Answer
Wa`alaykum as-Salam wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
In this fatwa:
What Are the Reasons for Changing the Qiblah to Makkah?
- The Ka`bah is the first house of worship for humanity.
- A call to unify believers under one God.
- Moving away from local shrines to a universal direction.
- Reinforcing the Ka`bah as the Qiblah of all Prophets.
- Strengthening the spiritual bond with Prophet Abrahamโs legacy.
In his response to your question, Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, senior lecturer and Islamic scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Canada, stated:
The First House of Worship: Why the Ka`bah Became the Qiblah
The qiblah was changed from Jerusalem to the Kabah in Makkah for the Kabah is the first and most ancient House of Worship ever built for all humankind for the purpose of worshipping Almighty Allah alone, as stated in the Quran.
Almighty Allah says:
โThe first House [of worship] appointed for humankind was that at Bakkah: Full of blessing and of guidance for all kinds of beings.โ (Aal Imran 3:96)
The Qiblah Shift: A Call for Unity Under One God
The shift of qiblah from Jerusalem to the Kabah thus represents Islamโs stance of calling the humankind away from local or provincial shrines to the First Sanctuary, where the peoples are invited to give heed to the roots of their father, Adam (peace be upon him).
In other words, this shift intended to unify the humanity under the Lordship of One God. Islam thus cuts off all tribal, racial, and ethnic divisions that separate the peoples from one another.
The Ka`bah: The Qiblah of All Prophets Throughout History
Furthermore, we also learn from the traditions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that the Kabah was the qiblah of the Prophets before him (peace be upon them all). We have been told that all Prophets โ such as Abraham, Moses, and Jesus โ were also facing the Kabah in their Prayers.
Allah Almighty knows best.
Editorโs note: This fatwa is from Ask the Scholarโs archive and was originally published at an earlier date.
