Some scholars held that it is impermissible to face the qiblah or turn one’s back to it in all circumstances, whether within a built structure or otherwise. This is also one narration from Ahmad (1). They said: This is required by the hadith of Abu Ayyub, both in evidence and in practice.
As for the evidence, it lies in the statement of the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him.
As for the practice, it lies in what Abu Ayyub did when he came to Syria and found lavatories built facing the Ka‘bah. He said, “So we would turn away from them and seek Allah’s forgiveness.” This indicates that he did not consider that sufficient, and this was the view preferred by Shaykh al-Islam (2).
They answered the hadith of Ibn Umar as follows:
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It is to be understood as referring to what occurred before the prohibition; and the prohibition takes precedence over it, because a prohibition changes the original ruling—which is permissibility—and that which changes the original ruling takes priority.
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The hadith of Abu Ayyub is a statement, whereas the hadith of Ibn Umar is an action; and an action does not conflict with a statement, because his action, peace and blessings be upon him, may have been particular to him, or due to forgetfulness, or some other excuse. Yet this possibility is rejected, because the basic principle is to follow and take the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, as one’s example. Moreover, there is no complete contradiction here between the statement and the action. Had there been, interpreting the action as something particular to him would have been plausible. Rather, it is possible to understand the hadith of Abu Ayyub as applying when one is not within a built structure, and the hadith of Ibn Umar concerning turning one’s back to the qiblah as applying when one is within a built structure.
The stronger view is that, within a built structure, it is permissible to turn one’s back to the qiblah but not to face it, because the prohibition against facing it is preserved, with no qualification or