The Book of Prayer

Facing the Qiblah & Intention

in the Prayer

Introduction

Ibn Qudamah's Introduction

Preface and Keys

Introduction to the Hanbali School

The book of purification

Rulings of Water

Rulings of Water Continued & Doubts

Removing of Various Impurities

Vessels and Utensils

Etiquettes of Using the Lavatory

Wudoo' (Ritual Ablution)

Wiping on Socks, Turbans, Bandages & Hijab

Nullifiers of Wudoo

Ritual Bath after Major (Sexual) Impurity

Dry Ablution (Tayammum)

Menstruation and Postpartum Bleeding

Menstruation and Postpartum Bleeding Continued

The book of prayer

Importance of Prayer & Ruling of its Abandonment

Adhan and Iqamah

Conditions of Salah

Covering the 'Awrah

Physical Purity for Salah

Facing the Qiblah & Intention in the Prayer

Etiquettes of Walking to Prayer and its Description

Description of Prayer Continued

Description of Prayer Continued

Description of Prayer Continued

Pillars and Mandatory Acts of Prayer

Two Prostrations of Forgetfulness

Supererogatory (Voluntary) Prayers

Supererogatory (Voluntary) Prayers Continued

Times of Prohibition of (Supererogatory) Prayer

Chapter on Imamate

Chapter on Imamate Continued

Congregational Prayers & Latecomers

Prayer of The Sick

Prayer of The Traveler

Prayer of Fear

Jumu'ah (Congregational Friday) Prayer

Jumu'ah (Congregational Friday) Prayer Continued

Prayer of the Two Eids

The Book of Funerals

Book on Funeral

Washing, Shrouding, and Funeral Prayer

Funeral Prayer Continued

Ending the Book of Funerals

The Book of Fasting

Book of Fasting

Confusion, Exemption, and Expiation of Fasting

Invalidators of Fasting, Forgetfulness, and Doubts

Voluntary Fasing and I'tikaf

The Book of Hajj and Umrah

The Book of Hajj and 'Umrah

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Chapter on Ihram Sites

The State of Ihram

Forbidden Acts of Ihram

Expiations in Hajj

Entering Makkah and Tawaf

Facing the Qiblah & Intention in the Prayer

Fifth: Facing the qibla 220 except in the supererogatory prayers, while riding, the traveler prays in whichever direction he is facing. 221 One who is incapable of facing the qibla, out of fear or for some other reason, may pray in whichever direction he can.222 For all others, their prayer is invalid unless they are facing the Kaaba. If he is near it, he must pray exactly towards it. If he is far, then towards its direction. 223

الشَّرْطُ الْخَامِسُ: اسْتِقْبَالُ الْقِبْلَةِ. إِلاَّ فِي النَّافِلَةِ عَلَى الرَّاحِلَةِ لِلْمُسَافِرِ، فَإِنَّهُ يُصَلِّيْ حَيْثُ كَانَ وَجْهُهُ. وَالْعَاجِزُ عَنِ الاِسْتِقْبَالِ؛ لِخَوْفٍ، أَوْ غَيْرِهِ، فَيُصَلِّيْ كَيْفَمَا أَمْكَنَهُ. وَمَا عَدَاهُمَا، لاَ تَصِحُّ صَلاَتُهُ إِلاَّ مُسْتَقْبِلَ الْكَعْبَةِ. فَإِنْ كَانَ قَرِيْبًا مِنْهَا، لَزِمَتْهُ الصَّلاَةُ إِلَى عَيْنِهَا، وَإِنْ كَانَ بَعِيْدًا، فَإِلَى جِهَتِهَا.

220. For Allah (ST) said:

{…Direct your face to al-Masjid al-Ḥarâm (the Sacred Mosque in Makkah) and wherever you may be, turn your faces to it…} (al-Baqarah 2: 144)

فَوَلِّ وَجْهَكَ شَطْرَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ ۚ وَحَيْثُ مَا كُنتُمْ فَوَلُّوا وُجُوهَكُمْ شَطْرَهُ

221. "I saw the Messenger of Allah (SA) pray while riding, and he faced the direction in which he was going." (Ag – from ‘Âmir ibn Rabee‘ah)

222.

Allah (ST) said:

{And if you fear (an enemy), perform the prayer on foot or riding…} (al-Baqarah 2: 239)

فَإِنْ خِفْتُمْ فَرِجَالًا أَوْ رُكْبَانًا


“Facing the qibla or not.” (B – from Ibn ‘Umar)

223. Ibn Qudâmah, the author (may Allah bestow mercy on him), said in his other book, al-Mughni, “The one who is far away from Makkah must seek the direction of the Kaaba, without having to face it head on.” This is also the view of (+H, +M, +s).

If the qibla is unknown to him while in a town, he must ask, and he may take for a clue the direction of the miḥrâbs (prayer niches in the mosques) of the Muslims. If he errs, then he must make up for it.224 If it is unknown to him while traveling,

وَإِنْ خَفِيَتْ عَلَيْهِ الْقِبْلَةُ فِي الْحَضَرِ، سَأَلَ وَاسْتَدَلَّ بِمَحَارِيْبِ الْمُسْلِمِيْنَ، فَإِنْ أَخْطَأَ، فَعَلَيْهِ الإِعَادَةُ. وَإِنْ خَفِيَتْ فِي السَّفَرِ، اجْتَهَدَ، وَصَلَّى، وَلاَ إِعَادَةَ عَلَيْهِ.

Imam Aḥmad said, “Whatever is between the east and the west is qibla… but I like for him to pray towards the middle, between the east and west… However, his prayer will be complete as long as he prays between these two directions and he does not deviate beyond them.”

(Ibn Rajab, Fatḥ al-Bâri)

It was reported that the Messenger of Allah (SA) said:

“Whatever is between the east and the west is qibla.” (T – from Abu Hurayrah. Controversial chain, but established as a statement from several Companions)

‏مَا بَيْنَ الْمَشْرِقِ وَالْمَغْرِبِ قِبْلَةٌ‏

Since Madinah was north of Makkah, the meaning of this report is that as long as they face south, not east or west, they would be praying to the direction of the qibla. If each one of the cardinal directions occupies 90 degrees out of 360, then a deviation of up to 45 degrees to the left or right of the exact qibla may still be forgiven. The vast majority of Muslims in North America pray towards the northeast because they consider the shortest distance to Makkah on the globe, not the flat map. Based on the position above, the prayer of those who pray towards the east with a slight tilt to the north and those who pray with a slight tilt to the south is still valid. Still, the matter needs to be resolved at the institutional level and among the scholars, to spare the public from debates that could get contentious.

224. The assumption here is that a mistake is not acceptable in a Muslim town because he could surely find prayer niches to go by. Based on this, in towns where these Muslim miḥrâbs are not readily available, one should try their best to determine the direction of the qibla. However, if they err, they do not have to repeat the prayer, like the traveler who errs.

he should do his best to figure it out and pray, and he does not have to make up for it [if he erred].225 If two individuals capable of reasoning disagree, they need not follow each other. A blind individual or layperson must follow the more trustworthy in his thinking.

وَإِنِ اخْتَلَفَ مُجْتَهِدَانِ، لَمْ يَتْبَعْ أَحَدُهُمَا صَاحِبَهُ. وَيَتْبَعُ الأَعْمَى وَالْعَامِيُّ أَوْثَقَهُمَا فِيْ نَفْسِهِ.

Sixth: The intention to perform the particular prayer.226 It may be made

الشَّرْطُ السَّادِسُ: النِّيَّةُ لِلصَّلاَةِ بِعَيْنِهَا، وَيَجُوْزُ

225.

“We were with the Prophet (SA) during a journey on a dark night. We were unable to determine the direction of the qibla, so each one prayed in a direction (that he thought was the qibla). In the morning, we mentioned this to the Messenger of Allah (SA), and then this verse was revealed: {…So wherever you turn, there is the Face of Allah…} (al-Baqarah 2: 115)” (T, Ma – from Âmir ibn Rabee‘ah. al-Albâni, Aḥmad Shâkir:R)

كنا مع النبي في سفر في ليلة مظلمة فلم ندر أين القبلة فصلى كل رجل منا على حياله فلما أصبحنا ذكرنا ذلك للنبي فنزلت {فأينما تولوا فثم وجه الله}

226. (A): It is preferred for the intention to be spoken to oneself (sirran).

(a, -t): The intention is an action of the heart and need not be uttered aloud; they considered that an innovation, arguing that there is no proof the Prophet (SA) ever did so or advised others to do so.

shortly before the takbeer as long as he has not annulled it. 227

تَقْدِيْمُهَا عَلَى التَّكْبِيْرِ بِالزَّمَنِ الْيَسِيْرِ، إِذَا لَمْ يَفْسَخْهَا.

227. Some have obsessions when it comes to the intention. As long as one does not annul it, it is valid. If you make wuḍoo’ to pray a certain prayer, you start the prayer, and then you begin to have doubts about whether you had the right intention for the right prayer, you should cast away the doubt and presume that you did.