Must one make up prayers that were performed facing the wrong Qibla direction for six months, knowing that the wrong direction was two years prior to the certainty that has now been reached? And what is the opinion of the four madhhabs on this matter?
The Hanafis are of the view that if someone errs in the qibla during prayer, yet exerted effort (ijtihad), their prayer is valid. However, if they prayed without effort or could have inquired but did not, they must repeat the prayer. The Malikis believe that repetition is not obligatory in cases of ijtihad, but it is recommended to do so within the prayer's prescribed time. The Shafi'is, on the other hand, mandate redoing the prayer in all cases whenever the error becomes apparent. The Hanbalis differentiate between being at home (hadr) and traveling (safar), making repetition obligatory in all cases while at home. If one prays after exerting effort, many scholars hold that repetition is not necessary, while many others deem it necessary whenever the error becomes apparent. If one was negligent in exerting effort or inquiring, then repetition is obligatory. All of this applies unless the deviation is slight and does not lead one away from facing the direction of the Kaaba.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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