The ruling on praying inside the Hijr
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Is praying inside the Hijr permissible in all directions?
I believe that if you prayed inside the Hijr with your back to the Ka'bah, people would consider you insane. However, theoretically, if a person is inside the Hijr and prays toward its eastern or western side, that suffices; because he is praying toward a wall, and the Hijr is part of the Ka'bah.
As for making the Ka'bah behind his back and facing north, that does not suffice him; because the northern wall of the Hijr is not part of the Ka'bah, as the Hijr is not entirely part of the Ka'bah, but rather only about six and a half cubits of it are part of the Ka'bah.
And if you place the Ka'bah to your left or right, facing the eastern or western wall of the inner Hijr within the limits of the Ka'bah, then that suffices you if the prayer is voluntary, but it does not suffice you for the obligatory prayer. This is the well-known position among the followers of Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (may Allah have mercy on him). However, the correct view is that it suffices for both the obligatory and voluntary prayers, although it is not desirable to leave the standing Ka'bah to your right or left and pray toward a wall of the Hijr.
I believe that if you prayed inside the Hijr with your back to the Ka'bah, people would consider you insane. However, theoretically, if a person is inside the Hijr and prays toward its eastern or western side, that suffices; because he is praying toward a wall, and the Hijr is part of the Ka'bah.
As for making the Ka'bah behind his back and facing north, that does not suffice him; because the northern wall of the Hijr is not part of the Ka'bah, as the Hijr is not entirely part of the Ka'bah, but rather only about six and a half cubits of it are part of the Ka'bah.
And if you place the Ka'bah to your left or right, facing the eastern or western wall of the inner Hijr within the limits of the Ka'bah, then that suffices you if the prayer is voluntary, but it does not suffice you for the obligatory prayer. This is the well-known position among the followers of Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (may Allah have mercy on him). However, the correct view is that it suffices for both the obligatory and voluntary prayers, although it is not desirable to leave the standing Ka'bah to your right or left and pray toward a wall of the Hijr.