In summary, the places mentioned by the author in which prayer is not valid are as follows:
- An impure place, if one comes into direct contact with the impurity. 2. A graveyard.
- A lavatory. 4. A bathhouse.
- Camel resting-places. 6. A usurped place.
- Their rooftops. 8. The Ka'bah and its roof, in the case of obligatory prayers only.
Facing the qiblah is also among them.
His statement, “And among them is facing the qiblah,” means that facing the qiblah is one of the conditions of prayer. What is meant by the qiblah is the Ka'bah. It is called the qiblah because people face it with their faces, turn toward it, and make it their destination. This is a condition of prayer established by the Quran, the sunnah, and scholarly consensus.
As for the Quran, Allah Most High says:
“Wherever you depart from, turn your face toward the Sacred Mosque; and wherever you are, turn your faces toward it.” [Al-Baqarah 2:150]
As for the sunnah, its evidences are numerous. Among them is the Prophet’s ﷺ statement to the man who prayed improperly: “When you stand for prayer, perform ablution thoroughly; then face the qiblah and pronounce the takbir.” (1)