Qiblah (Arabic Arabic (العربية al-ʿarabīyah, ( Arabic pronunciation ) or عربي ʿarabi) is a Central Semitic language, thus related to and classified alongside other Semitic languages such as Hebrew and the Neo-Aramaic languages. Arabic has more speakers than any other language in the Semitic language family. It is spoken by more than 280 million: قبلة‎, also transliterated as Kiblah or Qiblih) is an Arabic word for the direction that should be faced when a Muslim A Muslim or Moslem is an adherent of the religion of Islam. Literally, the word means "one who submits (to God)". Muslim is the participle of the same verb of which Islam is the infinitive. All Muslims observe Sunnah, but differences in the definition of what is and what is not Sunnah has led to the emergence of sectarian movements.[ prays Prayer is a form of religious practice that seeks to activate a volitional connection to God, or any deity, through deliberate practice. Prayer may be either individual or communal and take place in public or in private. It may involve the use of words or song. When language is used, prayer may take the form of a hymn, incantation, formal creedal during Salah Salāh or Salāt is practice of formal prayer of Islam. Its supreme importance for Muslims is indicated by its status as one of the Five Pillars of Sunni Islam and of the Ten Practices of the Religion of Shi'a Islam. Salah is a ritual prayer, having prescribed conditions, a prescribed procedure, and prescribed times. Most mosques A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. Muslims often refer to the mosque by its Arabic name[citation needed], masjid (Arabic: مسجد‎ — Arabic pronunciation: [ˈmæsdʒɪd] )which literally means place of prostration. The word "mosque" in English refers to all types of buildings dedicated for Islamic worship contain a niche A mihrab is a niche in the wall of a mosque that indicates the qibla; that is, the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca and hence the direction that Muslims should face when praying. The wall in which a mihrab appears is thus the "qibla wall." in a wall that indicates the Qiblah.

The Qiblah has importance to more than just the salaat and plays an important part in everyday ceremonies. The head of an animal that is slaughtered using Halal Halal is a term designating any object or an action which is permissible to use or engage in, according to Islamic law. It is the opposite of haraam. The term is used to designate food seen as permissible according to Islamic law (Sharia, الشريعة الإسلامية) methods is aligned with the Qiblah. After death, Muslims are buried with their faces in the direction of the Qiblah. Thus, archaeology Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of past human societies, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data which they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes. Due to the fact that archaeology employs a wide range of different procedures, it can be can indicate a Muslim necropolis A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term cemetery implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are the place where the final ceremonies of death are observed. These ceremonies or rites differ according to cultural practice and religious belief if no other signs are present.

Contents

History of the Qiblah

Facing the Qiblah at a prayer in Damascus

Originally, the Qiblah (direction for prayer) for Muslims was toward the Noble Sanctuary (Temple Mount The Temple Mount , also known as Mount Moriah and by Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary (Arabic: الحرم القدسي الشريف‎, al-haram al-qudsī ash-sharīf), is a religious site in the Old City of Jerusalem) in Jerusalem Jerusalem (Hebrew: יְרוּשָׁלַיִם‎ (help·info), Yerushaláyim (for the meaning, see below); Arabic: القُدس (audio) (help·info), al-Quds Sharif, lit. "The Holy Sanctuary"; Yiddish: ירושלים Yərusholáyəm)[ii] is the capital[iii] of Israel and, if including the area and population of East Jerusalem, its (and it is therefore called the First of the Two Qiblahs). At least since Mishnaic times (AD200), Jews The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation. Converts to Judaism, whose status as Jews within the Jewish ethnos face the Temple Mount in Jerusalem while praying. The Mishnah The Mishnah or Mishna (Hebrew: משנה, "repetition", from the verb shanah שנה, or "to study and review", also "secondary") is the first major written redaction of the Jewish oral traditions called the "Oral Torah" and the first major work of Rabbinic Judaism. It was redacted c. 220 CE by Judah haNasi speaks about this in Berakhot chapter 4, Mishnahs The Mishnah or Mishna (Hebrew: משנה, "repetition", from the verb shanah שנה, or "to study and review", also "secondary") is the first major written redaction of the Jewish oral traditions called the "Oral Torah" and the first major work of Rabbinic Judaism. It was redacted c. 220 CE by Judah haNasi 5 and 6 and this practice is even found as early as I Kings The Books of Kings are books included in the Hebrew Bible. They were originally written in Hebrew and are recognised as scripture by Judaism and Christianity. According to Biblical chronology, the events in the Books of Kings occurred between the 10th and 6th centuries BCE 8:35-36. In Islam Islam (Arabic: الإسلام‎ al-’islām, pronounced [ʔislæːm] [note 1]) is the monotheistic religion articulated by the Qur’an, a text considered by its adherents to be the verbatim word of their one, incomparable God (Arabic: الله‎, Allāh), and by the Prophet of Islam Muhammad's teachings and normative example (in Arabic called, this qiblat was used for over 13 years, from 610 CE until 623 CE. Seventeen months after the Islamic prophet Muslims identify the prophets of Islam as those humans chosen by Allah to teach mankind. Humans may rely on revelation or tradition to identify prophets.[citation needed] Muhammad Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullāh (Arabic: ﷴ; Transliteration: Muḥammad; pronounced [mʊˈħæmmæd] ; also spelled Muhammed or Mohammed) (ca. 570/571 Mecca[مَكَةَ ]/[ مَكَهْ ] – June 8, 632), was the founder of the religion of Islam [ إِسْلامْ ] and is regarded by Muslims as a messenger and prophet of God (Arabic: الله‎'s 622 CE arrival The Hijra is the migration of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and his followers to the city of Medina in 622 (Common Era). Alternate spellings of this Arabic word in the Latin alphabet are Hijrah, or Hegira in Latin in Medina Medina is a city in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia, and serves as the capital of the Al Madinah Province. It is the second holiest city in Islam, and the burial place of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad and it is historically significant for being his home after the Hijrah,[1] the Qiblah became oriented towards the Kaaba The Kaaba is a cube-shaped building in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, and is the most sacred site in Islam. The building predates Islam, and, according to Islamic tradition, the first building at the site was built by Abraham. The building has a mosque built around it, the Masjid al-Haram. All Muslims around the world face the Kaaba during prayers, no in Mecca Mecca , also spelled Makkah (occasionally Bakkah) (English: /ˈmækə/; Arabic: مكة‎ Makkah and in full: Arabic: مكّة المكرمة‎ transliterated Makkah Al Mukarramah [mækːæt ælmukarːamæ]) is a city in Saudi Arabia, and the holiest meeting site in Islam, closely followed by Medina. According to accounts from Muhammad's companions In Islam, the Ṣaḥābah were the companions of the Islamic prophet Muḥammad. This form is plural; the singular is masculine ṣaḥābiyy, feminine ṣaḥābiyyah. A list of the best-known companions can be found in the list of Sahaba, the change happened very suddenly during the noon prayer in Medina, in a mosque now known as Masjid al-Qiblatain (Mosque of the Two Qiblahs). Muhammad was leading the prayer when he received revelations from Allah In Islam, God, known in Arabic as Allah, is the all-powerful and all-knowing Creator, Sustainer, Ordainer, and Judge of the universe. Islam puts a heavy emphasis on the conceptualization of God as strictly singular . God is unique (wahid) and inherently one (ahad), all-merciful and omnipotent. According to tradition there are 99 Names of God (al- instructing him to take the Kaaba as the Qiblah (literally, "turn your face towards the Masjid al Haram").[citation needed]

According to the historical accounts, Muhammad, who had been facing Jerusalem, upon receiving this revelation, immediately turned around to face Mecca, and those praying behind him also did so.[citation needed]

The Qiblah, for any point of reference on the Earth Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets. It is sometimes referred to as the World, the Blue Planet,[note 6] or by its Latin name, Terra.[note 7], is the direction of the Kaaba. Some Muslims from North America North America is the northern continent of the Americas, situated in the Earth's northern hemisphere and in the western hemisphere. It is bordered on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the east by the North Atlantic Ocean, on the southeast by the Caribbean Sea, and on the west by the North Pacific Ocean; South America lies to the southeast determine this direction using a rhumb line In navigation, a rhumb line is a line crossing all meridians of longitude at the same angle, i.e. a path derived from a defined initial bearing. That is, upon taking an initial bearing, one proceeds along the same bearing, without changing the direction as measured relative to true north, while most Muslims worldwide use a great circle A great circle of a sphere is a circle that runs along the surface of that sphere so as to cut it into two equal halves, as distinct from a small circle. That is, it is the intersection of a sphere and a plane which passes through the center point of that sphere. All great circles of a given sphere have both the same circumference and the same. In Muslim religious practice, supplicants must face this direction in prayer. Muslims do not worship the Kaaba or its contents; the Kaaba is simply a focal point for prayer. If someone is inside the Kaaba, or the exact opposite point on earth, they are allowed to pray facing any direction.[citation needed]

In ancient times, Muslims travelling abroad used an astrolabe An astrolabe is a historical astronomical instrument used by astronomers, navigators, and astrologers. Its many uses include locating and predicting the positions of the Sun, Moon, planets, and stars; determining local time (given local latitude) and vice-versa; surveying; triangulation; and to cast horoscopes. They were used in Classical to find the Qiblah.[citation needed]

Two methods in determining the direction of the Qiblah

From whencesoever Thou startest forth, turn Thy face in the direction of the sacred Mosque; that is indeed the truth from the Lord God is the English name given to the singular omnipotent being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism. And Allah is not unmindful of what ye do.

So from whencesoever Thou startest forth, turn Thy face in the direction of the sacred Mosque; and wheresoever ye are, Turn your face thither: that there be no ground of dispute against you among the people, except those of them that are bent on wickedness; so fear them not, but fear Me; and that I may complete My favours on you, and ye May (consent to) be guided;

—Qur'an The Qur’an is the central religious verbal text of Islam, also sometimes transliterated as Quran, Koran, Qur’ān, or Al-Qur’ān. Muslims believe the Qur’an to be the verbal book of divine guidance and direction for mankind. Its text addresses the Arabic speaking "children of Israel". Muslims also consider the original Arabic 2:149–150 (Yusuf Ali)
It is not righteousness that ye turn your faces Towards east or West; but it is righteousness- to believe in Allah and the Last Day, and the Angels, and the Book, and the Messengers; to spend of your substance, out of love for Him, for your kin, for orphans, for the needy, for the wayfarer, for those who ask, and for the ransom of slaves; to be steadfast in prayer, and practice regular charity; to fulfil the contracts which ye have made; and to be firm and patient, in pain (or suffering) and adversity, and throughout all periods of panic. Such are the people of truth, the Allah-fearing. —Qur'an The Qur’an is the central religious verbal text of Islam, also sometimes transliterated as Quran, Koran, Qur’ān, or Al-Qur’ān. Muslims believe the Qur’an to be the verbal book of divine guidance and direction for mankind. Its text addresses the Arabic speaking "children of Israel". Muslims also consider the original Arabic 2:177–250 (Yusuf Ali)
The geometrical calculation of Qiblah (in French)

Several Muslim mathematicians and astronomers, such as Abu Rayhan Biruni Abū Rayḥān Muḥammad ibn Aḥmad Bīrūnī , often known as Alberuni, Al Beruni or variants, (born 5 September 973 in Kath, Khwarezm (now in Uzbekistan), died 13 December 1048 in Ghazni, today's Afghanistan) was a Persian scholar and polymath of the 11th century, have discussed the correct way of determining the Qiblah direction from any point on the Earth's surface. They agree that at the two moments in each year when the sun is directly overhead the Kaaba, the direction of shadows in any sunlit place will point directly away from the Qiblah. This happens on May 27 or May 28 at 9:18 GMT and on July 15 or July 16 at 9:27 GMT.

Likewise there are two moments in each year when the Sun is directly over the antipodes In geography, the antipodes of any place on Earth is the point on the Earth's surface which is diametrically opposite to it. Two points that are antipodal (/ænˈtɪpədəl/) to one another are connected by a straight line running through the centre of the Earth of the Kaaba. This happens on January 12 or January 13 at 21:29 GMT and on November 28 at 21:09 GMT.

Because the Earth is almost a sphere, this is almost the same as saying that the Qiblah from a place is the direction in which a bird would start flying in order to get to the Kaaba by the shortest possible way.

North American rules: The traditional and the Mercator map

The shortest direction to Kaaba in Mecca from all over the World

In recent years, Muslims from North America have used two rules to determine the direction of the Qiblah. According to newly determined spherical calculations a Muslim praying from Anchorage Anchorage is a consolidated city-borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. With an estimated 279,243 municipal residents in 2008 (359,180 residents within the Metropolitan Statistical Area), it is Alaska's largest city and constitutes more than 40 percent of the state's total population; only New York has a higher percentage of residents who live in, Alaska Alaska was purchased from the Russian Empire on March 30, 1867, for $7.2 million at about two cents per acre . The land went through several administrative changes before becoming an organized territory on May 11, 1912, and the 49th state of the U.S. on January 3, 1959 would pray almost due North if determining the Qiblah. However, when one looks at the world on a Mercator The Mercator projection is a cylindrical map projection presented by the Flemish geographer and cartographer Gerardus Mercator, in 1569. It became the standard map projection for nautical purposes because of its ability to represent lines of constant course, known as rhumb lines or loxodromes, as straight segments. While the linear scale is map, Mecca appears to be southeast of Anchorage. The rhumb line from most points in North America to Mecca will point toward the southeast, but the distance to Mecca along this route on the actual surface of the earth is longer than the great circle route.

The vast majority of Muslim communities in North America face toward the northeast, following the great-circle route. A minority faces towards the southeast according to traditional early Islamic methods including sighting the stars, sun, wind, etc.[2]

Muslims consider the direction of Qiblah very important because the fact that all Muslims pray towards the Kaaba is traditionally considered to be symbol of the unity of all Muslims worldwide Ummah is an Arabic word meaning "community" or "nation". It is commonly used to mean either the collective nation of states, or (in the context of pan-Arabism) the whole Arab world. In the context of Islam, the word ummah is used to mean the diaspora or "Community of the Believers" (ummat al-mu'minin), and thus the under the law of God.

Most Qiblah calculating programs use the traditional method and place the Qiblah southeast.

The Qiblah from space

In April 2006, Malaysian National Space Agency The Malaysian National Space Agency is the national Malaysian space agency. It was established in 2002 and its charter includes aims to upgrade, stimulate and foster the country's ability in the field of space through integrated and coordinated efforts by developing and applying space technologies. The agency is headed by Dr. Mustafa Din Subari (Angkasa) sponsored a conference[3] of scientists and religious scholars to address the issue of how the Qiblah should be determined when one is in orbit In physics, an orbit is the gravitationally curved path of one object around a point or another body, for example the gravitational orbit of a planet around a star. The conference concluded that the astronaut should determine the location of the qibala "according to [their] capability".[4] There have already been several Muslim astronauts, among them the very first being Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud is a retired officer in the Royal Saudi Air Force who flew aboard the STS-51-G Space Shuttle mission as a Payload Specialist. He is a grandson of King Ibn Saud and is the only Saudi citizen to travel in space. He was also the first Arab, the first Muslim and the first member of royalty in space, the latest being the first Muslim woman in space Anousheh Ansari Anousheh Ansari is an engineer and the Iranian-American co-founder and chairman of Prodea Systems, Inc and a spaceflight participant with the Russian space program. Her previous business accomplishments include serving as co-founder and CEO of Telecom Technologies, Inc. (TTI). The Ansari family is also the title sponsor of the Ansari X PRIZE. On and the Malaysian angkasawan The Angkasawan program was an initiative by the Malaysian government to send a Malaysian to the International Space Station on board Soyuz TMA-11. The program was named after the Malay word for astronaut, Angkasawan. It resulted in Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor becoming the first Malaysian in space on October 10, 2007 Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor is a Malaysian orthopaedic surgeon and was the first Malaysian to go into space. He was launched to the International Space Station aboard Soyuz TMA-11 with the Expedition 16 crew on October 10, 2007. Sheikh Muszaphar flew under an agreement with Russia through the Angkasawan program, and returned to Earth on October 21, 200. Grand Ayatollah Ayatollah is a high ranking title given to Usuli Twelver Shī‘ah clerics. Those who carry the title are experts in Islamic studies such as jurisprudence, ethics, and philosophy and usually teach in Islamic seminaries.[citation needed] The next lower clerical rank is Hojatoleslam wal-muslemin It is simillar in rank to a Bishop or Cardinal in Ali al-Sistani has stated that one should face the direction of the Earth.

Qiblah in a hotel in Egypt

See also

References

  1. ^ In the Lands of the Prophet, Time-Life, p. 29
  2. ^ "The Correct Qiblah" S. Kamal Abdali
  3. ^ "Malaysian Conf. Probes How Muslim Astronauts Pray" on Islam Online
  4. ^ "First Muslim to Fast Ramadan in Space" on Islam Online

Online Qibla Direction Tools

External links

Categories: Salat | Mosque architecture | Islamic architecture | Arabic words and phrases | Kaaba

 

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