unless they were few and gathered together. The reply is:

There is no doubt that the bending and curving required at a distance are less than those required nearby. The greater the distance, the less the curvature; the nearer one is, the greater it becomes, until the row nearest the Kaaba has the greatest bend and curvature. Nevertheless, some bending and curving would still be necessary at a distance if the aim were to establish a straight line between the worshipper and the Kaaba, such that, were he to walk along it, he would reach the Kaaba. The curvature, however, would be very slight. It has been said, for example, that if a row were a mile long and situated in Greater Syria, each person’s bend would amount to the measure of a barley grain. This was mentioned by someone who explicitly stated [that] (1) facing the Kaaba itself is obligatory, but said that such slight curvature may be overlooked.

The reply to him is:

This is precisely what we mean when we say that the obligation is to face its direction: one is exempt from having to aim for such bending and curving. The disagreement thus becomes merely verbal, without any substantive difference. The point is that whoever prays in its direction is praying toward the Kaaba itself, even though he is not required to aim for such precision. It should not be said that someone who prays in this manner is mistaken in reality but excused. Rather, he faces the qiblah in reality as well as outwardly, and this is what he has been commanded to do. Thus, when the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, built mosques in the various cities, some were such that, if a straight line were projected from them toward the Kaaba, it would miss it. Yet the Muslims’ prayers in them were valid by the agreement of the Muslims.