Explanation of the Book of Prayer and Its Times-03a

The reciter: Abdullah ibn Rajah narrated to us, saying: Israel narrated to us from Abu Ishaq from al-Bara' ibn 'Azib (may Allah be pleased with both of them), who said: كان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم صلى نحو بيت المقدس ستة عشر أو سبعة عشر شهرًا وكان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يحب أن يوجه إلى الكعبة ، فأنزل الله قد نرى تقلب وجهك في السماء فتوجه نحو الكعبة وقال السفهاء من الناس وهم اليهود ما ولاهم عن قبلتهم التي كانوا عليها قل لله المشرق والمغرب يهدي من يشاء إلى صراط مستقيم فصلى مع النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم رجل ثم خرج بعد ما صلى فمر على قوم من الأنصار في صلاة العصر نحو بيت المقدس فقال: هو يشهد أنه صلى مع رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، وأنه توجه نحو الكعبة فتحرف القوم حتى توجهوا نحو الكعبة The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed toward the Sacred House for sixteen or seventeen months. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) desired to face the Ka'bah, so Allah revealed: "Indeed, We see your face turning toward the heavens, so We shall turn you toward a direction with which you will be pleased. So face the Sacred House." And the foolish among the people, and they are the Jews, said: "What has turned them away from their qiblah which they used to face?" Say: "To Allah belong the East and the West. He guides whom He wills to a straight path." Then a man prayed with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), then he went out after he had prayed and passed by a group of the Ansar who were praying the 'Asr prayer toward the Sacred House. He testified that he had prayed with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and that he had faced the Ka'bah, so the people turned until they faced the Ka'bah..

The Shaykh : And this is not the case of Quba, because the case of Quba was that he overtook them during the Fajr prayer, whereas this was during the 'Asr prayer. It is said that the mosque in Madinah, which is called the Mosque of the Two Qiblahs, is the one where this turning occurred, and Allah knows best.