The qiblah
:
The Messenger of Allah and the Muslims prayed towards Jerusalem for sixteen months after he came to Madinah but he wanted to turn to the Ka'bah. Muslims, as Arabs, had grown up with both love and esteem for the Ka'bah. They did not consider any other house equal to it nor any
qiblah equal to the qiblah of Ibrahim and Isma'il. They all would have preferred to turn towards the Ka'bah. They found that the
qiblah towards Jerusalem was an irritation, but they declared, 'We hear and obey' and 'We believe it. All is from our Lord.' They always obeyed the Messenger of Allah and submitted to the commands of Allah whether or not that was what they wanted.
First Allah tested their hearts for taqwa and their submission to the command of Allah. Then He turned His Messenger and the Muslims towards the Ka'bah.
Qur'an says:
'Thus We appointed you a midmost nation that you might be witnesses to the people and that the Messenger might he! a witness to you; and We did not appoint the direction you were facing, except that We might know who followed the Messenger from him who turned on his heels it was a difficult thing except for those whom Allah has guided.' (2: 143)
The Muslims turned to the Ka'bah out of obedience to Allah and His Messenger and it became the
qiblah of the Muslims for all time to come. Wherever they are in the world, Muslims turn their faces towards it when they pray.