Daily Salat Part 1
Section 4 of 32 · Faraid in Islam · Ustadh Mahmud Kurkcu
Facing the Qiblah
The third blessing is direct obedience to Allah's commandment to face the qiblah. Allah (swt) says:
قَدْ نَرَىٰ تَقَلُّبَ وَجْهِكَ فِى ٱلسَّمَآءِ ۖ فَلَنُوَلِّيَنَّكَ قِبْلَةً تَرْضَىٰهَا ۚ فَوَلِّ وَجْهَكَ شَطْرَ ٱلْمَسْجِدِ ٱلْحَرَامِ ۚ وَحَيْثُ مَا كُنتُمْ فَوَلُّوا۟ وُجُوهَكُمْ شَطْرَهُۥ ۗ وَإِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا۟ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ لَيَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّهُ ٱلْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّهِمْ ۗ وَمَا ٱللَّهُ بِغَـٰفِلٍ عَمَّا يَعْمَلُونَ
“We have been seeing you turning your face to the heavens. So, We will certainly assign to you a Qiblah that you would like. Now, turn your face in the direction of the Sacred Mosque (Al-Masjid-ul-Harām), and (O Muslims), wherever you are, turn your faces in its direction. Even those who have been given the Book know well that it is the truth from their Lord, and Allah is not unaware of what they do.” (2:144)
Wherever a person is, the face is to be turned toward al-Masjid al-Ḥarām in prayer. This is what is called istiqbāl al-qiblah, and it is one of the farḍ components of ṣalāh that lies external to it: before prayer begins, the direction must already be established, or the prayer is not valid. In facing the qiblah while praying, a further commandment of Allah is thereby obeyed, and an additional reward is granted for that obedience alone.