The ruling on a traveler who prays in a direction other than the qiblah after making an effort to face it?
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Question : We were traveling, and the qiblah was confused for us, so we made an effort. After the prayer, it became clear that we were not facing the qiblah. What is the ruling on our prayer, and is it obligatory to make it up?
Answer : It is not obligatory to make up the prayer of one who was traveling and the direction of the qiblah was confused for him, but he exerted himself and then prayed. If it becomes clear that he was facing a direction other than the qiblah, his prayer is valid and included in the generality of the statement of Allah the Exalted:[Al-Baqarah 2:115] and in His statement: [Al-Baqarah 2:286] and in His statement: [At-Taghabun 64:16]. These people who exerted themselves, sought the qiblah, and prayed toward it have done what they were commanded to do. And every person who performs an act of worship in the manner commanded, without negligence, is not required to repeat it, because he has feared Allah as much as he was able.
Answer : It is not obligatory to make up the prayer of one who was traveling and the direction of the qiblah was confused for him, but he exerted himself and then prayed. If it becomes clear that he was facing a direction other than the qiblah, his prayer is valid and included in the generality of the statement of Allah the Exalted:
And to Allah belongs the east and the west. So wherever you [might] turn, there is the Face of Allah
وَلِلَّهِ الْمَشْرِقُ وَالْمَغْرِبُ فَأَيْنَمَا تُوَلُّوا فَثَمَّ وَجْهُ اللَّهِAllah does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity
لَا يُكَلِّفُ اللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَاSo fear Allah as much as you are able
فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْ
Source
قناة «فضيلة الشيخ محمد بن صالح العثيمين»، لقاء[37 من 51]حكم المسافر يصلي لغير القبلة بعد الاجتهاد في التوجه لها؟!ابن عثيمين-مشروع كبار العلماء — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.