Can I Pray in a Masjid Whose Qibla Is Incorrect?
Shafi'i Fiqh
Answered by Shaykh Irshaad Sedick
Question
My local masjid faces north 0 degrees instead of 57 degrees which is Qibla in Ottawa/Gatineau. The timing is better at that masjid since the timing coincides with my work break.
May I pray there, and will my obligation of Jumu’a be fulfilled? Other mosques face the right direction but are further away.
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate.
If you are sure that the direction of prayer at your local masjid is incorrect, you should advise (with wisdom) the Imam and committee of the masjid so that they can make the changes. Based on the fact that the majority of the schools of Sacred Law approve of facing the general direction of the qibla, you may pray at that masjid, and it would be valid for all prayers, and Allah knows best.
Facing the Direction of Prayer (Qibla)
Facing the direction of prayer (qibla) is a necessary condition (shart) for the prayer’s validity in the Shafi’i School. The only exceptions are praying in extreme peril and non-obligatory prayers performed while traveling. The requirement in the Shafi’i School is that the exact direction of the Ka’ba must be faced (to the extent possible) [Misri, ‘Umda Al-Salik]
Allah Most High says, “Indeed, We see you ˹O Prophet˺ turning your face towards the heaven. Now We will make you turn towards a direction ˹of prayer˺ that will please you. So turn your face towards the Sacred Mosque ˹in Mecca˺—wherever you are, turn your faces towards it. Those who were given the Scripture certainly know this to be the truth from their Lord. And Allah is never unaware of what they do.” [Quran, 2:144]
The General Direction of Prayer
In the Hanafi, Maliki, and Hanbali schools, the criterion for facing the direction of prayer is merely that some portion of the person’s face is directed towards the Ka’ba.
According to the above view, it is valid to face 180 degrees (from far left to far right), with the Ka‘ba centered. Therefore, when the Ka’ba is anywhere “in front” of one’s face, one is considered to be facing the direction of prayer. [Al-Mawsu‘a Al-Fiqhhiyya]
Based on the above view by most Schools of Law, it is lawful for you to pray at your local masjid, and your prayers (in this regard) will be valid, and Allah knows best.
I pray this is of benefit, that Allah guides us all.
[Shaykh] Irshaad Sedick
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Shaykh Irshaad Sedick was raised in South Africa in a traditional Muslim family. He graduated from Dar al-Ulum al-Arabiyyah al-Islamiyyah in Strand, Western Cape, under the guidance of the late world-renowned scholar, Shaykh Taha Karaan.
Shaykh Irshaad received Ijaza from many luminaries of the Islamic world, including Shaykh Taha Karaan, Mawlana Yusuf Karaan, and Mawlana Abdul Hafeez Makki, among others.
He is the author of the text “The Musnad of Ahmad ibn Hanbal: A Hujjah or not?” He has served as the Director of the Discover Islam Centre and Al Jeem Foundation. For the last five years till present, he has served as the Khatib of Masjid Ar-Rashideen, Mowbray, Cape Town.
Shaykh Irshaad has thirteen years of teaching experience at some of the leading Islamic institutes in Cape Town). He is currently building an Islamic online learning and media platform called ‘Isnad Academy’ and pursuing his Master’s degree in the study of Islam at the University of Johannesburg. He has a keen interest in healthy living and fitness.
