Facing the Kaaba

Whenever the Messenger of Allah ﷺ rose for prayer, he would face the Kaaba, whether the prayer was obligatory or voluntary. He likewise instructed others to do so, for he said to the man who had prayed incorrectly: “When you stand for prayer, perfect your wudu (ablution), then face the qibla and pronounce the takbir.”

While travelling he would perform the voluntary prayers on his mount and even offer the witr on it, whatever direction it happened to be headed—[east or west]. Regarding this the Almighty revealed: “So wherever you turn, there is the Face of Allah” (al-Baqarah 2:115).

On his mount he would bow and prostrate by inclining his head, making the prostration lower than the bowing.

At times, when he intended to offer a supererogatory prayer on his she-camel, he would first turn her toward the qibla, pronounce the takbir, and then pray wherever the animal carried him. But when he wished to perform an obligatory prayer he would dismount and face the qibla.

In situations of extreme danger he legislated for his community to pray “on foot—standing on their feet—or mounted, whether facing the qibla or not.” He ﷺ said: “When they become intermingled (with the enemy), the prayer is limited to the takbir and a nod of the head.” He also said: “The space between east and west is one and the same qibla.”

Jabir ﵁ narrated: “We were with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ on a march or an expedition when clouds covered the sky. We tried to determine the qibla and differed, so each man prayed on his own. One of us traced a line in front of himself so we could mark our places. When morning came we realised that we had not faced the qibla. We mentioned this to the Prophet ﷺ and he did not order us to repeat the prayer; he said, ‘Your prayers were sufficient.’”

He ﷺ used to pray toward Jerusalem—with the Kaaba in front of him—before the revelation of the verse: “We have certainly seen the turning of your face toward the heaven, so We will surely turn you to a qibla that pleases you. So turn your face toward al-Masjid al-Ḥarām” (al-Baqarah 2:144). After it was revealed he faced the Kaaba. While the people of Qubāʾ were performing the dawn prayer, a messenger came to them and announced: “Last night Qur’an was revealed to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and he has been commanded to face the Kaaba; therefore face it.” Their faces had been toward Syria, so they turned around, and their imam turned with them until he faced the qibla. (ص 55 – 78)

Standing

He ﷺ would stand in the prayer, both obligatory and voluntary, in compliance with the words of the Exalted: “And stand before Allah in devout obedience” (al-Baqarah 2:238).