167 – Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “The space between the east and the west is all qiblah.” Recorded by al-Tirmidhi, and al-Bukhari declared it sound.⦗1⦘

Grade of the ḥadīth
This ḥadīth is authentic. It was transmitted by al-Tirmidhi and Ibn Mājah. Al-Tirmidhi said, “A ḥasan ṣaḥīḥ ḥadīth,” and al-Bukhari strengthened it. All of its narrators are trustworthy.

Glossary of terms
• bayna (between): a word of division and sharing; it functions as an adverb meaning “middle.” When attached to a temporal expression, it becomes an adverb of time, as in, “I came to you between ẓuhr and ʿaṣr.” When attached to a spatial expression, it becomes an adverb of place, as in, “My house is between your house and your brother’s.”
• al-qiblah: with a kasrah on the qāf and a sukūn on the bāʾ; literally, “direction.” Here it specifically refers to the Honoured Kaʿbah.

Lessons derived from the ḥadīth

1. The four principal horizontal directions are north—opposite south—and east—opposite west. The span from east to west measures 180 degrees; this entire range constitutes qiblah for anyone who cannot see the Kaʿbah, and the same measure applies for those approaching from the other sides.
2. The ḥadīth shows that whoever is unable to view the Kaʿbah is obliged only to face its general direction, not its exact structure; the report indicates that everything lying between the two bearings is qiblah, and that facing the direction is sufficient in