Thread: Help asap! Qiblah!

I need help ASAP! Writing a report for class.

I need the following information:

1. what is the history of the Qiblah? Do you guys know the story and Hadith of how the Qiblah came about, then how it changed from Jerusalem to Makkah?

2. What are some methods of calculating Qiblah without using a compass etc. Just by looking at the sky/sun.

Jazakallah Dx

Rashad:

2:142 (Y. Ali) The fools among the people will say: "What hath turned them from the Qibla to which they were used?" Say: To Allah belong both east and West: He guideth whom He will to a Way that is straight.

2:143 (Y. Ali) Thus, have We made of you an Ummat justly balanced, that ye might be witnesses over the nations, and the Messenger a witness over yourselves; and We appointed the Qibla to which thou wast used, only to test those who followed the Messenger from those who would turn on their heels (From the Faith). Indeed it was (A change) momentous, except to those guided by Allah. And never would Allah Make your faith of no effect. For Allah is to all people Most surely full of kindness, Most Merciful.

2:144 (Y. Ali) We see the turning of thy face (for guidance to the heavens: now Shall We turn thee to a Qibla that shall please thee. Turn then Thy face in the direction of the sacred Mosque: Wherever ye are, turn your faces in that direction. The people of the Book know well that that is the truth from their Lord. Nor is Allah unmindful of what they do.

2:145 (Y. Ali) Even if thou wert to bring to the people of the Book all the Signs (together), they would not follow Thy Qibla; nor art thou going to follow their Qibla; nor indeed will they follow each other's Qibla. If thou after the knowledge hath reached thee, Wert to follow their (vain) desires,-then wert thou Indeed (clearly) in the wrong.


This should provide you with some historical background of the Qiblah.

If you search the forum there are various links. This is apart of researching my brother. You will do fine.

The following link may be the first source of reference for instructors to prevent plagiarism.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qibla

1.I just read it and I will tell you in short.
The change of Qiblah took place in 2nd Hijri(After two years when Muslims migrated to Madinah).
In Makkah, the place where Muslims prayed facing was Jerusalem.When they migrated to Madinah, they faced praying in the same direction for 16 months.Just then when Prophet(S.A) was leading his Asr prayer, he was ordered to face Kaabah and lead the prayer and it hence became the religious center for Muslims.
-from Islamiat for Students by Farkhanda Noor Mohammed
As it is said in this verse as stated above:

We see the turning of thy face (for guidance to the heavens: now Shall We turn thee to a Qibla that shall please thee. Turn then Thy face in the direction of the sacred Mosque: Wherever ye are, turn your faces in that direction. The people of the Book know well that that is the truth from their Lord. Nor is Allah unmindful of what they do.

2.For locating Qibla you can visit
www.qiblalocator.com
and this:
too http://qiblalocator.googletoad.com/
and read this too from moonsighting.com:
Qibla from Sun

It is not advisable to determine Qibla using compass specially for Orienting Masajid. The following method which uses the sun is more reliable. It has been observed for centuries and reported in many books by Muslims around the world that two times a year the sun comes overhead above Ka'bah. This is observational fact for centuries, and is used to set the correct Qibla direction in places far from Makkah by Muslims for last so many centuries. Those two dates and times are:
May 28 at 9:18 UT
July 15 at 9:27 UT
When you observe the sun at these times (after converting it to your local time), you will be facing the Ka'bah giving you Qibla direction, because if there were a very high minaret over Ka'bah reaching up to the sky, then you will see it just like you are seeing the sun. Now, let us take a few examples. If you are in Islamabad, Pakistan (+5 hours time difference from Greenwich), the local time to observe the sun would be 2:18 pm on May 28, and 2:27 pm on July 15.

Similarly, if you are in Nova Scotia, Canada (-3 hours time difference from Greenwich), the local time to observe the sun would be 6:18 am on May 28, and 6:27 am on July 15.

If you are at a location that you cannot see the sun on the above mentioned two dates, then you can locate Qibla from the sun when it comes overhead at a point diametrically opposite of Makkah on the globe and look for the following two dates and times:
November 28 at 21:09 UT
January 13 at 21:29 UT
Face toward the shadow from the sun at these times (after converting it to local time) and you will be facing Ka'bah. If you can see the sun but cannot see the shadow, put your back towards the sun and your face will be towards Qibla.

It is not advisable to determine Qibla using compass specially for Orienting Masajid.

That is true. Not only because compasses point towards the magnetic poles rather than the true poles, but also because the process using the compass assumes a straight line across the drawn World map, does not account for the curvature of the Earth.

For example as per the tool you published the link to, People in California actually should be facing more North than North East, while people using a map and a compass will assume a direct Eastern direction.

However, the alternate using the Sun when perpendicular to Mecca is not convenient for the great period of time one needs to wait for this event to come about.

I guess professional night sky surveyors and sextants are always needed.