What Do I If My Compass Keeps Showing the Qibla To Be In Different Directions?
Answered by Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat
Question
When I used to pray, I would pray at one spot, but then I found out this wasn’t the direction of the qibla, so I used my compass and found the correct direction. Then, when I would check this area with the compass again, the compass would have a different degree. Now, after every salah, I use the compass because, for some reason, the areas keep changing, and I don’t know what to do. Shall I stick with one area? Sometimes the area I pray in is the accurate degree 118, for example, then that exact location would switch to like 103 or 134 degrees.
Answer
I pray you are well.
Check the qibla once with someone else’s compass and then stick to it. There is no need to constantly check the qibla. Besides, there can be a number of factors that may affect the reading, including user error and faulty equipment.
There’s no need to repeat the prayers, either. In the Hanafi school, for those who are praying far away from the Ka’ba, there is a 45-degree leeway on either side of the qibla, as any slight deviation within this range would still leave the person facing the qibla. (Zada, Majma‘ al-Anhur)
Don’t stress about the matter anymore. Focus that energy in your prayer, supplications, and gratitude to Allah Most High.
Related Links:
- Absolute Essentials of Islam (Hanafi): Getting Started With Your Belief and Practice
- Facing the General Direction of the Qibla When the Exact Direction is Known
[Shaykh] Abdul-Rahim
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat began his studies in Arabic Grammar and Morphology in 2005. After graduating with a degree in English and History, he moved to Damascus in 2007, where, for 18 months, he studied with many erudite scholars. In late 2008 he moved to Amman, Jordan, where he continued his studies for the next six years in Sacred Law (fiqh), legal theory (Usul al-fiqh), theology, hadith methodology, hadith commentary, and Logic. He was also given licenses of mastery in the science of Quranic recital, and he was able to study an extensive curriculum of Quranic sciences, tafsir, Arabic grammar, and Arabic eloquence.
