After reading the article, you can find out all the services that allow you to determine the correct direction of the qibla online. There are several religions in the world. And each has its own rules of behavior and rituals. This article will focus on one of them - Islam. All believers must create appropriate conditions for prayer. For example, cleanse the body, clothes and place for prayer. And also find a special direction in which the person praying should look.
Occurrence and additional information about the qibla
Qibla is often mentioned in Islam, as it (the direction) is also very important in the construction of mosques. As well as a number of other religious buildings. Knowledge of the qibla is mandatory for Muslims. They use it during five prayers every day. In our digital age, you can find the right party using the Internet.
Kaaba - Muslim shrine
The given direction points to one of the main shrines of Islam - the Kaaba. This cubic structure is located in the city of Mecca. The shrine is located in the courtyard of the forbidden mosque - Masjid al-Haram. Pilgrims from all over the area gather here during the Hajj (pilgrimage). During the first prophecy of Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, the qibla was mistaken for Mount Moriah, which is located in Jerusalem. After which Allah told Muhammad that this direction had now been changed. At that very moment, he and the worshipers changed it. After this, the reasons for moving the qibla were given in the Qur'an.
A mosque in which the qibla was changed
Namaz-time.ru - will help you find directions online
For those who need to find the sacred direction or qibla, you can use the website http://namaz-time.ru/map. Go to this address using a web browser. For convenience, the top menu lists the most popular Russian cities. If you live in one of them, just select the one you want with your mouse cursor. On the map you will see the location of your place, as well as a line indicating the qibla. For less popular cities there is an entry line.
Further procedure:
The map can be adjusted by zooming in or out. To do this, there are buttons “+” and “-” on the right. Click on the appropriate one.
Qiblalocator - online service for determining the qibla
How to determine the location of Mecca on a mobile device
The market for Android devices has a special application that will allow you to determine the direction of the qibla using your mobile phone online. You can download it on this page. It is already used by more than 10 million believers.
Advantages of the online service:
If your internet speed is low, you can enter your location manually. At the same time, you will save traffic and time.
How can you find out the qibla without applications and services?
There is a misconception that all Muslims say their prayers facing the east. Although in some cases (when the worshiper is from Mecca to the west) it is true. One of the main celestial objects, by which at all times people have determined the cardinal directions and even the time of day, is the sun.
To find the right side:
In this way we learn the cardinal directions. They will help us determine the qibla. Knowing the location of your country on the map, you can easily determine it. For example, if you are in the United States, Mecca is in the northeast. If you have visited South Africa, then you need to pray to the north-northeast.
How Muslims Found Direction in the Past
In the past, the qibla was determined using additional tools and a map. But not all people were literate. They were trained by people more experienced in this matter. The definition process was similar to what we learned from the previous section of the article. First it was necessary to determine the direction of the world. Later, special devices were created that made it possible to find the direction. Special tables were created that made it easier for Muslims to find directions for all settlements.
Using your Android, iPhone, iOS devices, find the application you need by searching in the appropriate smartphone markets. They are installed with one click of a button.
- You can write down the coordinates of the Kaaba to calculate the direction in the future - 21 degrees 25'21. 15'' s. w. N 39 degrees 49’34.1’’ E. d.;
- When planning a trip, mark in advance the direction for prayer at the place where you are going;
- You can find special prayer mats that have a built-in compass and directional markings;
- In large cities there is a mosque where you can find out this;
- You should use all the possibilities and options to determine the qibla. A compass, which is available on mobile devices, will come to the rescue. Even if it is missing, try to find other ways to determine direction.
In the article, we examined in detail how you can determine the exact direction of the qibla using online services. And also how Muslims found the location of Mecca in the past.
Where is Mecca (Makkah) located?
Mecca is located in western Saudi Arabia. It is also known as "Makkah" (مكة). The Holy Ka'aba is located in Makkah. It is also the birthplace of Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him). It is the holiest city for Muslims. Muslims go on pilgrimage to Mecca to perform Hajj and Umrah.
What is the “Kaaba”?
Kaaba (Ka'aba) is the Mosque built by Prophet Abraham and his son Prophet Ismael (peace be upon them) in Makkah (Mecca). It is the cube-shaped building at the center of the Grand Mosque called Al-Masjid al- Haram – a house of God within the larger complex of the Grand Mosque. Muslims all over the world face the actual Ka'ba when they pray. It is an Arabic word (القبلة) which means "the cube".
What is the meaning of Qibla?
The literal meaning of the Arabic word Qibla (قبلة) is "direction". In the Islamic context it means the direction Muslims face when performing their prayers (salaath)
What is the definition of Qibla direction in Islam?
It is the direction in which Muslims face when performing their prayers wherever they are in the world. This is the direction leading to the Ka‘ba in the Grand Mosque in Makkah in current day Saudi Arabia.
Is the Qibla direction is west or east?
Muslims do not pray facing east or west wherever they are. They perform their prayers while facing Kaaba. As such, the Qibla direction depends on your location vis-à-vis Kaaba in Makkah. It could be East, West, North, South, etc.
What is a Mihrab (محراب)?
It is the semi-circular structure in a Mosque. It indicates the direction of Qibla from the Mosque.
What is a Qibla Compass or Prayer direction compass?
These are standard compasses showing the direction of Qibla on the compass. When users align the needle of the compass to a specific number allocated to the city (provided in the booklet along with the compass), the resulting direction of Qibla marked on the compass is the prayer direction. This may not be accurate when used inside buildings.
What is an Online Qibla Compass?
With advent of mobile devices, the physical compasses are getting replaced by the online compasses available on Android and iPhone/iPad devices. This has given rise to the Online Qibla compasses mobile applications. These compasses will automatically detect the location (when online) and then show the Qibla direction. These compasses also may not be accurate when used inside buildings. HalalTrip mobile App available for both Android and iPhone/iPads has an Online Qibla Compass.
How to find Qibla direction using an online compass?
Online Qibla direction compass mobile applications will generally automatically detect the current location (when online) and then show the prayer direction, as is the case with the HalalTrip mobile app. On some apps the user may have to enter the location, then the compass will show the qibla direction (relative to TRUE North and not relative to compass North). website also provides an online compass which provides the Qibla direction relative to the TRUE North .
How to find Qibla direction using google maps?
Locating the qibla direction using the google maps is very precise. It uses the great circle to show the qibla direction on a Google Map. Once you enter your location, the direction of qibla will be shown on the google map with a line drawn on the map. Zoom in the map and find the landmark to orient yourself to the qibla direction.
How to find Qibla direction online for my current location/place/house?
The best way to find the accurate Qibla direction for any location is to use a mobile application which provides both an online compass as well as the ability to locate the qibla using google maps. site as well as the HalalTrip"s mobile app for iPhone, iPad and Android let"s you easily find the qibla direction for your house or for any location while you travel. The HalalTrip mobile app will instantly find your location and display the qibla direction..
How to find Qibla direction without compass?
The best way to find the qibla direction without a compass is to use an online qibla direction locator. Especially using a google maps based prayer finder.
Does the Qibla finder tool work in every country?
Yes, this tool will solve your need to find Qibla. Our visitors from many countries such as Australia, Canada, Cyprus, Germany, Ghana, Hong Kong, Iraq, Kuwait, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, New Zealand, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Tanzania , Turkey, Qatar, Singapore, South Africa, Azerbaijan, France, Indonesia, Norway and Iran (wherever you are) should find this tool useful.
How is the word Qibla spelled in English?
"Qibla" is an Arabic word - قِبْلَة
As such when written in English there are number of variations used to spell the word. The main variation is the use of either "Q" or "K" in the beginning of the word. The second is the addition of letters "t" or "h" at the end. This has given rise to the following variations of spelling:
Qibla, Qiblat, Qiblah
· Kibla, Kiblat, Kiblah
Sometimes the prefix "Al" is added to the word which make it "Al Qibla". "Al" is an Arabic prefix for the word "the". The most common usage is “Qibla”.
Few other variations of how it is spelled are Quibla, Quibla, Qible and Qebla.
In addition to Qibla direction, where can I find Dua(s) for traveling on HalalTrip?
HalalTrip has a list of some of the most important Islamic travel Dua(s) for Muslims. It includes Dua(s) in Arabic and English with audio playback of the Dua(s) in Arabic, as well as Dua(s) to be recited before setting out on a journey, along with Dua(s) for when leaving home, traveling by plane, car, and more.
What is the Qibla direction (Namaz Direction) in India?
The Qibla direction in India is generally West. The exact direction depends on the location in India. For Chandigarh, a city in the north of India, the direction is about 263 degrees. For Madurai, located in the south, the direction is around 292 degrees. Here are directions for some of the main cities in India.
Mumbai – 280.07
Kolkata – 278.21
Delhi – 266.6
Chennai – 287.93
Bangalore – 288.5
Hyderabad – 282.3
Ahmedabad – 273.4
Surat – 276.6
For every Muslim, determining the qibla (direction towards the holy Kaaba) is important, since it is in the direction of the qibla that daily prayer should be performed according to the commandments of Allah, which were revealed in the Koran. There are various ways to determine the Qibla, in this article I will tell you how to use the online Qibla compass, and what network services will help us with this.
Why is determining the qibla important?
According to the commandments of Allah, every Muslim must point his face towards Mecca during his prayer. Mosques and other religious buildings should also be oriented towards the Holy Kaaba. Every Muslim must do everything in his power to correctly determine the qibla in order to perform prayer correctly.
The Holy Quran says: “We have seen you turn your face to the sky, and We will turn you to the qibla with which you will be pleased. Turn your face towards the Sacred Mosque. Wherever you are, turn your faces towards her. Verily, those who have been given the Book know that this is the truth from their Lord. Allah is not ignorant of what they do.” (Quran, 2 sura, 144 verse).
List of the Best Qibla Compasses on the Internet
There are various ways to determine the direction of the qibla. I will focus on online network services that will help devout Muslims in searching for the qibla.
In most cases, these resources work on a similar principle: you tell them your location (or place a corresponding mark on the map), and they show you the direction of the qibla with an arrow. Some resources can also indicate the distance to Mecca, latitude and longitude, and degree. Also, if you want to determine the direction of the world in an apartment using, I recommend reading the article.
Compusers.ru
The Russian-language resource computers.ru invites you to find the qibla using Yandex maps. On the page that opens, indicate your location on the map by clicking there, after which a line with an arrow will appear on the map indicating the direction to Mecca.
Halatrip.com
- The English-language website halatrip.com will help you easily determine the qibla.
- To do this, go to this site, after which it will ask permission to determine your location.
- If you agree, then click on “Allow Location Access”, the site will determine your location and show you the qibla path on the map.
Click on “Allow Location Access” and the resource will determine your location If you want to indicate your location yourself, then enter your address in the green sign on the right (the “Enter Location” field) and press enter.
Enter your address in the "Enter Location" field The map will display your location and the direction of the qibla as a bar, and the compass on the left will indicate the exact angle of the qibla direction.
Eqibla.com
- Another English-language online resource, eqibla.com, will help Muslims find the qibla.
- Go to this resource, enter your address in the “Enter your address” line, and click on the “Locate” button.
- The map will display your location, and the line will indicate the correct direction of the qibla.
In addition, the resource will determine the latitude and longitude, the distance to the Kaaba, and also show the qibla in how many degrees.
Map with qibla direction on "Eqibla.com" Islamicfinder.org
An English-language resource for Muslims, islamicfinder.org, will also help you determine the direction of the qibla online. To do this, you need to place the cursor on the map at your location (holding down the left mouse button), the service will immediately indicate the direction of the qibla with a dashed line.
Like the eqibla.com resource, this resource determines latitude and longitude, distance and will show the qibla degree online.
Qibla direction on "islamicfinder.org" Qib.la
The qib.la service also makes it easy to find out the qibla. When you switch to this service, it will ask you for permission to determine your location. If you click on "Allow location access", it will find your location on the map and show you the direction to Mecca.
You can also indicate your location on the map yourself, and a line with arrows will show you the way to the Holy Kaaba.
Working window of the site “qib.la” Mobile applications for finding the direction of the Kaaba
You can also use such mobile applications for your smartphone as “Find Qibla Direction” (Android), “iSalam: Qibla Compass” (iOS), “Qibla Compass” (Android), “Muslim Pro” (Andoid) and others. Using the built-in tools of your smartphone (GPS, accelerometer, magnetometer, gyroscope, etc.) you can correctly determine the qibla.
Mobile application "Muslim Pro" will help you correctly determine the qibla Conclusion
In this material I have listed online compass resources that will help you correctly determine the qibla. All of them have simple and convenient functionality; you just need to indicate your address, and the resource will immediately show you the correct direction of the qibla. Peace to you!
Instructions for determining the position of Mecca for performing Namaz.
Islam is the youngest religion that exists at the moment. However, despite this, she has a huge number of fans and people who pray to Allah every day. In this article we will tell you in which direction the prayer should be performed.
In which direction is prayer done according to the compass?
This daily prayer, which is held five times a day. It is worth noting that there are a lot of rules and even entire instructions for performing prayer associated with this action. Muslims are an unusual people who adhere to a huge number of rules when performing prayer. It is necessary to perform prayer not in any direction, but in a certain direction. More precisely, it is carried out to the side Qibla.
In which direction is prayer done according to the compass:
- Qibla literally translated as located opposite. Previously, it was located towards the city of Jerusalem, but then it was moved to the city of Mecca, where the Kaaba is now located. The most interesting thing is that there are a lot of difficulties in determining the direction Qibla , in the event that a person is in the desert, traveling, or is constantly in transport.
- Many believe that the development of mathematics, physics, geometry, as well as exact sciences, was provoked precisely by the need to accurately determine Qibla . Now there are many ways to determine this direction; they even sell special mats with compasses and with a mark, that is, an indicator in which direction the prayer should be performed.
- Despite this, with the definition Qibla there are many difficulties involved, especially if a person is on the road. However, there are several ways to determine this direction using the stars, the Sun, as well as a compass, and an electronic clock.
How to determine which direction to perform namaz?
Nowadays everything is much simpler, since there are electronic maps that allow you to determine the exact direction. However, unfortunately, not everywhere on the road it is possible to turn on GPS navigation, which is why in such cases orientation is carried out using ancient methods, using the direction of the sun and stars.
How to determine which direction to perform namaz:
- Before the advent of new technologies, the direction of Qibla was determined using special tables. They were based and developed based on mathematical formulas and complex calculations.
- A little earlier, mathematicians racked their brains and provided a huge number of special formulas to determine the direction of the Qibla. However, in most cases, such measurements were not suitable for the general population, since not everyone had enough knowledge, erudition and IQ levels to determine the calculation using these formulas.
- Accordingly, that is why all the values were entered into special tables, which were used for quite a long time. Now everything works much easier; all you need is an electronic watch or a phone with an online application.
- Thanks to it, the exact coordinates of your location are found, and as a result, a person receives a vector, a direction towards which it is necessary to perform prayer. However, if this is not possible, then the sun is often used. To do this, you need to stand with your back to the Sun and see that the shadow will be directed towards the East, your back will be North, and your face will be directed towards the South. This is how they determined where Qibla is located.
Position of Mecca How do you know which direction to perform namaz?
There is an opinion that Muslims always pray towards the East, However, this is only appropriate for eastern countries. If you are, for example, in the USA, then prayers can be directed towards the northeast. In every corner of the globe the direction can change.
How to know which direction to perform namaz:
- Now, thanks to modern technology, determining the location of Mecca is quite simple. However, before everything was much more complicated. In general, the simplest option is orientation towards the Sun.
- As mentioned above, you need to stand with your back to the Sun at 12:00 and determine the location. This will help if you know in which direction the Kaaba is located from a given place. Then it will be enough to simply determine the point in the direction of which you need to look and determine the coordinates of where you are now.
- Nowadays it is enough to have GPS navigation and the simplest compass to determine the direction. There are many online sites that allow you to determine the direction of Mecca. In general, the direction is of great importance, but there are several opinions and confirmation that if you prayed in the wrong direction, then nothing bad will happen.
Which direction should you pray in?
There is several evidence that previously, to determine the direction, it was necessary to perform many complex manipulations that did not give an accurate direction and had a very large error in measurements. That is whysome travelers prayed in the wrong direction.
In which direction should you perform namaz:
- There is even a story that says that two travelers could not determine the direction of Mecca, so they prayed in completely different directions, opposite in direction.
- The action was carried out at night, in the morning the travelers determined by the level of the sun where the south and west were and realized that they were performing prayer in the wrong direction, where Mecca is located.
- However, the prophet came to them and said that there was no need to repeat the prayer, since Allah is everywhere: in the north, in the West, and in the East. There is a number of confirmations of this, so if you accidentally incorrectly determined the direction of the Qibla, then there is no need to repeat the prayer. This applies to travelers, as well as people who have difficulty determining the direction of the Kaaba.
It is worth considering that when building temples in Islam, the direction relative to the Kaaba is also used. In general, all temples face Mecca, so this fact should be taken into account. When performing prayer, you can focus on the position of the mosque. In any country in the world it is built according to these rules. Therefore, while in the mosque, it is necessary to stand in the indicated directions. In some temples, there are markings on the floor and walls indicating which direction the prayer should be performed.
VIDEO: Which direction do Namaz go?
Islam is one of the youngest religions on the planet, it differs significantly from ancient religious beliefs and today has the largest number of followers around the world. Uninitiated or recent converts have great difficulty in observing all the daily rituals that devout Muslims are required to perform. It is especially difficult for many to determine the direction of the qibla, without which it is impossible to perform namaz and a host of other ritual actions. But this is a serious deviation from the rules, which is considered a sin in Islam. In our article we will tell you how to determine the direction of the qibla in different ways, and explain why this landmark is so important for the faithful.
Qibla: term and its meaning
The term “qibla” arose literally in parallel with the formation of Islam; literally translated from Arabic it means “that which is opposite.” Almost every Muslim knows that with its help you can determine where Arabia is located from anywhere in the world. Mecca (city) and the holy Kaaba are the direction towards which the faithful should perform prayer. This point is very important for any person who professes Islam. But these are far from the only actions that are regulated by the direction of the qibla.
Life and daily affairs of Muslims, depending on the location of the holy Kaaba
In order for the faithful to know exactly what to do in a given situation, the Prophet Muhammad left behind hadiths as reminders. The qibla is even mentioned in several of them. For example, this topic is discussed in the hadiths of Bara ibn Azib, Jabir ibn Abdallah, Amir ibn Rabiy. Thanks to these pious people, there is practically not a single moment left in the daily life of Muslims that has not been explained and described. So, let's look at the rituals and everyday actions that imply the need for information about which direction the qibla is located:
- Burial of the dead. Hadiths determine the special position of the Muslim body during burial - it should be turned on the right side, facing the Kaaba.
- Animal slaughter. If any Muslim plans to slaughter cattle, he must place the animal on its left side and turn its head towards Mecca.
- Dream. Muslims must go to bed, strictly observing a ritual identical to putting the dead to bed. After all, every person may not wake up in the morning, therefore, according to the Koran, sleep is equivalent to death.
- Treatment of natural needs. Believers are strictly forbidden to do this with their backs or faces towards Mecca.
- Namaz. This is the most important daily action for which you need to know exactly the direction of the qibla. Since prayer is performed several times a day, and a person is constantly moving during this time, he must be able to receive reliable information about which side of the world Mecca is located.
Of course, these are not all the actions indicated in the hadiths. We have listed only the most common and interesting ones. However, there is a certain list of peculiar exceptions to the general rules when it is permissible not to look for the direction of the qibla during prayer. There are only two such cases:
- During the journey. If you are on the road and the time comes to perform prayer or another action listed above, then the direction in which the transport is moving will be considered the qibla.
- Danger or serious illness. In the event that you are in mortal danger, a terrible illness is approaching, or another critical situation arises, you are allowed to pray without focusing on Mecca.
We think that from all of the above you have already understood how important the qibla is in Islam. Almost anyone can determine its direction in the modern world without much difficulty. But where did this term come from and why is Mecca the main landmark? We will tell you about this now.
The emergence of the qibla
From the very first days of the emergence of Islam as a religion, a tradition arose of building mosques and performing all rituals, focusing on one direction. But originally it was the city of Quds (Jerusalem). It was considered a sacred place, and all believers, when determining the qiblah, turned to face it.
However, over time, a dispute arose between the Medina Jews and Muslims. The first constantly reproached the faithful for the fact that they and the Prophet Muhammad could not even independently determine the qibla and learned this art from the Jews. The Prophet turned to Allah with a request, and the Almighty heard him and received a new qibla. Now they had to face the holy Kaaba. Since that time, the direction has never changed, which is why it is so important, regardless of your location anywhere on the planet, to know where Mecca is located.
Qibla: how to determine the direction
Muslims know many ways to calculate the direction of the qibla. Some of them have been preserved since ancient times, others arose thanks to the technical achievements of our time. We have collected in this article the most detailed list of all known methods:
- mosque;
- compass;
- nine scientific methods of Abdel-Aziz Sallam;
- computer programs (“Qibla Compass”);
- mechanical watches;
- question to an authoritative person.
Since this is quite important, we will analyze each method separately.
Determining the qibla by mosque
If there is a mosque in your city, then you will not have problems determining the qibla. After all, initially every religious building in the Muslim world was built in such a way that all worshipers always face Mecca.
If you enter the mosque and look carefully, you will notice a small semicircular niche - the mihrab. It is from here that the imam leads the collective prayer. The niche is always oriented towards Mecca. Therefore, when praying in a mosque, you can always be sure that you are facing the right direction.
When there are a lot of people in the mosque, a prayer rug helps determine the qibla. Many of them have an arrow indicating the direction, signed with the word "qibla". This makes life much easier for Muslims who follow all the commandments of Allah. Also in many hotels around the world you can see signs with arrows pointing to Mecca.
It is interesting that in ancient times experienced astrologers were always involved in the construction of mosques, who could absolutely say in which direction the sacred Kaaba was located. Subsequently, these questions were addressed to architects, who, in addition to their main responsibility, did an excellent job of determining the direction of the qibla.
Now it is much easier to build mosques, because you can correctly indicate the direction using a variety of technical means that allow you to determine the location of Mecca in relation to a certain point on the ground with an accuracy of one degree.
It is interesting that among all Islamic mosques, there is one that stands out for its special characteristic - it has two qibla. We could not help but mention this miracle in our article.
Unusual building in Saudi Arabia
In Medina there is the Two Qibla Mosque, or Masjit Al-Qiblatain. This structure is one of a kind, because it has two mihrabs, which means it points to two qiblahs. The first niche is oriented towards Jerusalem, and the second towards Mecca. One of the most ancient Muslim legends is associated with this mosque.
During the life of the Prophet Muhammad, when Quds served as the qibla, he often performed namaz on the site of today's mosque. It is believed that it was here that the prophet prayed to Allah to send down a new qibla in connection with the protracted dispute between Muslims and Jews. Right while performing prayer, Muhammad received a revelation from the Almighty and instantly turned towards Mecca. All the worshipers immediately followed his example. Thus, before the eyes of many people, an important event took place - the change of the qibla. And the mosque, which has become a symbol of this significant change that touched the life of every believer, has two mihrabs.
The religious building itself is made in the best Muslim architectural traditions. It has strict geometric outlines, emphasized by two minarets and domes. Since the mosque is located on a slope, it is noticeable how the prayer hall moves from one level to another and consists of many arches. The false dome, symbolizing the ancient direction for prayer, is smoothly connected by a small gallery to the main domes and hall. This traces a description of the process of changing the qibla that occurred many years ago.
Externally, the mosque is not much different from most similar buildings. At the moment it has been reconstructed and is operational.
How to determine the direction of the qibla using a compass
This is one of the simplest and most accessible ways to determine where the holy Kaaba is located relative to you. After all, a compass is an item that is sold in many stores and costs very little money. In addition, many others are in one way or another connected with this method, which we will describe in the following sections of the article.
For example, you perform namaz in Moscow. How to determine which direction to face? It's simple. To pray, you need to know that relative to the inhabitants of central Russia, Mecca is located in the south. Therefore, you must take a compass and determine the cardinal directions, and then turn to the south. If you perform all these simple steps, you will always know the right direction.
What about other areas of our country and neighboring states? How to find out, for example, the direction of the qibla by compass in Makhachkala? This is an equally simple process: those living in the Caucasus, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan should look to the southwest. That is where Mecca is in relation to them.
For northwestern Russia and Ukraine, the direction of the qibla extends to the south. St. Petersburg has minor deviations from generally accepted calculations, but this is not a special violation. The hadiths indicate that prayer and rituals do not require accuracy down to degrees. It’s enough just to orient yourself correctly in space. How to determine the direction of the qibla without a compass? This is a fairly common question, and we will answer it.
Geographic map - an assistant in determining the qibla
If you don’t have a compass at hand, but a geographical map is in your hands, then you can easily cope with the task of determining the location of the Kaaba. Let's take the same example: you are performing namaz in Moscow and want to find the qibla. You just need to find two points on the map - Moscow and Mecca, and then use the cardinal directions to navigate to the south. Many true believers are confused by this particular point of the recommendation, because without a compass it is quite difficult to determine the cardinal directions. We will give you a hint:
- Shadow at noon. If there is sun outside the window, then you need to go outside and turn your back to our luminary. The cast shadow will become the north indicator, with the right and left sides being east and west respectively. This rule applies when you are in the Northern Hemisphere. In the South, your shadow will point, on the contrary, to the south.
- Polar Star. This ancient wayfinder for sailors and travelers can also be useful in finding the qibla. If the night sky is clear, then you can easily find the North Star, located in the tail of the constellation. If you draw a perpendicular from it to the ground, it will point you to the north. Behind you will be the south, on the right - the east, and on the left side - the west.
We hope that with the help of our tips you will always be able to easily determine the direction of the qibla.
Qibla and mechanical watches: a simple and affordable method
This method is closely related to the previous two, because you also need the sun and knowledge of where exactly you are in order to understand which side of the world you need to look for.
You need to place the clock on a flat surface so that the small hand points to the sun. The resulting angle between the hand and the twelve o'clock mark is divided into two equal parts, its bisector will point south. Moreover, keep in mind that until noon the south will be on the right side of the luminary, and after that it will be on the left. This method can be used from six o'clock in the morning to six o'clock in the evening.
Scientific work of Abdel-Aziz Sallam
It is especially difficult for Muslims living in America to determine the exact direction of the qibla. After all, the direction is usually calculated based on the shortest distance between two points by land. Therefore, there is no unity among American Muslims regarding the qibla. Sometimes prayer is performed relative to opposite ends of the world.
About seventeen years ago, an entire symposium was devoted to this serious issue, at which Abdel-Aziz Sallam, who devoted almost his entire life to the study of the qibla, spoke. He presented to the audience his scientific work, containing nine scientific methods that can be used in everyday life if you have certain knowledge:
- Arithmetic. The rules for solving spherical triangles, as well as the sine of half angle formulas, apply here.
- Trigonometric tables. They are used in two methods and are based on the calculations of the ancient Egyptians.
- Celestial sphere. This method is ideal for navigators who must correlate the meridians and latitude of the Kaaba with the angle of inclination of the celestial sphere. The fifth method described in scientific works is identical, but here the circle of the celestial sphere is used.
- The sixth and seventh methods are based on taking the Kaaba as the starting point in navigational instruments.
- Perpendicular to the sun. Twice a year our luminary becomes perpendicular to the Kaaba, this can be observed from different countries of the world. Therefore, it is enough to see this phenomenon once and make approximate guidelines for yourself in order to be able to always look towards Mecca in the future.
- Prayer card. It was specially compiled for residents of America and allows you to calculate the desired direction using the indicated angles.
It is worth noting that all such different methods are recognized as correct and can be used at any time.
Computer programs
The direction to the qibla during prayer can be determined by various computer programs. Now they are very popular and widespread, there are applications for smartphones and tablets that, when launched, show you where you need to turn your face when praying.
Despite the fact that these programs are very diverse, many Muslims summarize them under one name - “Qibla Compass”. After all, in any case, a drawn compass appears in front of you, the arrow of which points to the Kaaba. Typically, such programs have common characteristics:
- sound notifications about the beginning of prayer;
- compass;
- audio recordings of texts from the Koran;
- list of nearby mosques;
- Muslim calendar and the like.
In principle, such programs make the life of true believers much easier, because they can be used anywhere in the world. Now this is practically the most accurate method of determining the qibla of all known.
Question for another Muslim
If you cannot find out the direction of the qibla on your own for one reason or another, then it is permissible to ask a question to a trustworthy Muslim. Many people are concerned about the fact that the person answering may also make a mistake and indicate the wrong direction. Keep in mind that in this case, someone else's mistake will not be considered a sin. You can safely perform namaz facing the indicated direction, but if you find out the correct direction, you should change it. And perform further rituals in the right direction.
It is interesting that if, as a result of any actions during prayer, you realize that you are making a mistake, then you must immediately turn your face in the right direction and continue your prayer.
A few words in conclusion
We hope that our article was useful to you and we have given all the answers to your questions related to the qibla. Now you can always perform namaz and other rituals facing the Kaaba. And this is correct, because this is exactly what Allah commanded to do through the Prophet Muhammad. But, trying to perform all actions correctly and in accordance with the Koran and Hadith, do not forget about the main thing. The life of a devout Muslim should be filled with spiritual purity and the desire to live according to the commandments of the Almighty, and if for some reason you cannot determine the direction of the qibla, do not be upset. The hadiths say that it is better to pray sincerely, not knowing where Mecca is, than to perform namaz without a spark of faith in the heart, but in the direction of the qibla.
Namaz was made obligatory in the miraj of the prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Praying five times a day clears the mind and brings peace. Prayer is a way of gratitude to the Almighty, reminds us of Him and helps us get through difficult moments. How to perform namaz is described in this article.
Steps
Time for five prayers
- Fajr- morning prayer, performed between dawn and sunrise. Consists of two rakats of sunnah and two rakats of farz.
- Zuhr- lunch prayer, performed between noon and until the shadow reaches the size of the objects. Consists of four rakats of sunnah, four rakats of farz, two rakats after farz.
- Asr- pre-evening prayer, performed between the time the shadow reaches the size of objects and before sunset. Consists of four rakats of sunnah and four rakats of farz.
- Maghreb- evening prayer, performed between sunset and until the glow disappears. Consists of three rakats of farz and two rakats after farz.
- Isha"- night prayer, performed in the interval between the disappearance of the glow and until midnight. It consists of four rakats of farz, two rakats of sunnah and three rakats of witr.
- Find a book with prayers, learn dua al-qunoot, attahiyat, salawat and some short surahs from there.
- It is the responsibility of parents to teach prayer to their children. Education should begin at the age of seven. From the age of ten they must pray five times a day on a regular basis. From this age, children should be punished for leaving prayer.
- Try to concentrate on prayer.
- During a bow from the waist it is said “Subhana robbiyal Azym”, and during a bow to the ground “Subhana robbiyal Ala”. The difference is in the last word. Don't get confused.
- If you are just learning, then first learn how to perform prayer and only then start performing it. Otherwise you will constantly make mistakes.
- What should you say in the second rak'ah before bowing to the ground?
- Eat right.
- If you missed something from the prayer, then at the end of the prayer two bows are made for inattention (sajdah sahu). In the last rak'ah, after reading the attahiyat and salawat, give salaam (assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah) to the right side (without turning your head to the left) and then make 2 more additional prostrations, as shown in the eighth step. Then read attakhiyat, salauat again and give salam again in both directions (as described in step 11).
- After completing the prayer, it is advisable to say “Astaghfirullah” three times (forgiveness for mistakes that may have been made in prayer).
Warnings
- There are disagreements in some minor points of prayer. Here are the main points of prayer performed by most Muslims. To find out where there is disagreement, ask knowledgeable people.
- If in any doubt, consult someone with knowledge. This article was written by an ordinary Muslim who is not a scholar.
One of the obligatory pillars of Islam that every Muslim must perform is praying five times a day (salat) to Allah Almighty at the prescribed time of day. At the same time, in order to perform namaz, certain conditions must be met. How to perform namaz correctly and what should every Muslim know before performing it?
How to read namaz correctly - preparation
Before starting prayer, it is necessary to perform a small (wudu) ablution or, if necessary, a complete ablution (ghusl).
In addition to ablution, the following conditions must also be met:
- Vestment. For women, it is allowed to leave their feet, hands and face open. In this case, the head, including the hair, must be covered. Men's heads remain uncovered.
- The prayer should be performed towards the Kaaba (Mecca, Saudi Arabia).
- A specific time must be observed for a specific prayer.
- You need to express your intention to perform namaz (in the shower).
If all of the above points are fulfilled, then you can begin to perform namaz.
How to read namaz correctly. Five obligatory daily prayers: names and times
- Fajr - morning prayer. This salad is performed at dawn until full sunrise, when the sun completely crosses the horizon.
- Zuhr - midday prayer. You can pray a few minutes after the sun has passed its zenith. The period in which you need to pray ends with the beginning of the Asr prayer.
- Asr – pre-evening prayer. It starts approximately two hours before sunset and needs to be done before the sun begins to disappear below the horizon.
- Maghrib - evening prayer. The evening prayer should be performed immediately after sunset, before the evening glow is still present.
- Isha - night prayer. With the onset of late evening, when it is already completely dark outside, you can perform isha prayer. His time spans the entire night until dawn.
How to read namaz correctly - rules
Let's look at performing prayer using the example of the morning Fajr prayer (consists of 2 ra'kaats). It is important that the person praying reads the prayer silently or in a whisper.
- Stand towards the Kaaba. Lower your arms along your body and you need to look at the floor, about a meter away from you. Don't close your eyes.
- Then the arms are bent at the elbow, open palms are raised from yourself to ear level, the takbir is pronounced: “Allahu Akbar!” (Allah is Great!). In this case, the fingers should be connected together. After pronouncing takbir, you cannot do any actions that could disrupt the prayer, because it will not be taken into account by the Almighty (laughing, talking, looking around, scratching something, and so on).
- Afterwards, the hands are connected on the stomach above the navel. In this case, the right hand is placed on the left, clasping it at the wrist. The first ra'kaat of prayer begins. Sana is read - praise to Allah:
“Subhanaka-llahumma wa-bi-hamdika wa-tabaraka-smuka wa-ta'ala jadduka wa jalla sana'uka wa-la 'ilaha gairuk" (“Glorified are You, O Allah, with Your Purity! Let us begin with praising You. Blessed is the Name Thine. Great is Thy Power. Mighty is Thy Glory. There is no god but Thee."
- Then it is said: “A’uzu bi-l-lyakhi mina-sh-sheitani-r-rajim!” (“I resort to the protection of Allah from the cursed and rejected Shaitan!”).
- Next, you need to read Surah Al-Fatihah (“The Opener”).
Bi-smi-llahi-r-rahmani-r-rahim.
Al-hamdu li-llahi rabbi-l-alamin.
Ar-rahmani-r-rahim.
Maaliki yawmi-d-din.
Iyyaka na'budu wa iyyaka nasta'in.
Ikhdina-s-siraata-l-mustakiim.
Siraata-l-lyaziina an'amta alaihim.
Gairi-l-magdubi aleikhim wa la-d-daaaalliin.In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds,
The Gracious, the Merciful,
Lord of the Day of Retribution!
You alone we worship and You alone we pray for help.
Lead us on the straight path,
the path of those whom You have blessed, not those on whom wrath has fallen, and not those who are lost.- After completing the opening sura, you need to say: “Amen!” and immediately another surah is read. This could be Surah “An-nas” (People), “Al-ikhlas” (Purification of Faith), “Al-falak” (Dawn) or any other one by heart.
- After the second sura, the takbir “Allahu Akbar” is again pronounced with a raise of hands and a bow (hand) is made. At the same time, open palms are lowered to the knees, and the following is said: “Subhana rabbiyal-azim!” (Glory to the Greatest Lord!) - 3 times.
- Then, getting up, he says: “Sami’a-l-lahu liman hamidah!” (Allah hears those who praise Him!).
- When fully erect: “Rabbana wa-laka-l-hamd!” (Our Lord, all praise is only to You) and takbir: “Allahu Akbar!”
- After takbir, prostration (sujud) is made. It works as follows. Your knees begin to bend, then you need to stand on them, then lower your hands in front of you and touch your forehead and nose to the floor. Your hands should be clasped at ear level at this time. In this case, the feet remain on their toes. Pronounced: “Subhana rabbi-l-a’la!” (Glory to the Lord Almighty) – 3 times.
- Then takbir and, without getting up, sit on your left leg, bending your foot under you with your toe inward, and straighten your right leg parallel to the floor. The palms are placed on the knees, the fingers are joined and the hands lie along the hips. Then, “Allahu Akbar” is said again and a second bow is made, repeating the phrase three times: “Subhana rabbiyal-a’la.”
- Next, takbir “Allahu Akbar” and you need to stand in reverse order. First, your arms and head come off the floor, and then you need to get up from your squat and straighten up. This is how the first ra'kaat ends.
- This is followed by a repetition of the first ra’kaat and at the end of the second bow, the takbir is pronounced and again you need to sit on your feet. In this case, the index finger of the right hand must be straightened towards the Kaaba. The prayers “Tashahhud” and “Salyavat” are read. During these prayers, the straightened finger should move up and down without stopping.
“At-tahiyyatu li-llahi wa-s-salyawatu wa-t-tayyibat! As-salamu ‘alaika ayyuha-n-nabiyyu wa-rahmatu-llahi wa-barakatuh! As-salamu 'alaina wa-'ala ibad-llahi-s-salihin! Ashkhadu ‘al-la ‘ilaha ila-llahu, wa-‘ashkhadu ‘anna Muhammadan ‘abduhu wa-rasuluh!’ (All greetings are to Allah, all prayers and righteous deeds. Peace be upon you, O Prophet, the mercy of Allah and His blessings! Peace be upon us and all the righteous servants of Allah. I testify that there is no god but Allah, and I testify that Muhammad is His slave and messenger.)
Salawat: “Allahumma salli ‘ala Muhammadiv-wa-‘ala ‘ali Muhammadin kama sallayta ‘ala Ibrahima wa-‘ala ‘ali Ibrahima, innaka hamidun-majid. Allahumma barik 'ala Muhammadiv-wa-'ala 'ali Muhammadin kama barakta 'ala Ibrahima wa-'ala 'ali Ibrahima, innaka hamidun-majid" (O Allah! Bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, as You blessed Ibrahim and the family of Ibrahim. Truly , You are Glorious, Praiseworthy and Great. O Allah! Show Your generosity to Muhammad and his family, as You bestowed Your generosity on Ibrahim and his family. Verily, You are Glorious, Praiseworthy and Great).
- After salawat, you need to turn your head to the right and say: “As-salamu alaikum wa rahmatu-l-lah” (Peace and mercy of Allah be upon you), and then to the left and again: “As-salamu alaikum wa rahmatu-l-lah.”
- Fajr prayer is over. All other prayers, except Maghrib, consist of 4 ra’kaats. After the first two, when the tashahud is pronounced until “Ashhadu ‘al-la ‘ilahu illa-llahu ...”, the takbir “Allahu Akbar!” is said again, you need to get up and repeat two more ra’kaats. Maghrib consists of 3 ra'kaats.
Before you start praying, you need to become familiar with when you can’t perform namaz, what violates namaz, how to properly perform ablution, and much more. At first it may seem that everything is very difficult, but it is not! The most important thing is that after prayer you will feel inner peace and satisfaction! Peace and blessings of Allah be upon you!
In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful
Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds, peace and blessings of Allah be upon our prophet Muhammad, members of his family and all his companions!
The Almighty said: “To Allah belong the east and the west. Wherever you turn, there will be the Face of Allah. Verily, Allah is All-Encompassing, All-Knowing.". (Surah al-Baqarah, 2:115).
Tafsir al-Saadi:“Of all the directions of the world, Allah especially singled out the east and the west, because great signs are concentrated in them. The heavenly bodies rise and set there, and if Allah has power over the east and west, then the rest of the world is even more subject to Him.
O people! Whichever direction you turn, fulfilling the command of Allah or forcedly, there will be the face of Allah. You are ordered to turn your face towards the Kaaba during prayers, although previously you turned your face towards Jerusalem. And while traveling, you are allowed to perform prayer while sitting on a camel or other vehicle and turn your face in the direction of your movement. And if you cannot determine which direction the Kaaba is located, you are allowed to perform prayer in any direction at your discretion. And your prayer is accepted, even if it later turns out that you made a mistake. And if you suffer from lower back pain or become ill, other concessions have been made for you. In any case, wherever you turn, you will not find a side that is not under the control of your Lord.
This verse confirms the existence of the face of Allah Almighty, which is worthy of His greatness and perfection and is not similar to the faces of creation. Allah has the greatest mercy and the most perfect qualities, and He knows all the secrets and thoughts of His creations. Due to His all-encompassing qualities and unlimited knowledge, Allah allows His slaves to perform various actions and accepts their righteous deeds. Praise for this belongs to Him alone!”
Facing the Kaaba
When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) began to pray, he turned his face to the Kaaba while performing the obligatory (al-fard) and additional (an-nafilah) prayers. He (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) ordered this to be done, saying to “the man who prayed poorly”: “ When you begin to pray, perform ablution thoroughly, then turn your face to the Qiblah and say takbir.". Al-Bukhari, Muslim and as-Siraj.
“While on the road, he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) performed additional prayers, as well as prayer al-witr, (sitting) on his mount, wherever it turned to the east or west" Al-Bukhari, Muslim and as-Siraj. The sources and transmitters of the second of these two hadiths are given in the book Al-Irwa' al-Galil (289 and 588).
This also includes the following Words of the Almighty: “ Wherever you turn, there is the Face of Allah.” (Surah al-Baqarah, verse 115).
« Sometimes, when he wanted to perform additional prayers on his camel, he would turn it towards the Qibla, say takbir and pray wherever it turned».
« He performed bows from the waist and bow to the ground (ruku’ and sujud) on his mount, bending his head: when making a bow to the ground, he bent his head lower than when making a bow from the waist.” Ahmad and at-Tirmidhi, who called this hadith authentic.
A « when he wanted to perform the obligatory prayer, he got off the camel and turned his face to the Qiblah " Al-Bukhari and Ahmad.
During prayer performed under the influence of strong fear, he (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) established for his community (ummah) the performance of prayer « on foot or sitting astride an animal, facing or not facing the Qibla» Al-Bukhari and Muslim, and he also said: “ When they mix in battle, then it (i.e. prayer) is takbir and nods of the head» . Al-Bayhaki cites this hadith through a chain of transmitters, which meets the requirements for hadiths by Imams al-Bukhari and Muslim.
He (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) also said: “ What lies between East and West is Qibla."
Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: “ Once, when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and I were on a journey or on a military campaign, the sky was covered with clouds, therefore, while trying to determine the Qibla, we disagreed regarding the direction to the Qibla, and each of us performed namaz according to separately. However, each of us drew a line in front of us to indicate the direction of the prayer performed. In the morning we looked at the sky and discovered that we had prayed in the wrong direction to the Qibla. We told the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) about what had happened, but he did not order us to repeat the prayer, saying: “That prayer is sufficient for you.”"". Ad-Darakutni, al-Hakim, al-Baykhaki, at-Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah and at-Tabarani. The sources and chains of transmitters of this hadith have been verified for authenticity in the book “Al-Irwa’” (296).
Also “he (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) prayed towards Jerusalem (meaning the Distant Mosque - al-Masjid al-Aqsa - located in Jerusalem - approx. translator) , and in front of him was the Kaaba before the following verse was revealed: “We have seen your face turn towards the sky, and We will turn you towards the Qiblah with which you will be pleased. So turn your face towards the Sacred Mosque...” (Sura al-Baqarah, verse 144). And when this verse was revealed, he turned his face to the Kaaba. When a man approached the people performing morning prayers in the Quba mosque, he said: “ Truly, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) received a revelation that night, and he was ordered to turn his face towards the Kaaba, so shouldn’t you turn towards it?!” And at this time their faces were turned towards al-Sham, and upon hearing this, the people turned around and their imam also turned around until he turned to face the Qiblah with them. Al-Bukhari, Muslim, Ahmad, as-Siraj, at-Tabarani (3/108/2) and Ibn Sa'd (1/234). The sources and chains of transmitters of this hadith have been verified for authenticity in the book “Al-Irwa’” (290)._________________________________
- Abu Dawud, Ibn Hibban in the book “As-Sikat” (1/12) and ad-Diya’ in the book “Al-Mukhtara” cite this hadith through a good chain of transmitters. Its authenticity was confirmed by Ibn al-Sukn, as well as Ibn al-Mulakkin in the book “Khulasat al-Badr al-Munir” (22/1). Even earlier, Abd al-Haqq al-Ishbili pointed out the authenticity of this hadith in his book “Al-Ahkam” (No. 1394), which I checked. Imam Ahmad used this hadith as an argument, as reported by Ibn Hani from his words in the book “Al-Masa’il” (1/67).
- At-Tirmidhi and al-Hakim. They both call this hadith authentic. The sources and chains of transmitters of this hadith have been verified for authenticity in the book “Al-Irwa’” (292).
Note translator: this injunction applies to the inhabitants of Medina, because Medina is located north of Mecca. And if the inhabitants of Medina face the direction of Mecca, then to their right will be the West, and to their left will be the East. This hadith indicates that if the worshiper is at a great distance from the Kaaba, then he only needs to turn in the direction of the Sacred Mosque (“Al-Masjid al-Haram”) - “Ithaf al-Qiram” by Safiy ar-Rahman al-Mubarakfuri.And in conclusion, praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds!
