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What is the ruling on praying in mosques whose mihrab deviates from the Qibla by an angle ranging from 55 to 70 degrees, and is the comfort of the worshippers considered a justification for this deviation?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

Turning towards the Sacred House (Kaaba) is a condition for the validity of prayer, except in cases of inability or performing supererogatory prayers while riding an animal. Whoever sees the Kaaba should face its exact location, and whoever does not see it should face its general direction. This is the view of the majority of jurists, based on the Almighty's saying: (So turn your face toward Al-Masjid Al-Haram), and based on the Prophet's (peace be upon him) saying: "What is between the East and the West is a Qiblah." The long prayer row is an evidence for the validity of facing the general direction, not the exact location. Whoever deviates 45 degrees or more from the Qiblah, their prayer is invalid.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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