Question (Q-77)
We are renovating a hall for our Masjid and wish to set the rows in such a way that they face towards the front wall of the building so that there is room for more rows thus allowing more people to congregate in the hall during congregational prayer. This will lead to the rows being 19 degrees away from the exact direction of the Qiblah. Is this permissible?
Answer:
Allah states,
فَوَلِّ وَجْهَكَ شَطْرَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ
“Therefore turn your face towards the Sacred Masjid (Masjid ul Haram).” (Surah Al Baqarah 2:144)
The face is a quarter of a circle and a circle is 360 degrees. The area within the width of the face is ninety degrees. Therefore, if a person is turning less than forty five degrees away from the Qiblah (direction of the Ka’bah) then the ruling will be that the Salah is valid.
Al Imam Ahmad Ridha stated,
“The area of the Ka’bah is classed to be the Qiblah (direction) . Muslims are certainly not burdened with facing the Ka’bah exactly. Nevertheless it is Mustahabb (desirable) to face the Ka’bah exactly. It is stated in Al Bada’i As Sana’i,
قبلة حالة البعد جهة الكعبة لا عين الكعبة
“The Qiblah (direction) when far is the area of the Ka’bah – not the Ka’bah exactly.”
It is stated in Jami’ ur Rumuz,
الجهة قبلة كالعين
“The area is direction like the exact Ka’bah.”
(Al Fatawa Ar Ridhwiyyah Volume 6, Thesis entitled, Hidayat ul Muta’al fi hadd il istiqbal)
Maulana Amjad ‘Ali A’dhami wrote,
“To face the direction of the Noble Ka’bah means that some portion of the surface of the face is in the direction of the Ka’bah. Hence, if one is somewhat deflected from the Qibla direction, but some part of the face is facing the direction of the Ka’bah; the Salāh will be valid. The fixed angle stipulated in this regard is 45 degrees, so if the deflection is more than 45 degrees from the direction of the Ka’bah, Istiqbāl ul Qiblah (facing the Ka’bah) will not be existent and the Salāh will be invalid.” (Bahar e Shari’at, Section 3, Page 487)
Therefore in the situation described, turning nineteen degrees away from the Qiblah (direction of the Ka’bah) will not affect the validity of the Salah. However, it is better to avoid deflection from the exact direction of the Ka’bah in the absence of necessity so that the Salah of any person who neglectfully turns slightly away from where the prayer mats are facing is not affected.
Allah (تعالى) is Most Knowing.
Written by Muftī Shamsulhudā Khān Misbāhī (Allah preserve him)
