The Supplicant Facing the Qibla
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94 — The Supplicant Facing the Qibla

Among the proper etiquettes of supplication is for the supplicant to face the qibla while praying. This is because the qibla is the honored direction that Muslims have been commanded to face in worship. Just as it is their qibla in prayer, so too is it their qibla in supplication. Numerous hadiths establish that the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—faced the qibla when supplicating.

Among them is the report narrated by al-Bukhārī and Muslim in their respective Sahih collections from Abd Allah ibn Masūd—may Allah be pleased with him—who said: “The Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—faced the Kaaba and invoked Allah against several men of Quraysh: Shayba ibn Rabīa, Utba ibn Rabīa, al-Walīd ibn Uqba, and Abu Jahl ibn Hishām. I call Allah to witness that I saw them lying slain, their bodies altered by the sun, for it was a hot day.”1.

Muslim also narrated in his Sahih from Umar ibn al-Khattāb—may Allah be pleased with him—who said: “On the day of Badr, the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—looked at the polytheists, who numbered one thousand, while his Companions numbered three hundred and nineteen. The Prophet of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—then faced the qibla, raised his hands, and began fervently calling upon his Lord: ‘O Allah, fulfill for me what You promised me. O Allah, grant me what You promised me. O Allah, if You allow this band of Muslims to perish, You will not be worshipped on earth.’ He continued fervently calling upon his Lord, with his hands outstretched and facing the qibla, until his cloak fell from his shoulders. Abu Bakr came to him, picked up his cloak, placed it back over his shoulders, and embraced him from behind. He said, ‘O Prophet of Allah, you have sufficiently implored your Lord; He will surely fulfill what He promised you.’ Allah—Mighty and Majestic—then revealed: ‘When you cried out to your Lord for help, He answered you that I