The Prophet ﷺ, however, longed for the command to be redirected so that he could face the Noble Kaʿbah. Thereupon Allah revealed: “We have certainly seen the turning of your face toward the heaven. So We will surely turn you to a qiblah you will be pleased with. Turn, then, your face toward the Sacred Mosque” (Quran 2:144).

One of the Companions left for the Qubāʾ Mosque on the outskirts of Medina and found its congregation still unaware that the previous qiblah had been abrogated, praying toward the former direction. He informed them that the orientation had been changed to the Kaʿbah and that Quran had been revealed to the Prophet ﷺ about it—the verse just mentioned—and that the Prophet ﷺ had already faced the Kaʿbah in his prayer.

Owing to their insight, quick comprehension, and sound understanding, they immediately pivoted from Jerusalem—their first qiblah—to their second, the honored Kaʿbah.

Legal rulings derived from the hadith:

1. At the beginning of the Hijrah the qiblah was Jerusalem; it was later redirected to the Kaʿbah.
2. The Muslim qiblah is now firmly fixed upon the honored Kaʿbah. Whoever sees it must face its very structure, and whoever is far from it must face its general direction.
3. The most excellent spot on earth is the House of Allah, for the qiblah was finally established upon it, and neither this great Prophet nor this elect nation would be settled upon anything but the best.
4. Abrogation (naskh) is permissible in the Sharia, contrary to the Jews and those who follow them in denying it.
5. If someone begins a prayer facing one direction and then realizes during the prayer that he is mistaken, he should turn to the correct direction without breaking the prayer; what he has already performed remains valid.
6. A ruling does not bind a legally responsible person until it reaches him. After the qiblah had been changed, the people of Qubāʾ prayed toward Jerusalem before the news reached them, yet they were not required to repeat their prayer.
7. A single trustworthy reporter—when backed by supporting indicators—is to be believed and acted upon, even if his report nullifies what was previously established by definitive knowledge.
8. Considerable bodily movement in prayer is lawful when it serves the prayer’s own interest.
9. The hadith supports accepting information received by telephone or wireless communication regarding the beginning and end of Ramadan or other legal matters, for although the news passes from one individual to another, the attendant signs of reliability put the heart at ease; repeated experience has confirmed this.