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Why was the Ka'aba not the Initial Qibla?
Question asked by Waseem.
Posted on: Wednesday, December 15, 2004 - Hits: 3663

Question:
Why was the Bait ul Maqdas chosen as the initial Qibla, and later changed to Ka'aba?

Answer:
The Qur’an says:

In the same way We made you a balanced community so that you may be witnesses upon the people and the Messenger may be a witness upon you; and We decreed the Qiblah which you formerly observed only in order that We might distinguish those who follow the Messenger from those who turn on their heels. It is indeed a hard [test] except for those whom God has guided; and God is not such that He should like to render your faith wasted. All Companionate, Ever Merciful indeed God is to men. (2:143)

The Almighty himself has explained the reason why the Sacred Mosque at Jerusalem was held the Qiblah. The bold part (above) unveils the wisdom of the directive to observe the Sacred Mosque as the Qiblah. Through this directive, the Almighty put the Muslims (Ismaelites) through a test in order to distinguish the truly faithful from the unfaithful. It was not easy for them to leave their previous Qiblah, no more facing Masjid al Aqsa. It was also a kind of test for the people of the Book and those among them who embraced Islam for it made it difficult for them to leave the Qiblah after they had observed it for sometimes (before and after entering Islam). Some of them could had entered Islam only seeing that it was approximate to their previous teachings and practices, and once cut off from Jerusalem, their mettle was also tested. If no test is applied, there remains no difference between the good and the bad, the pure and the impure.

Regards,
Tariq Mahmood Hashmi
Research Assistant, Studying Islam

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