Muslims world-wide are commanded to pray facing Mecca. This is one of the most illogical Islamic rituals that is still being practiced by Muslims in this age of scientific enlightenment. Let us explain what we mean by this. The majority of the Muslims cannot and will not face Mecca even when they strictly observe the direction of the Qiblah (Kiblah) during their prayers. The term Qiblah simply refers to the prayer direction of the Muslims which is the Ka’ba in Mecca. This article will provide evidences to prove why the majority of the Muslims will be unable to do so. The command for Muslims to pray towards Mecca is revealed in the following Qur’anic verses:
Surah 2:50: “And from wheresoever you start forth for prayers, turn your face in the direction of Al-Masjid-al-Haram (at Makkah), and wheresoever you are, turn your faces towards, it when you pray.” (Hilali-Khan)
Surah 2:144: “We have seen the turning of thy face to heaven (for guidance, O Muhammad). And now verily We shall make thee turn (in prayer) toward a Qiblah which is dear to thee. So turn thy face toward the Inviolable Place of Worship, and ye (O Muslims), wheresoever ye may be, turn your faces (when ye pray) toward it.” (Pickthall)
While standing upright, the Muslims of the world who are further away from Mecca will not be able to face the Ka’ba while praying. While standing erect, the line of sight of any person will be projected towards outer space. This line of sight is a tangent to the earth, which is a sphere. Since Allah believed erroneously that the earth is flat, he made it mandatory for every Muslims to face Mecca while praying:
Surah 20:53: “He Who has, made for you the earth like a carpet spread out. (Yusuf Ali)
Surah 15:19: “And the earth We have spread out like a carpet.” (Yusuf Ali)
Tafsir al-Jalalayn (Surah 15:19):
And the earth We have stretched it out, spread it flat, and cast therein firm mountains, lest it should sway beneath its inhabitants, and caused to grow therein every kind of balanced thing, [every kind of thing] known and determined.
Since the vast majority of Muslims of the world will only be facing outer space when they follow the direction of the Qiblah, how can Allah then command Muslims “wheresoever” they are on this spherical earth to face Mecca? The fact is only those living near Mecca can face the Ka’ba while praying.
For Muslims who are located on the opposite side of the world from Mecca, their Qiblah would be directly down towards the ground if they want to face Mecca. For example, people in Solomon Islands in the Pacific Ocean will have to pray vertically downward to the center of the earth because Solomon Islands is about exactly on the other side of the earth from Mecca. In view of the global shape of the earth, a Muslim’s attempt to face Mecca from this part of the world–in the prescribed Islamic way–would be futile because he will be facing the sky and not Mecca.
Let us now analyze this issue from another angle. Let us take the example of a Muslim praying from the Solomon Islands in the Pacific Ocean which is on the other side of the earth from Mecca. As stated above, he will be facing outer space and not Mecca when he follows the direction of the Qiblah. For the sake of enlightenment, let’s give the Muslim some allowance. Even if we were to allow his vision to curve along with the contour of the earth, the result will still be damaging for Islam. You will be surprised to learn that he will now be able to face any direction and still be facing Mecca. This is especially true for the Muslims who live on the opposite side of the globe from Mecca. They can pray even in opposing directions and still face Mecca. This will therefore make the Qiblah absolutely meaningless for them. Unbelievable?
Try a little experiment. Take a ball or any spherically-shaped object. Draw point “A” on the ball and point “B” on the opposite side. Now, see how many lines you can draw connecting point “A” to point “B” on the ball. The result will be many, many lines. The earth is the ball. Point “A” would be Mecca and Point “B” is the Muslim who lives on the other side of the world. The Muslim at Point “B” can look in any direction and still face Mecca since the earth is a globe. If you are on the opposite of the earth from the Ka’ba in Mecca, you can pray in any direction. You can pray face to face with the man in front of you and you will still be facing Mecca.
According to Islam, it would be sacrilegious for a Muslim to pray with his back towards Mecca. From a flat-earth perspective, this would make sense. But being on a spherical globe, whenever a Muslim prays facing Mecca, he will without fail have his back towards Mecca at the same time. This will be especially true if he is living on the other side of the earth. Since Muslims are not allowed to answer the call of nature by either facing or turning their backs towards Mecca, how can they in reality avoid doing so in view of the global shape of the earth?
Sahih Bukhari, Volume 1, Book 8, Hadith Number 388:
Narrated By Abu Aiyub Al-Ansari: The Prophet said, “While defecating, neither face nor turn your back to the Qibla but face either east or west.” Abu Aiyub added. “When we arrived in Sham we came across some lavatories facing the Qibla; therefore we turned ourselves while using them and asked for Allah’s forgiveness.”
Sahih Muslim, Book 002, Number 0507:
Abu Ayyub reported: The Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: Whenever you go to the desert, neither turn your face nor turn your back towards the Qibla while answering the call of nature, but face towards the east or the west.
The facts provided here are so obvious and does not require much thinking but Allah seems to be ignorant of this simple basic truth. The reason for this is apparent. Allah and Muhammad does not have a clue about the shape of the earth. Allah must have thought the earth is flat. Otherwise, he would not have commanded Muslims around the world to face a specific direction while praying. The blind faith of the Muslims prevents them from admitting and acknowledging this scientific error in the Qur’an. However the true Creator is not ignorant of the shape of the earth. Centuries before the Qur’an even came into existence, the Holy Bible accurately revealed the following truth:
Isaiah 40:22: There is One who dwells above the circle of the earth.
Having clarified why the majority of the Muslims cannot face Mecca while praying, let us now consider another serious error in the Qur’an regarding the Qiblah.
QIBLAH OF THE CHRISTIANS?
All too often we find Muslims falsely claiming that the Bible is no longer the authentic Word of God. They claim that the Qur’an was sent to replace the Bible. However, at the same instant they appeal to the Bible to authenticate the prophethood of Muhammad. They claim that the coming of Muhammad is prophesied in the Bible. Consequently, Muslims have to now juggle between the claim of corruption and the claim of authenticity of the verses that supposedly prophesied the coming of Muhammad. Therefore, to reconcile these conflicting views, Muslim apologists came up with an ingenious plan. They claim that only parts of the Bible which agrees with the Qur’an should be accepted as authentic. And where there are discrepancies between the Bible and the Qur’an, the Bible should be rejected in favor of the Qur’an.
While we are happy to acknowledge that there are major differences between the teachings of the Bible and the Qur’an, we do not agree with their argument that the Qur’an should have precedence in areas where it differs from the Bible. We will now show these Muslim apologists the error of their ways. We will use a single Qur’anic verse to demonstrate why it is erroneous for the Qur’an to have priority over the Bible in areas where they differ. Let us now look at a Qur’anic verse which assumes that the following practice is observed by Christians. Two different translations are provided below:
Surah 2:145: “Even if thou were to bring to the people of the Book all the Signs together, they would not follow Thy Qibla; nor art thou going to follow their Qibla; nor indeed will they follow each other’s Qibla.” (Yusuf Ali)
The people of the Book will surely not adopt or honor your ‘Qibla’ even if you brought them all the signs. You are not going to adopt their ‘Qibla’ either. Nor do they, (the Christians and the Jews), adopt each other’s ‘Qibla.’ (Munir Munshey)
After stating that the “people of the Book” (Jews and Christians) will not follow the Qiblah of the Muslims, the Qur’an then goes on to state, “nor will they follow each other’s Qiblah.” This is indeed a gross error in the Qur’an. Christians never had a Qiblah. They never had a specific direction to face while praying. So, how can the Qur’an then tell that the Jews will not follow the Qiblah of the Christians and vice-versa? It is a well-known historical fact that Christians never had a Qiblah. Even ordinary Muslims are aware of this fact. In the entire Christian Scriptures there is not even a slightest hint of a Qiblah for Christians. This is an obvious error in the Qur’an. As such, Allah could not be the source behind the inspiration of the Gospel as the Qur’an claims.
In line with the divine teachings of their sacred Scriptures, Christians are not required to pray towards a specific direction. In 2 Corinthians 4:18, the Bible commands Christians to keep their “eyes not on the things seen, but on the things unseen. For the things seen are temporary, but the things unseen are everlasting.” Thus, instead of directing their prayers with reverence towards any physical object or place, Christians are taught to direct their prayers towards their Creator. And because of this profound teaching in the Bible, Christians are not restricted to face a certain direction during their prayers. Furthermore, the divine nature of the true Christian faith rules out the association of any physically perceivable object as a focal point for Christians to worship their God. This is potentially idolatrous.
2 Corinthians 5:7: “For we are walking by faith, not by sight.”
The worship of Christians is not based on any external ritualistic form of veneration. Rather, it is a superlative form of devotion that is governed by the inner spiritual reverence of the person towards his Creator. Can true godliness be attained by just the bodily turning to the right or left? Is not the turning of the heart towards God in righteousness that counts with Him? Jesus firmly established the Christian position in the Gospel of John:
John 4:19-24: The (Samaritan) woman said to him: “Sir, I see that you are a prophet. Our forefathers worshiped on this mountain, but you people say that in Jerusalem is the place where people must worship.” Jesus said to her: “Believe me, woman, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you people worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, because salvation began with the Jews. Nevertheless, the hour is coming, and it is now, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth. For indeed, the Father is looking for suchlike ones to worship him. God is a Spirit and those worshiping him must worship with spirit and truth.”
According to the teachings of Jesus, it is futile to direct our prayers towards any physical objects or places of reverence, even if it means a city such as Jerusalem. Christians were never taught to pray facing any physical object, place or city. Thus, Christians were never required to face a specific direction while praying. If Christians had to face a certain direction in order to pray, it will be an insult to the supremacy of their God. Christians do not need a Qiblah. Jehovah, the God whom they worship, will be able to listen and accept the prayers of his faithful servants from whatever directions such prayers are expressed towards Him. It is not the direction of our prayers that matters to Jehovah but the trueness of our heart:
Psalms 145:18: Jehovah is near to all those calling on him. To all who call on him in truth.
The Qur’an made an enormous mistake when it spoke about the Qiblah of the Christians. We challenge Muslim apologists to produce a single verse from the Bible that speaks about the Qiblah of the Christians. This is actually a double error in the Qur’an. In the first place, the Qur’an made an obvious error in stating that Christians face a specific direction while praying. Secondly, the Qur’an failed to understand that it is ethically and morally wrong for a Christian to face a specific object while praying as Muslims do. This is because it is potentially idolatrous. Such an act does not harmonize with the spirit directed teachings of the Holy Bible.
From the very beginning, Jehovah God warned the Israelites from falling prey to this subtle form of idolatry. It is subtle because those who engage in this form of worship will deny–just as Muslims do today–that they are actually rendering worship to the object of reverence. Muslims cannot see it as an act of idolatry. Muslims claim that though they pray facing that object of reverence, their minds and prayers are actually directed towards Allah. Therefore, the object of reverence has no bearing whatsoever in their worship of Allah. If this claim is true, then there is absolutely no reason to face that object of reverence since it supposedly has no bearing whatsoever in their worship of Allah. In other words, their purpose of facing that object of reverence is in reality pointless. However, this argument does not change the fact that praying towards an object is potentially idolatrous. Consider now a parallel situation.
The Muslim argument is that while they pray facing the object of reverence, their minds and prayers are actually directed towards Allah. Therefore, they reason it is not actually an act of idolatry. The Muslim argument can be likened to that of a man who justifies his adulterous acts by claiming that he was only thinking of his wife while he was committing that sinful act. Does his reasoning absolve him of the sinful act? Adultery is adultery no matter where you direct your thoughts during that sinful act. And idolatry is idolatry no matter where you direct your thoughts while performing the idolatrous act.
Another claim that Muslims conjure up is that the purpose of the Qiblah is to promote unity. It is said that the entire Muslim world is unified by the requirement to face a single focal point while praying. However, contrary to the claims made by Muslims, unity is not attained by facing a single direction but by love. The fact that Muslims kill and slaughter one another–while facing a single Qiblah–is proof of this truth. Both Sunni and Shia Muslims share the same Qiblah. Why then are they slaughtering one another? The Islamic divide is actually much more serious than most Muslims are willing to admit.
Well, why are Muslims then commanded in the Qur’an to face that object of reverence whenever they approach Allah in prayer? Why is it mandatory for them to do so? Contrary to the claim of Muslims, that object of reverence is significant in their form of worship. It is an essential component in their sacred service to Allah. Thus, it is indisputably an act of idolatry.
And we must not overlook the fact that during the Hajj, Muslims actually touch and kiss the Black Stone with reverence–the focus of the direction of their prayers. That the Black Stone is truly the focus of their prayers can clearly be seen by the fact that the entire ritual of the Hajj centers on this idol in the shape of a Black Stone. And Muslims fondly kiss the Black Stone with reverence in their heart. This is purely an act of idolatry no matter what excuses Muslims give. Any reverence given to an object is idolatry. Why kiss a stone if your mind is on Allah?
Centuries before the arrival of Islam, Jehovah God warned the nation of Israel to avoid this subtle entrapment of Satan. An entrapment that Islam, centuries later, failed to escape. Read the warnings of Jehovah:
Leviticus 26:1: “Do not make for yourselves worthless idols. You must not erect for yourselves a carved statue or a sacred pillar and you must not put a stone as a sacred showpiece in your land to bow down toward it. I am Jehovah your God.”
Jehovah God told the Israelites not to bow down to any images. And that includes images in the form of a stone:
Exodus 20:4-5: “You must not make for yourself a carved image or a form like anything that is in the heavens above or that is on the earth underneath or that is in the waters under the earth. You must not bow down to them nor be induced to serve them, because I Jehovah your God am a God exacting exclusive devotion.”
1 Corinthians 10:14: Therefore, my beloved ones, flee from idolatry.
There was never and there will never be a Qiblah for Christians. Christians can pray to their God from anywhere, from any direction, in any respectable position, at any time of the day or night and still be confident that their beloved God would listen to them. To insist that you have to face a specific direction or an object to talk to God is an insult to his Almightiness.
Well, there is a disagreement now between the teachings of the Bible and the teachings of the Qur’an. So, what should Christians do now? Should they listen to the suggestion of these Muslim apologists and abandon the profound teachings of the Holy Bible? Should they, in imitation of Muslims, start looking for a pagan sacred stone to face while praying? Would it not be wise for them to follow the divine teachings of the Bible and worship their God with spirit and truth? While we are on this subject, we would like these Muslim apologists to enlighten us on the following questions:
Since when did Christians have a Qiblah?
What is the Qiblah of the Christians?
Where are Christians supposed to face while praying?
If Allah is truly the one who inspired the writings of the Gospel as the Qur’an claims, then why did he not know that there is no Qiblah in Christianity?
What vital lessons can sincere Muslims learn from this article? The Qur’an should never contradict the teachings of the Holy Bible. As the following Qur’anic verse testifies, the Qur’an should never evaluate the Book that evaluates it:
Surah 10:94: So if you are in doubt, (O Muhammad), about that which We have revealed to you, then ask those who have been reading the Scripture before you. (Sahih International)
And Allah warns the Muslim apologists:
Surah 29:46: And argue not with the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians). (Hilali-Khan)
Thus, we can clearly see that the suggestions of Muslim apologists to reject the teachings of the Bible that are in conflict with the Qur’an are not only baseless but it can also lead to embarrassment for Muslims. True Christians believe and accept the entire Bible as the authentic “Word of God.”
1 Thessalonians 2:13: “And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God’s message, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the Word of God.”
And it will be extremely wise for Muslims to do the same. We would like to conclude this article by raising the following thought-provoking questions:
Why must the prayers of the Muslims be directed towards the pre-Islamic pagan shrine in order to reach the ears of Allah?
Since the Blackstone was venerated by the pagans during pre-Islamic days, why are Muslims all over the world commanded to face the same pagan Blackstone whenever they pray?
If you say it to unify Muslims, why are there hundreds of Muslim sects in Islam?
Why are these Islamic sects, who while praying unitedly in the same direction, still fighting and killing each other, even within the same sect?
The Sunnis and the Shias face the same direction when they pray, why are they then not united?
We hope this article will move sincere Muslims to seek the Truth about the true God.
Shalom
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