If someone were to say: This is an exception to the generality of the texts of the Quran and sunnah, for Allah Most High has said:

“Wherever you may depart from, turn your face towards the Sacred Mosque; and wherever you may be, turn your faces towards it.” [al-Baqarah: 150]

This is among the strongest forms of general wording, for “wherever you may be” is a conditional clause and among the strongest forms of generality. So what has excluded this circumstance from that general ruling?

The answer is that the sunnah has excluded it through the action of the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him. It is authentically established in al-Bukhari, Muslim, and elsewhere that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, would offer voluntary prayers on his mount wherever it turned with him, though he would not offer the obligatory prayer upon it. (1) Thus, this sunnah has specified the generality of the verses and the hadith.

If someone were to say: Is it not possible that this was before facing the qiblah became obligatory?

We reply: That is not possible, because the Companions excluded the obligatory prayers; this indicates that it was after facing the qiblah had become obligatory.

If someone were to say: What type of specification is this? We reply: In reality, this is among the unusual forms of specification: a Quranic text has been specified by a sunnah, and a statement has been specified by an action. That is, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, did not say: Whoever offers a voluntary prayer while travelling need not face the qiblah. It is known that specifying a statement by an action is weaker than specifying a statement by another statement, due to the possibility that it was a matter exclusive to him or due to the possibility of an excuse—unlike a statement.