Page 28 - Perfected Faith

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PERFECTED FAITH

may be on earth, so that solidarity, unity and order can be maintained
among them.
Praying in the direction of Qiblah is an opportunity to bring the
memories of the Prophet Ibrahim (as) and the Prophet Isma'il (as), the
noble messengers of Allah who built the Kabah, to mind and turning
to Allah for worship. Also, turning in the direction of Kabah while
eating and sleeping is good. In addition, the deceased are also buried
with their faces turned to the Qiblah.

How is the Qiblah determined?
Qiblah is not the building of Kabah but the land on which it stands.
That is to say, that space from the earth to the sky is the Qiblah. For
this reason, if one is under the water or in the sky, he can still pray.
It is possible to determine the direction of the Qiblah through math-
ematical calculations. This can also be accomplished by a compass.
Even if a very accurate determination of the Qiblah can not be made
by calculations and equipment, one can have a strong conviction of
the true direction, and this conviction is acceptable.
At places where equipment, compass, stars etc. are not available,
believers must consult Muslims who know the direction of the
Qiblah.
In moving vehicles such as ships or trains, one must stand in the di-
rection of the Qiblah and put a compass next to the place of the saj-
dah. In this way, as the vehicle turns, the person must also turn to the
Qiblah. Alternatively, another person may turn him in the right direc-
tion.
If a person performs his prayer without consulting a Muslim who
knows the direction of the Qiblah, establishing the direction himself
or exhausting all the other methods to learn it, he will not totally ful-
fill the obligations of prayer, even if he has coincidentally prayed in
the right direction.