Facing the qibla

Facing the qibla (Arabic:استقبال القبلة) means turning toward the Ka'ba when performing certain obligatory acts. The performance of many worship or non-worship acts of Muslims—such as the performing daily prayer, Hajj rituals, the etiquettes of burial, and ritual slaughter—are connected with the qibla. The validity of acts of worship, such as daily prayer, is conditional upon being performed while facing the qibla. Also, when slaughtering an animal, the animal must face the qibla; otherwise, eating its meat is forbidden. Conversely, performing actions such as relieving oneself while facing the qibla is prohibited. Also, facing the qibla while reciting the Qur'an, performing "wudu", and eating food is considered recommended, and performing some other actions—such as sexual intercourse—while facing the qibla is considered reprehensible.

Importance and Position

Jurists have addressed the issue of facing the "qibla" in many religious obligations of Islam, such as daily prayer, hajj, hunting and ritual slaughter, the rulings on relieving oneself, and the rulings regarding the deceased. Facing the qibla falls under the four categories of obligation, prohibition, reprehensibility, and recommendation. In many religious teachings, facing the qibla is considered to bring reward for performing certain acts. It is mentioned in the conduct of the Prophet of Islam (s) that he (s) would always sit facing the Qibla and considered the reward for sitting facing the qibla for an hour to be equal to the reward of those performing hajj and 'Umrah.

What is Meant by Facing the Qibla

According to Shi'a jurists, what is meant by facing the qibla for those who are inside Masjid al-Haram is to stand directly facing the Kaaba. For those who are not inside Masjid al-Haram and cannot see the Kaaba, it means facing in the direction of the Kaaba, according to the common people's view, not with intellectual and true precision, because it is not possible.

Ways of Determining the Qibla Direction

According to Shi'a jurists, the qibla is determined through knowledge from a certain source or reliable conjecture, and if these methods are unavailable, then—if there is time—one must pray toward all four directions; but if time is limited, one should pray toward whatever directions one can.

Wisdom Behind Facing the Qibla

Muslim scholars believe that facing the qibla when performing acts of worship, in addition to being an act in accordance with God's command, has benefits such as creating unity among Muslims. According to Allama Tabataba'i, the concentration of Muslims toward the Kaaba—despite their differences in their beliefs—is the most delicate spirit that can be breathed into the body of humanity to bring them cohesion. In his view, directing the hearts toward one place fosters intellectual and spiritual unity among Muslims.

In a narration, the philosophy behind directing a dying person toward the qibla is described as attracting the attention of angels to that person and a sign of the dying person's attention to God until the moment of death.

Obligation of Facing the Qibla

Facing the qibla has been considered obligatory in certain religious obligations, such as daily prayer, the rulings for the dying person, and ritual slaughter:

Prayer

•  Obligatory Prayers: According to the fatwas of Shi'a jurists, the validity of obligatory prayers (daily prayers, ayat prayer, and prayer upon the deceased) and some dependent prayers, such as the precautionary prayer and the making up for forgotten parts of the prayer, is conditional upon facing the qibla. They have considered the basis of this ruling to be verses of the Qur'an, narrations, and consensus. If facing the qibla is not possible for the praying person, such as in the case of a sick person, this condition must be observed to the extent possible.

•  Recommended Prayers: In recommended prayers, if the prayer is performed while stationary or in a stable position, it should be performed while facing the Qibla. However, some jurists, citing Qur'an 1:115 and several narrations, do not consider facing the qibla necessary for recommended prayers performed while moving.

•  Manner of Facing the Qibla in Prayer: According to the fatwas of jurists, the standing person must position the front of their body facing the qibla; a sitting person must direct their face, chest, and the tops of their knees facing the qibla, and a lying person must lie on their right or left side in such a way that the front of their body faces the qibla, and if they cannot, they must lie on their back, with the soles of their feet toward the qibla.

Slaughter

According to the fatwas of Shi'a jurists, upon slaughtering an animal, the place of slaughter and the front of the animal's body must face the qibla. The basis for this ruling is narrations and consensus. However, if out of forgetfulness, ignorance, or not knowing the direction of the qibla, the animal is not slaughtered facing the qibla, the slaughter is valid.

Dying Person

Most Shi'a jurists consider it obligatory to turn a Muslim who is in the throes of death toward the qibla. However, some jurists have considered this act recommended

• How to Turn the Dying Person to Face the Qibla: In jurisprudential books, it is stated that the dying person should be laid on their back with the soles of their feet directed toward the qibla, in such a way that if they were to sit up, they would be facing the qibla.

•  Facing the Qibla During Ghusl and Burial of the Deceased: There are two opinions regarding turning the deceased to face the qibla while performing the ghusl of the deceased: most jurists consider it recommended, while a group has ruled it as obligatory. According to the fatwas of jurists, it is obligatory to turn the deceased to face the qibla in burial; in such a way that the deceased should be laid on their right side, so the front of their body faces the qibla.

Prohibition and Reprehensibility of Facing the Qibla

According to the fatwas of Shi'a jurists, facing the qibla or having one's back toward it while relieving oneself is prohibited. Most maraji' believe that a child should not be seated facing or with their back toward the qibla while relieving themselves; however, if the child sits in such a position on their own, it is not necessary to stop them.

Shi'a jurists consider it reprehensible to face the qibla while doing anything that contradicts the reverence of the qibla, such as engaging in sexual intercourse while facing the qibla.

Recommendation of Facing the Qibla

According to what is stated in jurisprudential books, facing the qibla in every action and in every state is recommended, except in cases where facing the qibla is prohibited or reprehensible. Nevertheless, the jurisprudential texts explicitly mention the recommendation of performing certain acts while facing the qibla, such as:

• Some of the rites of hajj, like shaving the head, standing at 'Arafat, and reciting specific supplications;
• Performing wudu and reciting the Qur'an;
• Making supplication and saying "dhikr" (remembrance of God);
• Sitting in the mosque;
• When performing post-prayer follow-ups (ta'qibat al-salat);
• While eating food;
• While performing the prostration of gratitude, obligatory or recommended prostration of the Qur'an;

• Sleeping on the right side of the body in such a way that the face and body are facing the qibla.