- 4th Qualification of Salaah (Facing towords the qibla)

1) The fourth qualifier for Salaah is facing towards the Qibla, meaning to point your face towards the Kabah.

2) The Salaah is prayed for Allah and the Sajda is performed for Him not for the Kabah. If Mazallah (Allah forgive) someone performed the Sajda for the Kabah then he will be a grave sinner as it is Haram, and if someone performed the Sajda with the intention of worshipping the Kabah then he is an open infidel as it is infidelity to worship someone other than Allah [Durr-e- Mukhtar, Ifaadat Zawia].

In what situations can Salaah be performed without facing the Qibla ?

1)  If a person is helpless in facing towards the Qibla, then he should pray facing whichever direction he can, and he would not have to repeat the Salaah [Muniya].

2)  If in illness you have not got enough strength to turn yourself towards the Kabah and there is no-one there that can assist you, then face whichever way you can and pray the Salaah and it will count.

3) If someone has their or someone else's goods in their possession and knows that if he faced towards the Qibla the goods would be stolen, then he can face whichever way suits him.

4) A person is travelling on a vicious animal and it is not letting him down or he can come down but without assistance he cannot mount the animal again, or is an old person and will not be able to mount the animal again and there is no-one who can assist him, then whichever direction he prays the Salaah will count.

5)  If a person has the power to stop an animal or vehicle he is travelling in, then he should do this and if possible make it face towards the Kabah otherwise pray whichever way it is possible. If by stopping the animal the group he is travelling with will go out of sight, then he does not have to stop, pray whilst moving [Radd-ul-Mohtar].

6) If you are praying Salaah on a moving boat, then when saying the Takbeer-e-Tahrima face towards the Qibla and as the boat moves, you move keeping yourself pointing towards the Qibla [Guniya]. 

What if you don't know the direction of the Qibla? 

1) If you do not know the direction of the Qibla and there is no-one to show you, then think and wherever you think the Qibla is most likely to be pray Salaah that way, that is your Qibla [Muniya].

2) If you prayed Salaah by making an assumption and then later you found out that this was not the right direction for the Qibla, your Salaah will count and there is no need to repeat the Salaah [Muniya].

3) You are praying Salaah whilst making an assumption of the Qibla and whether you are in Sajda and you change your mind or have been told of your mistake then it is compulsory that you change direction immediately, and the Salaah that has been prayed so far is not wrong, and similarly if you prayed four rakats in four directions then this is allowed. If you did not change direction immediately and there was a delay equivalent to saying 'Subhanallah' three times, then the Salaah will not count [Durr-e-Mukhtar, Radd-ul-Mohtar].

4) A Namazee turned his chest deliberately away from the Qibla whilst praying Salaah and whether he turned it back immediately, the Salaah will break. If he turned his chest away from the Qibla by mistake and turned back without the delay time of saying 'Subhanallah' three times then the Salaah will count [Muniya, Hijr].

5) If only the face turned away from the Qibla, then it is Wajib that it is turned back immediately and the Salaah will not break, however, to turn it away from the Qibla deliberately is Makrooh [Muniya].