Is it necessary for the face to be turned towards the Qiblah when uttering the Taslim in prayer, and then to turn away afterwards?

The taslim (salutation of peace) is a pillar of prayer according to the majority of scholars. However, scholars have differed on the manner of performing the taslim. The Shafi'is and Malikis are of the view that the worshipper begins the taslim facing the Qiblah and then turns his head. The well-known position of the Hanbalis is that the beginning of the taslim coincides with the turning of the head. A group of them held that one faces the Qiblah while saying "Peace be upon you" and then turns his head with "and the mercy of Allah." This is a permissible difference of opinion, because what is obligatory is the taslim, and its manner is a Sunnah. The preponderant view is that the turning of the head occurs simultaneously with the beginning of the taslim.