The obligation of one who is near the qiblah is to face it precisely; for one who is far away, it is to face its direction.

His statement: “The obligation of one who is near the qiblah is to face it precisely; for one who is far away, it is to face its direction.”

The author, may Allah have mercy on him, explains how one is to face the qiblah, mentioning that this takes two forms:

The first is that one must face the Kaʿbah itself.

The second is that one must face the direction of the Kaʿbah.

The first applies when one is close to the Kaʿbah—that is, when one is able to see it.

The second applies when one is far from it, or close by but unable to see it.

The apparent meaning of their words is that what is intended is physical ability: if one is physically able to see it, he must face the Kaʿbah itself, even if he is unable to do so according to the Sacred Law. Accordingly, whoever is in the courtyard of the mosque is obliged to face the Kaʿbah itself, and this is easy.

As for one who is on the upper or middle level, directly facing the Kaʿbah may be easy for him, or it may be difficult. If the rows are closely packed, or pillars in front of him prevent him from seeing the Kaʿbah, he may be unable to see it and unable to move from his place, because the rows are closely packed. The inability in this case is a legal one.

The apparent meaning of their words is that his prayer is not valid unless he is facing the Kaʿbah itself (1). If we adopt this view, then many of those who pray in