What does Qibla mean?
The direction of the Ka'bah in Makkah, faced in every prayer.
Qibla explained
Muslims first prayed towards Jerusalem, then the Quran turned the qibla to the Sacred Mosque in the second year after the Hijrah. Facing it is a condition of the prayer, and the direction is found by the shortest arc across the globe, which is why from North America it points north-east.
Related terms
Questions about Qibla
What does Qibla mean?
Qibla (قِبْلَة, Qiblah) means: The direction of the Ka'bah in Makkah, faced in every prayer.
How is Qibla written and pronounced in Arabic?
It is written قِبْلَة and pronounced Qiblah.
Where does Qibla come from in the Quran or hadith?
Muslims first prayed towards Jerusalem, then the Quran turned the qibla to the Sacred Mosque in the second year after the Hijrah. Facing it is a condition of the prayer, and the direction is found by the shortest arc across the globe, which is why from North America it points north-east. Source: Al-Baqarah 2:144.
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