What is the ruling on praying in a mosque where the direction of its Qibla is deviated by 17 degrees? And is it obligatory to adjust the rows? And is it permissible to abandon this mosque or bypass it to pray in another mosque, knowing that it is the only mosque in the village?

The madhhab of the majority of scholars is that what is obligatory is facing the direction of the Kaaba, not its exact spot. This is the preponderant view, consistent with the evidence. Thus, a slight deviation from the Qibla does not harm the validity of the prayer, as long as the worshipper is still considered to be facing the direction. The consensus of Muslims on the long rows outside the Kaaba indicates that the obligation is not to face the exact spot if the Kaaba is not visible. If facing the exact spot were obligatory, it would be a hardship, and Allah Almighty said: "And He has not placed upon you in the religion any difficulty." (22:78) Reaching the exact spot can only be achieved through approximation and leniency using engineering and astronomical methods, and this is not required. It is obligatory for those far from the Kaaba to face its direction, and slight deviations to the right or left, customarily, do not harm, based on the hadith: "What is between the East and the West is a Qibla." This interpretation applies to all lands except Makkah, where the Qibla is very narrow for the people of Al-Masjid Al-Haram, slightly wider for the people of Makkah then the Haram, and for people from distant lands, there is latitude in facing the Qibla. Also indicating this is the statement of Allah Almighty: "So turn your face toward Al-Masjid Al-Haram." (2:144) The word "shatr" (toward) means its direction, indicating that what is obligatory is observing the direction, not the exact spot. Therefore, there is no harm in praying in a mosque with a slight deviation in the Qibla. It is preferable to adjust the Qibla if possible, to unite hearts and to avoid scholarly disagreement, as long as this does not lead to depriving some worshippers from praying in the mosque. And whoever believes that it is not permissible to merely face the direction of the Qibla is not obliged to pray in this mosque, but he should not object to others regarding an issue where there is scholarly disagreement and the majority view permits facing the direction.