Messenger of Allah ﷺ prayed facing Baitul-Maqdis for sixteen or seventeen months but he loved to face the Kaʿba (at Mecca) so Allah revealed: "Verily, We have seen the turning of your face to the heaven!" (2:144) So the Prophet ﷺ faced the Kaʿba and the fools amongst the people namely "the Jews" said, "What has turned them from their Qibla (Baitul-Maqdis) which they formerly observed"" (Allah revealed): "Say: 'To Allah belongs the East and the West. He guides whom he will to a straight path'." (2:142) A man prayed with the Prophet (facing the Kaʿba) and went out. He saw some of the Ansar praying the ʿAsr prayer with their faces towards Baitul-Maqdis, he said, "I bear witness that I prayed with Messenger of Allah ﷺ facing the Kaʿba." So all the people turned their faces towards the Kaʿba.

كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ صَلَّى نَحْوَ بَيْتِ الْمَقْدِسِ سِتَّةَ عَشَرَ أَوْ سَبْعَةَ عَشَرَ شَهْرًا وَكَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يُحِبُّ أَنْ يُوَجَّهَ إِلَى الْكَعْبَةِ فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ {قَدْ نَرَى تَقَلُّبَ وَجْهِكَ فِي السَّمَاءِ} فَتَوَجَّهَ نَحْوَ الْكَعْبَةِ وَقَالَ السُّفَهَاءُ مِنَ النَّاسِ وَهُمُ الْيَهُودُ مَا وَلاَّهُمْ عَنْ قِبْلَتِهِمُ الَّتِي كَانُوا عَلَيْهَا {قُلْ لِلَّهِ الْمَشْرِقُ وَالْمَغْرِبُ يَهْدِي مَنْ يَشَاءُ إِلَى صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ} فَصَلَّى مَعَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ رَجُلٌ ثُمَّ خَرَجَ بَعْدَ مَا صَلَّى فَمَرَّ عَلَى قَوْمٍ مِنَ الأَنْصَارِ فِي صَلاَةِ الْعَصْرِ نَحْوَ بَيْتِ الْمَقْدِسِ فَقَالَ هُوَ يَشْهَدُ أَنَّهُ صَلَّى مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَأَنَّهُ تَوَجَّهَ نَحْوَ الْكَعْبَةِ فَتَحَرَّفَ الْقَوْمُ حَتَّى تَوَجَّهُوا نَحْوَ الْكَعْبَةِ

We prayed along with the Prophet ﷺ facing Jerusalem for sixteen or seventeen months. Then Allah ordered him to turn his face towards the Qibla (in Mecca):-- "And from whence-so-ever you start forth (for prayers) turn your face in the direction of (the Sacred Mosque of Mecca) Al-Masjid-ul Haram.." (2.149)

صَلَّيْنَا مَعَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ نَحْوَ بَيْتِ الْمَقْدِسِ سِتَّةَ عَشَرَ أَوْ سَبْعَةَ عَشَرَ شَهْرًا ثُمَّ صَرَفَهُ نَحْوَ الْقِبْلَةِ

While the people were at ˹Masjid˺ Qubā’ performing the morning prayer, a messenger came to them and said, “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ has had Quran revealed to him tonight, and he has been commanded to face the Kaabah, so ˹you must˺ face it.” They were facing ˹North˺ toward Sham (Jerusalem), then they turned around ˹toward the South to face˺ the Kaabah.

بَيْنَا النَّاسُ بِقُبَاءٍ فِي صَلاَةِ الصُّبْحِ إِذْ جَاءَهُمْ آتٍ فَقَالَ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَدْ أُنْزِلَ عَلَيْهِ اللَّيْلَةَ قُرْآنٌ وَقَدْ أُمِرَ أَنْ يَسْتَقْبِلَ الْكَعْبَةَ فَاسْتَقْبِلُوهَا وَكَانَتْ وُجُوهُهُمْ إِلَى الشَّأْمِ فَاسْتَدَارُوا إِلَى الْكَعْبَةِ