The Rulings of Prayer: The Qiblah (Direction of Prayer)

The Kaʿba -which is located in Mecca- is the Qiblah of all Muslims, the direction towards which all Muslims must perform their prayers; otherwise their prayer is invalid.

Therefore, one should find the direction of the Qiblah before starting the prayer.

There are four ways to determine the direction of Qiblah:

1. Trying to determine the direction of Mecca personally.
2. Following the testimony of two just witnesses or one trusted person who determined the direction of the Qiblah based on sensory indications.
3. Following the opinion of a trustworthy person who has determined the Qiblah based on scientific methods.
4. Determining the Qiblah based on the direction of the Miḥrāb  of a mosque, or that of the graves in a Muslim cemetery or in any other way.

However, in the case a Muslim is not able to determine the Qiblah through any of these ways, they should choose one direction and perform their prayer.