Qibla

Qibla (Arabic: قبلة) means direction faced, from the root q-b-l (to face, to come before)[1]. In Islamic vocabulary the term specifically refers to the direction Muslims face during prayer (salah), toward the Kaaba in Mecca[2].

qibla expresses communal unity and ritual orientation rather than geographical symbolism alone.

Muslims face the qibla during the five daily prayers[2]. The Kaaba in Mecca is the focal point; the direction toward it from any given location is calculated by spherical geometry. Modern technology makes determining qibla direction straightforward; mosque architecture incorporates the qibla through the mihrab (the niche in the wall indicating the direction).

The shift to facing Mecca came in the second year after the hijra (the migration from Mecca to Medina, 622 CE)[3]. Earlier Muslim prayer had faced Jerusalem; the change to Mecca was a defining moment in the early community. The Quranic verses describing the change (Surah 2:142-150) are significant in Islamic memory[3].

When location prevents knowing the precise direction (in unfamiliar territory, on an aircraft, where landmarks are absent), the believer faces what they best estimate to be the qibla. Most Muslims today use compass apps or mosque indicators. Some hotels in many countries include qibla indicators in rooms. Prayer mats often have a compass mark or visual cue.

The qibla orientation has several functions. It unifies global Muslim prayer: the same direction is the focus for the entire ummah, making the daily prayer a visibly shared global practice[2]. It reinforces the centrality of Mecca and the Kaaba in Islamic geography. It also disciplines attention: facing a specific direction with intention is part of the embodied focus of prayer.

In architecture, mosques are typically oriented so that the prayer hall faces the qibla[4]. The mihrab marks this. Major mosques across the world all face the same direction, creating a kind of global geometry of attention focused on Mecca.

Studies of Islamic prayer practice, mosque architecture, and Islamic geography all engage qibla[4]. The mathematical calculation of qibla direction is itself a developed historical topic, with Islamic civilization contributing significant work to spherical trigonometry in part for this purpose.

• No God but Godby Reza Aslan
  book
• Islamic Architecture: Form, Function, and Meaningby Robert Hillenbrand
  book