until he finally came out. Outside the Kaaba, he prayed two cycles of prayer facing the Kaaba. Then he said; This is the Qiblah”
This history explains, if a person is in the haram mosque and sees the Kaaba, his Qibla is the Kaaba building because the position of the Prophet sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam when hinting that he is in the haram mosque and sees the Kaaba.
Whereas people who cannot see the Kaaba, many scholars say that it is enough to face the Qibla, meaning that if people who are far away are not facing the Kaaba building, their prayers are still valid.
Ibn Rushd continued;
واتفاق المسلمين على الصف الطويل خارج الكعبة يدل على أن الفرض ليس هو العين أعني إذا لم تكن الكعبة مبصرة. والذي أقوله إنه لو كان واجبا قصد العين لكان حرجا وقد قال تعالى: {وما جعل عليكم في الدين من حرج} فإن إصابة العين شيء لا يدرك إلا بتقريب وتسامح بطريق الهندسة واستعمال الأرصاد في ذلك فكيف بغير ذلك من طرق الإجتهاد ونحن لم نكلف الإجتهاد فيه بطريق الْهَنْدَسَةِ الْمَبْنِيِّ عَلَى الْأَرْصَادِ الْمُسْتَنْبِطِ مِنْهَا طُوْلَ الْبِلَادِ وَعَرْضَهَا.
"The straight line of Muslims that extends outside the Kaaba shows that what is obligatory is not facing the Kaaba building, that is, if the Kaaba is not visible. Because I saw that if they had to face the Kaaba building, it would certainly be difficult, even though Allah ta'âlâ said; "We have not made it difficult for you in religion." What's more, facing right towards the Kaaba building is difficult to describe except in a close position or using science and meteorology. Then how about just having pure ijtihad, even though we are not burdened with ijtihad using technology that can be used to determine the length and width of an area”
Related to the question above, if someone in an emergency as described is in a narrow room, both equilateral and rectangular, then it needs to be seen if the room is rectangular, while the wide side that leads to the Qibla is not suitable for bowing or prostration , then a person can slightly tilt to the right or to the left to give him more space to bow and prostrate, because a slight tilt does not make a person out of the Qibla direction.
This is based on Syathr's meaning in the verse;
“Turn your face towards the Grand Mosque. Every where you are, turn your face on him".
Imam al-Bahuti said;
ََ ِضَََََِ ََِّْ
"People who are far from the Kaaba are required to face the Kaaba, so there is nothing wrong if it is slightly tilted to the right or to the left normally."
What is meant by direction is the direction of the compass where the Qibla is located. For residents of the eastern half of Makkah, the Qibla is towards the west. And for residents of the northern hemisphere of Mecca, the Qibla is to the south, and so on.
As when the Prophet sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam was in Medina and facing Mecca in the south, he said;
ا الْمَشْرِقِ الْمَغْرِبِ لَةٌ
"The direction that stretches between east and west is Qibla"
In the narrative also Ibn Umar said while in Medina;
إِذَا جَعَلَتِ الْمَغْرِبُ عَنْ يَمِيْنِكَ وَالْمَشْرِقُ عَنْ يَسَارِكَ فَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا قِبْلَلةٌ قتبْلَلةٌ
"If you face the Qibla, west is on your right, east is on your left, then what lies between the two is the Qibla."
In another narration, Usman Ibn 'Affan also said that when he was in Medina;
كَيْفَ يُخْطِئُ الرَّجُلُ الصَّلَاةَ وَمَا بَيْنَ الْمَشْرِقِ وَالْمَغْرِبِ قِبْلَقةٌ مَا لَمْ يَتَحَرَ العَّم
"How can someone make a mistake in the direction of his prayer when the direction between east and west is the Qiblah, as long as he is not intentionally facing east (to the left when positioned in Medina)"
All of these narrations explain that a slight tilt to the right or to the left as long as it is not totally facing to the right and to the left does not invalidate the prayer, and the prayer is still valid. Therefore, if someone is in a rectangular room with the wide side facing towards the Qibla, then he can slightly turn to the right or to the left so that he gets space for bowing and prostration, because that direction is still called the Qibla.
In conclusion, there are two options for the above problems:
1. Keep facing the qibla when takbiratul ihram and standing position, and tilt slightly when bowing and prostration.
2. Diqiyaskan with sick people or traveling, so it is permissible to sit but facing the Qiblah. Wallahu a'lam. [DDHK News]
