What was the Qiblah of Muslims before the Ka'bah in Mecca?
ما هي قبلة المسلمين الأولى قبل الكعبة الشريفة في مكة المكرمة؟
Before the command to face the Ka'aba in Mecca, the first Qiblah for Muslims was Al-Aqsa Mosque (The Farthest Mosque) in Jerusalem. The change of direction was a significant event in Islamic history, mentioned in the second Surah of the Quran.
قبل الأمر بالتوجه نحو الكعبة المشرفة في مكة، كانت القبلة الأولى للمسلمين هي المسجد الأقصى في بيت المقدس. وقد كان تحويل القبلة حدثاً مفصلياً في التاريخ الإسلامي ذكره القرآن الكريم في سورة البقرة.
The Farthest Mosque (Al-Masjid al-Aqsa)
(The foolish among the people will say, "What has turned them away from their qiblah, which they used to face?" Say, "To Allah belongs the east and the west. He guides whom He wills to a straight path.")
[Surah Al-Baqarah 2: 142]
المسجد الأقصى المبارك:
(۞ سَيَقُولُ السُّفَهَاءُ مِنَ النَّاسِ مَا وَلَّاهُمْ عَن قِبْلَتِهِمُ الَّتِي كَانُوا عَلَيْهَا ۚ قُل لِّلَّهِ الْمَشْرِقُ وَالْمَغْرِبُ ۚ يَهْدِي مَن يَشَاءُ إِلَىٰ صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ)
(۞ سَيَقُولُ السُّفَهَاءُ مِنَ النَّاسِ مَا وَلَّاهُمْ عَن قِبْلَتِهِمُ الَّتِي كَانُوا عَلَيْهَا ۚ قُل لِّلَّهِ الْمَشْرِقُ وَالْمَغْرِبُ ۚ يَهْدِي مَن يَشَاءُ إِلَىٰ صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ)
[سورة البقرة: آية ١٤٢]
Scholarly Insight: Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and the early Muslims prayed towards Al-Aqsa Mosque for approximately 16 to 17 months after the Hijrah to Medina. The revelation to change the Qiblah came as a response to the Prophet's longing to face the Ka'aba, established by his forefather Ibrahim (AS). This transition highlights that the ultimate purpose of prayer is obedience to Allah's command, regardless of the physical direction.