Originally posted 2024-04-19 17:00:04.

This direction of prayer is called the qiblah. Wednesday the 28th of May, the sun will be right above the Ka`bah.

By: Editorial Staff

Facing the Qiblah (Direction of Prayer)

Facing the Qiblah (the direction of prayer) is one of the conditions for the validity of prayer. Every Muslim should do their best to determine the direction of the Qiblah when praying. This can be done using natural signs, a compass, or by asking trustworthy individuals familiar with the correct direction.

The Qiblah refers to the direction of the Kaʿbah, located in Makkah, in the modern-day Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In mosques, the direction of the Qiblah is typically marked at the front with a decorative indentation in the wall known as the mihrab—a niche indicating the direction of Makkah.

It is worth noting that, initially, Muslims used to face Jerusalem (specifically Al-Aqsa Mosque) during prayer. This practice continued for one year and four months after the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ migrated to Madinah. After that period, the Qiblah was changed to the Kaʿbah in response to a divine command:

“We have certainly seen the turning of your face, [O Muhammad], toward the heaven, and We will surely turn you to a Qiblah with which you will be pleased. So turn your face toward al-Masjid al-Haram. And wherever you [believers] are, turn your faces toward it [in prayer]. Indeed, those who have been given the Scripture know well that it is the truth from their Lord. And Allah is not unaware of what they do.”
(Al-Baqarah 2:144)

It is important to emphasize that Muslims do not worship the Kaʿbah. In Islam, all acts of worship must be directed to Allah alone. The gravest sin in Islam is to direct even the smallest act of worship to anyone or anything other than Allah. Therefore, Muslims do not use intermediaries in worship—whether living beings or inanimate objects. All prayers and acts of devotion are directed solely to Almighty Allah.

The Kaʿbah is simply a mosque—a house of worship for Muslims, much like churches for Christians or synagogues for Jews. It was the first structure built on earth dedicated to the worship of Allah alone. It serves as a symbol of Muslim unity in worship.

The Sun Above the Kaʿbah

The direction of prayer, known as the Qiblah, can be verified with the help of the Sun on specific dates. On May 28th, the Sun is directly above the Kaʿbah.

At any given moment, the Sun travels across the sky above our heads. Its position corresponds to specific geographical locations on Earth at particular times. For locations between the two tropics—such as Makkah—it is possible to determine directions by observing the Sun’s position.

On May 28th and again on July 16th each year, the Sun is positioned directly above the Kaʿbah. This makes it an excellent opportunity for Muslims around the world to determine the direction of the Qiblah by observing the Sun at those exact moments.

• On May 28th, the Sun is directly above the Kaʿbah at 9:18 AM GMT.

• On July 16th, this occurs again at 9:27 AM GMT.

Here is the equivalent time in the United States on May 28th:

• Eastern Standard Time (EST): 4:18 AM

• Central Standard Time (CST): 3:18 AM

• Mountain Standard Time (MST): 2:18 AM

• Pacific Standard Time (PST): 1:18 AM

To convert GMT to your local time, you can visit: www.wwp.greenwichmeantime.com

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Source: Al-kanz.org.