Why is there only one direction for the Qibla if the Earth is round?
The intention behind facing the Kaaba is its direction, as Allah Almighty says: "So turn your face toward Al-Masjid Al-. And wherever you yourselves are, turn your faces toward it." The word "shatr" means towards and in the direction of.
The sphericity of the Earth does not negate the four cardinal directions (North, South, East, West) on which compasses rely, and which are considered inherent directions of the Earth. So, whoever is in the north of the Earth faces south towards the , and whoever is in the east faces west, and so on.
The matter is not limited to the Qibla alone, but applies to all directions on Earth. The directions intended in Islamic law and common understanding are the fixed directions of the Earth, which the compass indicates.
The prophetic prohibition against facing or backing the Qibla when relieving oneself confirms that the consideration is for the intrinsic directions of the Earth, not the path to reach the Kaaba.
The consensus of scholars on the Earth's sphericity since ancient times, and Sheikh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah's affirmation that the celestial spheres are spherical and that the inherent directions are fundamental in religious discourse, confirm that the direction of the Qibla is the Earth's intrinsic direction. Therefore, whoever is in the north of the Earth must face south.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
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