I just moved into my new place. I am really ignorant about this. But could anyone tell me how coould I find out which way the Kaabah is if I know from where the sun rises. I would be much obliged if someone could explain it to me!
What country and what place are you in to be very exact?
You (Muslims) are the best nation ever raised among the mankind: (because) you
advocate righteousness and FORBID EVIL, and you believe in (one) GOD (ALLAH).
(Sura: Alay-Imran; Ayat:110)
**Sitaaron Pay Jo Daltay Hain Kamand!**
Shaheen=An Eagle or A Flacon!
(And yes it's a **MALE* Shaheen ;-)*
Face east (direction of sunrise) and then turn 30 degrees to the left. Youre in or around DC right?
yaar I moved from West Virginia Akif. I am in Kalamazoo Michigan now.
dude
i tried looking it up in this kaba locator…the site is www.solat.net
but it just gives the time and latitude…oh oh
http://www3.pak.org/gupshup/smilies/ahaa.gif
u can go to the local mosque…yeah…well hope that site helps
latahhzzzz
“There as many ideas in the minds of men and women as there are stars in the sky, it is your job to hold on to one and make it come true”
Anonymous
The Kaaba is Southeast of where you are but I don't know the exact degrees like Akif had in his post. Since it is South east, you would first face towards the direction that the sun rises then turn a bit to the right.
But keep in mind that you say that in your neeyat so I think the general direction would suffice.
As long as ur in North America, u face NorthEast for Kabba. I'm in Ohio, thats the way i face.
Its our Wits that make us MEN .... 'Braveheart'
Sorry to add to the confusion, but I just looked at the map and Saudi Arabia looks like it is Southeast of North America.
Why is it that most people face North east?
Pardon me for asking a stupid question:
How does one decide to look west or east if at same longitude?
[quote]
Originally posted by Yasmine2:
**Sorry to add to the confusion, but I just looked at the map and Saudi Arabia looks like it is Southeast of North America.
Why is it that most people face North east?**
[/quote]
It has to do with the curvature of the earth. There are different ways to get from point A to point B. We are to use the curve that is the shortest in distance....and while i dont know the figurative details, the consensus for North America is that the shortest curve to Mecca goes via northeast, even though geographically saudia appears to be southwards.
How does one decide to look west or east if at same longitude?
Not a stupid question at all. One answer to it is that the point where the opposing longitude is the same in relation to saudia falls in the midst of the pacific. So its probably never come to that for anyone. But if it were to come to that, then Im sure you can face either way, east or west, with the proper intention.
I think it is true for an island.. probably Fiji, I am not sure.
Anyway, Ali Beta, I give u the easiest way. Buy a compass. I am sure there must be a mosque somewhere near your place. Take the compass to the mosque and note the reading for direction of Qibla. Now, you can use it anywhere you are in your city.
And Akif is right. For USA, the shortest distance to Makkah is not south-east but north-east, since the Earth is not completely round, but is flatter on the poles. Go figure! :)
For most of N.America, ie. Canada and the US, its Northeast if west of montreal, Southeast after montreal. Thats the general definition. But for the exact angle, I suggest u consult your nearest local mosque, muslim community center,etc., as they would have already have determined it. Unless u want to do it yourself:)
[quote]
Originally posted by The Old Man:
**Pardon me for asking a stupid question:
How does one decide to look west or east if at same longitude?**
[/quote]
Its not stupid:)
I know muslims communities in various cities have had fierce arguments about that question.
The simplest way is to get a globe, attach a string from where u're at to Makkah. Now there's two ways as you pointed out, do it both ways, and see which is the shorter distance. The direction giving the shorter distance should be the direction you face.
So we don't face the direction of the Kaaba after all! We face the direction we would travel for the shortest distance to Kabaa.
Hmmmmm, quite interesting and confusing. Who came up with the idea of facing the direction of travel vs. the direction of the location?
Oh Yes, I completely understand the concept of flying north and then South for the shortest distance due to the Earth's curvature.
Thanks Akif,Peacemaker, and GfQ for explaining.
Who else besides North Americans face the direction of travel but not the direction of the exact location?
Uh oh... 'direction of travel'? no no... traveling is not the point. It is the shortest distance from point A to point B, keeping in view the shape of the Earth. And when we are facing that direction, we are infact facing Makkah.
Theoretically, since Earth is roundish, so there are several directions you can face where technically you'd be facing Makkah, but we always take the shortest most direct direction.
If someone is in New York, what is the most direct and shortest direction towards Makkah?Its not towards Southeast. Rather it is towards Northeast, because Earth is flatter from the North Pole and Makkah is almost on the other side of the globe and New York is quite north on the northern hemisphere. Take a look at an accurate globe and you will understand.
[This message has been edited by Peacemaker (edited July 10, 2001).]
it doesn;t matter too much whether you are exact to .001 of a degree .. it is the niyaat which matters..
as the guidance is.. especially when you travel.. if you do not know the direction of Makkah.. make a guess.. but it does not matter as all earth (or universe for that matter) is made by Allah
considering that the earth is squashed at the poles.. if you make a line form any point towards an arbitrary direction.. and keep on going.. it will eventually pass through every point on the planet... so in doing so will pass over Makkah as well.. so there..
>>>considering that the earth is squashed at the poles.. if you make a line form any point towards an arbitrary direction.. and keep on going.. it will eventually pass through every point on the planet… so in doing so will pass over Makkah as well.. so there..<<<
Wait a minute.
If you point a line in an arbitrary direction. It’ll form a single path, and keep circling that path–it wont go all over.
Blackzero, u’re right finding the Qibla to the thousandth of a degree doesn’t matter so much. Its our intentions that count, and its true that when we have no way of determining the Qibla or are not sure which way the Qibla lies, our prayers are still accepted. But there’s nothing wrong with answering someone’s query of how to find/determine the direction of Qibla, agreed?
http://www3.pak.org/gupshup/smilies/smile.gif
Yasmine2, its not the direction we travel, like Peacemaker says, its the shortest distance from point A to point B. I’m sorry if my reply misled you.
Dear everyone
http://www3.pak.org/gupshup/smilies/smile.gif
There is a qibla compass available at www.halalco.com, I ordered one two months agoe and got it in around three-four week’s time. I do not know about international orders though, I am in US. I am a big time traveller, so this one is really handy, especially because directions change from state to state in this country.
There is another very useful website www.moonsighting.com. Its run by Dr Khalid Shaukat, who is an expert in astronomy etc. According to him, in most places in North America, one should face approx North East because if you use a globe and place a thread between North American cities and Kaabah, the outgoing direction is usually North East. If we use a map instead, the direction comes out to be South East. I found this interesting, have not tried it as yet.
Anyhow, this is for informational purposes. If anyone tries it out, do post us your findings.
Regards,
Omer
The website for ordering the compass doesnt work!
I just checked and its working fine with me. You might want to check that your browser accepts cookies and other security settings are set to minimal. If you need more help, you can reach me at [email protected], instead of discussing this on a religion forum.
Best,
Omer