Qiblah facing towards the Sacred Mosque

Salam,

When the Prophet Muhammad were ordained to establish the Salat there were no common focal point as they were facing all over the direction according to where their dwellings were, and that the only common direction they have was towards the directions of their houses They were in the situation as the people of Moses. And the Prophet at one stage was even facing the sky as stated in the Quran

We inspired Moses and his brother with this Message:” Provide dwellings for your people in Egypt and make your dwellings into a Qiblah (direction) and establish Salat and gives glad tidings to those who believe!” (Surah 10:87)

“We have seen you turning your face towards the sky, now We shall turn towards a Qiblah which pleases you. Turn then your face in the direction of the Sacred Mosque and wherever you are turn your faces towards it, and those who were given earlier scriptures, know most surely that this is the Truth from their Lord, and God is not unaware of what they are doing.” (Surah 2:144)

The command to face the Sacred Mosque was formalized and God command was inspired to the Prophet Muhammad in the Quran by the followings verses:-

And from wherever you come, turn your face towards the Sacred Mosque; that is indeed the Truth from your Lord, and God is not unaware of what you are doing. And from wherever you come, turn your face towards the Sacred Mosque, and wherever you will be, turns your faces towards it, so that the people shall have no argument against you, except such that they are wrongdoers, so do not fear them but fear Me, so that I may perfect My Blessing on you and you may be guided. (Surah 2:149-150)

Those who were obedient to the Prophet follow his example by facing towards the direction of the Sacred Mosque and not towards their houses but the people of the Books they still clings to their ways.

And if you were to show those who were given earlier scripture every sign, they will not follow your Qiblah. Neither would you follow their Qiblah, nor would any of them follow each other’s Qiblah. And if you were to follow their desire after what has come to you of knowledge, then you would be among the wrongdoers. (Surah 2:145)

The rationale of having a common direction

When there is a common direction it will result into a self organized, self disciplined and a systematic arrangement whenever men were call to assemble themselves for prayers. Thus wherever there is a call to prayer everybody knows where to assemble and where to face their direction to.

All the mosques around the world will be built towards the direction of the Sacred Mosque in Makkah. There will be no difficulty in synchronizing the rows of believers praying in the mosques as there is already a common direction and it needs only the leader of the prayer or the Imam to say “yasthoun!” or “be equal!” and every body will be assembled in perfect straight rows in an orderly manner. This is the case in situation even in the largest mosque like the Sacred Mosque in Makkah, or in other mosques all over the world.

But most important this common direction to face the Sacred Mosque is a command by God to the believers. Had it not for God instruction to face towards “His House” the “Kaabah” many would have tried to enforce others to face towards the directions of their choices. This will never happen to Muslims because it is clearly stated in the Quran that the command is only towards the direction of the Sacred Mosque and there should not be any competition whatsoever to upgrade other places to that of the status of the Sacred Mosque in Makkah.

Although some have made religious edict to put the Mosques in Medina and that of Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem as sacred, they could not match it to that of the Sacred Mosque in Makkah. It is in the one and only blessed area of Bakkata where pilgrims perform their duty of pilgrimage to God.

And facing the direction to the Sacred Mosque is not only when performing the prayer, God said whatever you do and wherever you are, you start by facing that direction:

So from where ever you start, turn your face in the direction of the Sacred Mosque;’ and where ever you are, turn your face thither: that there is 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 favors on you, and you may be guided. (Surah 2:150)

To God belong the East and the West in whatever direction you turn, there is the presence of God. For God is All Pervading, All Knowing. (Surah 2:115)

The common focal point facing toward the direction of the Sacred Mosque thus gives the sign that God is Infinite, His presence is every where. The people in the Western world will be facing towards the east when they pray, while the people of the East will face some where westward, the people of the north will face south and the people of the south will have to face some where to the north where the Sacred Mosque is and this is proof that God is infinite, His presence will be felt every where, from the north, or south, or east and west, all belongs to God!
Asar