5. Mosques and Places of Prayer
٥۔ كتاب الْمَسَاجِدِ وَمَوَاضِعِ الصَّلاَةِ
I said prayer with the Apostle ﷺ turning towards Bait-ul-Maqdis for sixteen months till this verse of Surah Baqara wis revealed:" And wherever you are turn your faces towards it" (ii. 144). This verse was revealed when the Apostle ﷺ had said prayer. A person amongst his people passed by the people of Ansar as they were engaged in prayer. He narrated to them (this command of Allah) and they turned their faces towards the Ka'ba.
صَلَّيْتُ مَعَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ إِلَى بَيْتِ الْمَقْدِسِ سِتَّةَ عَشَرَ شَهْرًا حَتَّى نَزَلَتِ الآيَةُ الَّتِي فِي الْبَقَرَةِ { وَحَيْثُمَا كُنْتُمْ فَوَلُّوا وُجُوهَكُمْ شَطْرَهُ} فَنَزَلَتْ بَعْدَ مَا صَلَّى النَّبِيُّ ﷺ فَانْطَلَقَ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْقَوْمِ فَمَرَّ بِنَاسٍ مِنَ الأَنْصَارِ وَهُمْ يُصَلُّونَ فَحَدَّثَهُمْ فَوَلَّوْا وُجُوهَهُمْ قِبَلَ الْبَيْتِ
I heard al-Bara' saying: We prayed with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ (with our faces) towards Bait-ul-Maqdis for sixteen months or seventeen months. Then we were made to change (our direction) towards the Ka'ba.
سَمِعْتُ الْبَرَاءَ يَقُولُ صَلَّيْنَا مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ نَحْوَ بَيْتِ الْمَقْدِسِ سِتَّةَ عَشَرَ شَهْرًا أَوْ سَبْعَةَ عَشَرَ شَهْرًا ثُمَّ صُرِفْنَا نَحْوَ الْكَعْبَةِ
As the people were praying at Quba' a man came to them and said: It has been revealed to file Messenger of Allah ﷺ during the night and he has been directed to turn towards the Ka'ba. So turn towards it. Their faces were towards Syria and they turned round towards Ka'ba.
بَيْنَمَا النَّاسُ فِي صَلاَةِ الصُّبْحِ بِقُبَاءٍ إِذْ جَاءَهُمْ آتٍ فَقَالَ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَدْ أُنْزِلَ عَلَيْهِ اللَّيْلَةَ وَقَدْ أُمِرَ أَنْ يَسْتَقْبِلَ الْكَعْبَةَ فَاسْتَقْبِلُوهَا وَكَانَتْ وُجُوهُهُمْ إِلَى الشَّامِ فَاسْتَدَارُوا إِلَى الْكَعْبَةِ
As the people were engaged in the morning prayer a man came to them. The rest of the hadith is the same.
بَيْنَمَا النَّاسُ فِي صَلاَةِ الْغَدَاةِ إِذْ جَاءَهُمْ رَجُلٌ بِمِثْلِ حَدِيثِ مَالِكٍ
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to pray towards Bait-ul-Maqdis, that it was revealed (to him):" Indeed We see the turning of the face to heaven, wherefore We shall assuredly cause thee to turn towards Qibla which shall please thee. So turn thy face towards the sacred Mosque (Ka'ba)" (ii. 144). A person from Banu Salama was going; (he found the people) in ruk'u (while) praying the dawn prayer and they had said one rak'ah. He said in a loud voice: Listen! the Qibla has been changed and they turned towards (the new) Qibla (Ka'ba) in that very state.
أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ كَانَ يُصَلِّي نَحْوَ بَيْتِ الْمَقْدِسِ فَنَزَلَتْ { قَدْ نَرَى تَقَلُّبَ وَجْهِكَ فِي السَّمَاءِ فَلَنُوَلِّيَنَّكَ قِبْلَةً تَرْضَاهَا فَوَلِّ وَجْهَكَ شَطْرَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ} فَمَرَّ رَجُلٌ مِنْ بَنِي سَلِمَةَ وَهُمْ رُكُوعٌ فِي صَلاَةِ الْفَجْرِ وَقَدْ صَلَّوْا رَكْعَةً فَنَادَى أَلاَ إِنَّ الْقِبْلَةَ قَدْ حُوِّلَتْ فَمَالُوا كَمَا هُمْ نَحْوَ الْقِبْلَةِ