the advisory of those who face the qiblah

submission productions presents:
‫ت‬‫ـ‬‫ـ‬‫وجي‬‫ـ‬‫ـ‬‫ـ‬‫املستقبل‬ ‫ه‬‫ـ‬‫ـ‬‫ـ‬‫ـ‬‫ـ‬‫ـ‬‫ـ‬‫ـ‬‫ـ‬‫ـ‬‫ـ‬‫ـ‬‫ـ‬‫ـ‬‫ـ‬‫ـ‬‫ـ‬‫ـ‬‫ـ‬‫ـ‬‫ـ‬‫ـ‬‫ـ‬‫ـ‬‫ـ‬‫ـ‬‫ـ‬‫ين‬
THE ADVISORY OF THOSE WHO FACE THE QIBLAH
‫ل‬‫لحاض‬‫ــ‬‫رين‬‫الم‬‫توجه‬‫ـ‬‫ين‬‫المسافرين‬ ‫وجهة‬
directed toward the residents who face themselves in prayer like travelers
Clarification that one must face the direction in prayer, and not a travel route, that the shape of the earth does not
influence the prayer direction, that their line drawn over the globe is not an unchanging direction, and that the method that
leads to praying northeast is altogether invalid, like every other rejection of the Sunnah.
b y s t u d e n t s o f o r t h o d o x f i q h

The Advisory of Those Who Face the Qiblah
Page 2
ALL MAPS AND PROJECTIONS CONTAINED HEREIN ARE ONLY
APPROXIMATIONS
(copyright is religiously invalid)
**website may misalign the table of contents**
UPDATED 06-03-2013

Page 3
‫بس‬‫ـــ‬‫الرحيم‬ ‫الرحمن‬ ‫اهلل‬ ‫م‬
In the name of Allah this debate is produced after having the issue of the Qiblah
presented in a way that dictated study and concentration. It is a refutation of
some of what is in a famous book prepared for the purpose of defending the
north-eastern qiblah in North America. If what will be refuted by this booklet is
sufficiently discredited, then everything in that textbook that validates northeast
as the Qiblah in North America is discredited.
Fortunately, that book’s level is above the average person’s understanding and
interest, leaving much of it to be neglected by the reader. Unfortunately,
however, it is dangerous from two points of view:
1. He who thinks he understands this issue properly and confirms northeast
will become more confused by the book without realizing it. This is
because it is jammed with so much information, which in the end was all
inserted with the goal of (mis)leading a person towards what is actually a
mistake. That book is reminiscent of the books of Dr. York, in the respects
that it is loaded with “fact” after “fact”, that by the time the person reaches
the end, he thinks he has understood something great, while actually he
lost his way.
2. That book’s size and diagrams encourage the person who prays in the
wrong direction, and intimidate the person who prays in the correct
direction. People see how thick the book is and assume that it must
contain the truth. They trust its author and think of him as a forerunning
scholar. Truly, the most powerful aspect of the book is only its thickness
and its pictures. A number of those misleading pictures are placed in the
beginning of the book so that the masses who will not read the book will
be satisfied with a (misleading) visual, and so we will address some of those
pictures, God willing. When looking past those two issues, and getting to
the heart of the proof, it becomes clear that the book is like a cowardly

Page 4
giant, intimidating others only by its size, while its heart is as weak and
measly as that of a child.
Its academic approach may have caused many of those who are on the right path
to lower their heads, for the masses of the people are not equipped to deal with
the fallacies and mathematics presented therein. As a service to those poor
Muslims who are not vastly knowledgeable about the different aspects of
geography, geometry, trigonometry and the like, and for those who are grateful
that this northeast mistake has been brought to their attention, here are answers
from basic Fiqh, geography, and simple matters of logic. If one learns this book
properly, he will be able to protect himself and the laypeople from the many
fallacies of the northeast argument. In fact, it is probably the best refutation of
this fallacy, and may have the answer to every fallacy they produce. If Allah
willed, an index will be included for quick reference.
This book is not necessarily to convince those who pray northeast. They are
generally hard to convince, but a little easier to silence. How do you anticipate the
reaction of one who, if disproven, will have to face years of make-up Prayers
(qada’)? They would rather fight to the end, believe that when they face northeast,
they are facing the tropical region and not the arctic region, and hope for the
mercy of Allah in the Afterlife. Only the honest and sincere slave of Allah
willingly retracts a mistake and is happy to reconcile it. Hopefully they will be
convinced, but this booklet is more for assuring and empowering those who face
the proper direction, and swaying those who are doubtful.
There is no math or special terminology that is not easily understood, but there
are a few diagrams that address the most basic and vital matters needed to
understand the case and repel the fallacies. One may need to read some passages
more than once to understand them; remember that the proper way to acquire
the knowledge is by teachers with isnad (chains of narration) and not reading on
one’s own. Unfortunately, we have reached the age where the swindlers and slick

Page 5
talkers have dominated and the ignorance overcame the knowledge. Be careful
about him from whom you seek your knowledge. If you are fortunate enough to
find this booklet truthful, then question your imam or shaykh, and insist that he
answers the questions in the booklet. Be enraged for the sake of Allah and not for
your own sake; because of these people who are misleading the Muslims, and do
not be silent; be proactive to help bring an end to this grave, grave mistake.
Lastly, it is important to know that this document, with its scolding and subtle
harshness, is directed toward two types of people:
1. As for the layman who merely followed his imam without verifying the
validity of his worship, know that it is obligatory on you to verify, and your
imam’s known mistake (i.e. known by the clear Religious Rules) is your
mistake if you followed him1
. Being a follower who is able to verify the
correctness of your worship will not save you from the invalid acts of your
imam. This is why the Prophet ‫ﷺ‬ said in the hadith about the obligation
of acquiring the knowledge:
ٍ‫ى‬ِ‫ه‬ْ‫س‬ُ‫ي‬ ِّ‫م‬ُ‫ك‬ َٗ‫ه‬َ‫ع‬ ٌ‫ت‬َ‫ض‬‫ي‬ ِ‫ﺮ‬َ‫ف‬ ِ‫ى‬ْ‫ه‬ِ‫ع‬ْ‫ن‬‫ا‬ ُ‫ب‬َ‫ه‬َ‫ط‬
“Seeking the (religious) knowledge (that is
relevant to the individual) is an obligation on
every Muslim2
”
He also said:
ّ‫بانخفق‬ ّ‫ٔانفق‬
“The Fiqh (detailed religious rules) is acquired by
learning.”
It was on you to acquire the knowledge; to learn what is valid and what is
invalid, and then implement it, and it was not proper for you to merely
have faith in your imam and live the life of one who is blind, may Allah
1
Among the conditions for the validity of the Congregational Prayer is not to know that the
imam‟s prayer is invalid or to think that the imam‟s prayer is invalid.
2
Deemed a hasan hadith by Hafidh Al-Mizziyy

Page 6
have mercy on you. Ignorance is not an excuse, so if you do not know
what renders the prayer invalid, this does not mean that your prayer is still
valid if you committed an invalidator ignorantly. Among what proves that
a person might invalidate his prayer, despite his ignorance and despite his
good intention, is when the Prophet ‫ﷺ‬ said three times to the man in the
hadith called “the hadith of the man who prayed incorrectly3
”:
ِّ‫م‬َ‫ص‬ُ‫ح‬ ْ‫ى‬َ‫ن‬ َ‫ك‬ََِّ‫إ‬َ‫ف‬ ،ِّ‫م‬َ‫ص‬َ‫ف‬ ْ‫ع‬ ِ‫ج‬ْ‫اﺭ‬
“Go back and pray, for you have not prayed4
”
If you know that Makkah is in the hot lands, the direction of which from us
is south, and that north is the direction of the cold lands in comparison to
our location, then if your imam faces northeast, you know that your imam
is facing the wrong way. Make the proper decision and do what is correct,
not incorrect, and do not pay heed to any jahil (ignoramus) who tells you
that you have to follow your imam even if he faces the wrong way (some
people do say so). We are not obligated to follow someone’s known
mistake. Also, do not listen to any person who makes excuses for himself
and says that if the imams are wrong then they are the people who are
accountable, but the followers are not accountable. This is also untrue.
Unless you are sleeping, a child, or insane, then as a Muslim you are
accountable for you deeds, whether you are an imam or a follower.
2. As for the imams, shaykhs, and people of leadership positions and
influence, shame on you, and shame on you again, for ignoring the proper
religious rules, solidifying grave mistakes, and calling people to falsehood.
Both groups are like what is mentioned in the authentic hadith about the time
of ignorant leaders who mislead their followers5
:
3
Hadithul-musi‟i salatahu
4
Al-Bukhariyy
5
‫صحيح‬‫البخاري‬(1/23 ): Sahih al-Bukhariyy

Page 7
‫ن‬ِ‫إ‬َ‫اّلل‬َ‫ل‬ُ‫ض‬ِ‫ب‬ْ‫ق‬َ‫ي‬َ‫ْم‬‫ل‬ِ‫الع‬‫ا‬ً‫اع‬َ‫ز‬ِ‫ت‬ْ‫ن‬‫ا‬ُ‫و‬ُ‫ع‬ِ‫ز‬َ‫ت‬ْ‫ن‬َ‫ي‬َ‫ن‬ِ‫م‬،ِ‫اد‬َ‫ب‬ِ‫الع‬ْ‫ن‬ِ‫ك‬َ‫ل‬َ‫و‬ُ‫ض‬ِ‫ب‬ْ‫ق‬َ‫ي‬َ‫ْم‬‫ل‬ِ‫الع‬ِ‫ض‬ْ‫ب‬َ‫ق‬ِ‫ب‬،ِ‫اء‬َ‫م‬َ‫ل‬ُ‫الع‬‫ّت‬َ‫ح‬‫ا‬َ‫ذ‬ِ‫إ‬َْ‫ل‬ِ‫ق‬ْ‫ب‬ُ‫ي‬
‫ا‬ً‫م‬ِ‫ال‬َ‫ع‬َ‫ذ‬َ‫اَّت‬ُ‫اس‬‫الن‬‫ا‬ً‫وس‬ُ‫ء‬ُ‫ر‬، ً‫ال‬‫ه‬ُ‫ج‬‫وا‬ُ‫ل‬ِ‫ئ‬ُ‫س‬َ‫ف‬‫ا‬ْ‫و‬َ‫ت‬ْ‫َف‬‫أ‬َ‫ف‬ِْ‫ي‬َ‫غ‬ِ‫ب‬،ٍ‫ْم‬‫ل‬ِ‫ع‬‫وا‬ُّ‫ل‬َ‫ض‬َ‫ف‬‫وا‬ُّ‫ل‬َ‫َض‬‫أ‬َ‫و‬
“Surely, Allah does not take (away) the knowledge by
merely erasing it from (the hearts of) the slaves,
rather, He takes it by taking (the lives of) the
scholars. Then, when He does not leave a scholar
remaining, the people will take ignorant heads for
themselves. They (the people) ask them (religious
questions), and they (the ignorant heads) give them
fatwa (religious answers) without knowledge. They go
astray and they lead others astray6
.”
This hadith is not about us, for the people who face northeast say that we, those
who face southeast, are a minority, but this hadith is not talking about a small
group of misguided people; throughout history there have been small groups
misguided by people they considered knowledgeable. Rather, this hadith
mentions a general tragedy that befalls the Muslims. Those who face northeast
and use ‘the consensus of the scholars’ as evidence fit this hadith perfectly. They
claim that using the original rules for facing the Qiblah and therefore facing
southeast makes us a minority and thus wrong, but we are only calling people to
what the nation of Muhammad has practiced for over 1,400 years, so how could
we be the minority?
Not a soul among you who is sane and sightful is in need of a scientist to verify for
you that Makkah is not northeast of the United States; you only need to finish
grade school. Nor is some people’s leadership positions over the Muslims
evidence for you to defy your own intelligence and face the north to face
something in the south. Our Religion is not like Christianity; they are the people
6
It is not a condition for this to happen that there would be absolutely no scholars. The decline in
the number of scholars will cause this to happen, as in our days, so how about if they are all gone?

Page 8
who say, “Don’t ask, just believe.” Nor are the numbers of people who are defying
their own intelligence proof for anyone of you to face the direction of the cold
region (north) to face something in the hot region (south). Although, admittedly it
is bewildering and dumbfounding that thousands of people have made such an
absurd mistake. Many people, upon hearing the proofs, found them so simple and
straightforward that they said, “If it were that easy, so many people would not
have made such a mistake.” Then, they find its simplicity farfetched and continue
to face northeast.
<(ِ‫ار‬ َ‫ص‬ْ‫ب‬َ ْ‫اْل‬ ِ‫وِل‬ُ‫أ‬ َ‫َي‬ ‫وا‬ُ ِ‫ِب‬َ‫ت‬ْ‫ع‬‫ا‬َ‫ف‬)>7
<Reflect, O those who have intellects.>
Use your brains! Think about it! If you are baffled about the great numbers of
people who are facing the wrong way, then if you believe in the Messenger ‫ﷺ‬ ,
do not be mislead by their multitudes, for he said in the hadith about the
strangers:
‫ن‬ِ‫إ‬َ‫ين‬ِّ‫د‬‫ال‬َ‫أ‬َ‫د‬َ‫ب‬‫ا‬ً‫يب‬ِ‫ر‬َ‫غ‬ُ‫ع‬ِ‫ج‬ْ‫ر‬َ‫ي‬َ‫و‬،‫ا‬ً‫يب‬ِ‫ر‬َ‫غ‬َ‫وب‬ُ‫ط‬َ‫ف‬ِ‫اء‬َ‫ب‬َ‫ر‬ُ‫غ‬ْ‫ل‬ِ‫ل‬َ‫ين‬ِ‫ذ‬‫ال‬َ‫ن‬‫و‬ُ‫ح‬ِ‫ل‬ْ‫ص‬ُ‫ي‬‫ا‬َ‫م‬َ‫د‬َ‫س‬ْ‫ف‬َ‫أ‬ُ‫اس‬‫الن‬ْ‫ن‬ِ‫م‬‫ي‬ِ‫د‬ْ‫ع‬َ‫ب‬ْ‫ن‬ِ‫م‬ِ‫ت‬‫ن‬ُ‫س‬
“Certainly, the Religion started as something strange,
and it will return to being strange (i.e. what is
correct will be considered strange), and so good tidings
to the Strangers (al-Ghuraba’), those who correct what
the people have perverted of my Sunnah after me.”
This means that the people will have perverted matters of the Religion, like these
people who face northeast have perverted the rules related to prayer. Other
people calculate the beginning of the month and thus have perverted rules
pertaining to fasting. In recent years, the place of Sa^y has been expanded,
7
Al-Hashr, 2

Page 9
thereby preventing the fulfillment of millions of people’s Hajj or ^Umrah, and
many people are also falsely being taught that they can give their Zakah to any
good cause. This is invalid also, for there are specific people allowed to receive
the Zakah. May Allah save the nation of Muhammad, for they are now in a grave
situation. The Ghuraba’ (strangers) are those who work to correct those wrongs.
Work to correct those wrongs in this time in which the Religion has again
become strange. The physical fact is that Makkah is east southeast of the United
States, and even further south from Canada. Northeast is absolutely the wrong
way. It is not the people who face southeast in North America who are wrong
because they are a minority in North America, for like the rest of the Muslim
world, they face the Qiblah. It is the northeasters, the majority of people in North
America, who are in the minority, opposing the entire Muslim world, past and
present, the Muslim world that faces the direction of the Ka^bah.
It is not a condition that this work be comparable to that one in size, for surely
Allah gave victory to His Prophet Dawud (David) ‫ﷺ‬ in the face of the arrogant
giant Jalut (Goliath).
Certainly, Allah supports those who support His Religion, and He helps those
who help their fellow Muslim.

Page
10
Table of Contents
THE DIRECTIONS .............................................................................................11
THE OBLIGATION OF FACING THE KA^BAH ................................................ 17
The Consensus .............................................................................................. 17
How to face the Qiblah ............................................................................... 20
Adillatul-Qiblah (the Qiblah References) ....................................................... 22
UNRAVELLING AN OPTICAL ILLUSION .......................................................... 29
PEOPLE WHO FACE NORTHEAST DO NOT READ THE MAP ......................... 40
How to read a map ..................................................................................... 44
MORE ILLUSIONS ........................................................................................... 50
MAKKAH IS SOUTHEAST OF THE U.S.A. AND CANADA ................................ 63
FURTHER NORTHEAST FALLACIES.................................................................. 71
1. Rejecting logic and having exaggerated ignorance:.................................. 72
2. Refusal of the Sunnah:......................................................................... 72
3. Considering the surface (or shape) of the earth: ...................................... 74
4. The legend of “the sun over the Ka^bah”.............................................. 77
6. Claiming the position of the majority .................................................. 87
7. Claiming the permissibility of facing any direction, or praying in both
directions, and claiming to have a valid ijtihad.............................................. 88

Page
11
THE DIRECTIONS
There are four cardinal directions and six relative directions. The cardinal directions are
north, south, east and west. They are fixed and do not vary depending on one‟s personal
position. These (cardinal) directions do not change, and the shape of the earth does not
alter them. North is north underground, over ground, in the sky, at sea, or under the sea.
This means that the ground, the surface of the earth, and the shape of the earth all have
nothing to do with the directions. South in Alaska is the same as south in Australia, and
east on a mountain top is the same as east in an underground cavern. West in the eastern
part of the world is the same as west in the western part of the world, and likewise in the
northern and southern. From here, you can know that a person who faces northeast
“because the earth is not flat” has no idea what he is talking about, even if he in an imam or
has a PHD, so do not be fooled or enticed. Some religious references for these directions
will be mentioned briefly.
The relative directions are up, down, left, right, forward and behind. They are called
„relative‟ because what is in front of one person, in relation to another, may be behind.
Therefore, the east, which is a fixed direction, may be to one person‟s right, but to another
person‟s left, since the two sides “right” and “left” are relative directions. As Ahlus-Sunnah
Wal-Jama^ah, we also confirm these relative directions, as At-Tahawiyy8
did in his
documentation of the unanimous conviction of Ahlus-Sunnah:
‫ال‬ّ‫حذٕي‬‫انجٓاث‬‫انسج‬‫كسائﺮ‬‫انًبخﺪعاث‬
“The six directions do not contain Him, as is the case of the created things.”
However, it is very important to know that these six relative directions are NOT the
directions we must seek for the Qiblah; the command of Allah in the Glorious Book to
face the direction of the Ka^bah refers to the cardinal directions; to facing north, east,
south or west depending on your location- not “forward”. Forward is not the direction we
8
‫الطذاّيح‬ ‫هري‬ At-Tahawiyyah

Page
12
must seek. Know this to protect yourself from another northeast trick.
A person who supports the north eastern direction should agree that cardinal directions are
fixed and that relative directions vary, or else he would be denying reality, and further
discussion would be futile9
, and there are some who disagree10
, may Allah save us from the
degradation of contradicting the Religion.
The directions are physically confirmed and existing. This is true because Allah existed
before directions. The Messenger of Allah ‫ﷺ‬ said11
:
ٌ‫ء‬ْ‫ي‬َ‫ش‬ ْ‫ن‬ُ‫ك‬َ‫ي‬ ‫ل‬َ‫و‬ ُ‫اّلل‬ َ‫ن‬‫ا‬َ‫ك‬ْ‫ي‬َ‫غ‬ُ‫ه‬
“Allah was (existing), and there was nothing other than
Him.”
This proves that the directions have an actual, created existence, because at once they did
not exist. They are not just mere concepts without actual reality. Some scholars defined the
jihah (direction) as “Muntaha-l-Isharah” , “The extent of the signal (or pointing)”. All who
have sound senses (and intellects) are able to confirm that there are directions, and that
those directions have an actual existence; they are not mere concepts or ideas. One can
simply point, or even look into a direction, thereby confirming it12
.
9
So do not continue the conversation, he is too ignorant to understand.
10
Some who believe that the proper Qiblah is northeast believe that the cardinal directions are
relative. They are confused, and have confessed that they are not sure if Africa is east of the U.S.A.
or not.
11
Al-Bukhariyy
12
Whoever may be doubtful if those directions actually exist should resort to his senses, for the scholars of
Creed, as well as the scholars of Usul-Fiqh and Hadith, have confirmed that sound senses are a channel for
creatures to achieve definite, certain knowledge12
. An-Nasafiyy said:
‫ﻗا‬َ‫ل‬ْ‫ﺃ‬ُ‫ل‬‫انذﻕ‬‫ﹼ‬‫ذقاﺌﻕ‬ :‫ﹸ‬‫ﺜابخت‬ ِ‫ﺀ‬‫اﻷﺸﻴا‬‫ﹲ‬،‫ُخ‬ً ‫بٓا‬ ُ‫و‬‫ٔانعه‬‫ﹶ‬‫ذقﻕ‬‫ﹲ‬‫ﺨﻼف‬‫ﹰ‬‫انعهو‬ ُ‫ﺏ‬‫ﺃسبا‬ ٔ .‫نهسٔفسطاﺌﻴت‬ ‫ا‬‫ﹺ‬
‫ﺜﻼﺜت‬ ِ‫ﻕ‬‫نهﺨه‬‫ﹲ‬‫انسهﻴًت‬ ‫ﱡ‬‫ﺱ‬‫انذٔا‬ :‫ﹸ‬،‫انصاﺩﻕ‬ ُ‫ﺭ‬‫نﺨب‬ ‫ا‬ ٔ‫ﹸ‬،‫انعق‬ ُٔ‫ل‬
“The people of the truth said:
The realities of things are confirmed, and the knowledge about them is true, as opposed to the Sophists12
.
There are three channels through which the creations would have knowledge: the sound senses, the
(absolutely) truthful information12
, and the mind.”

Page
13
In fact, as a person faces east, the north is to his left, the west is behind him and the south
is to his right. If he faces south, the north is behind him, the east is to his left and the west is
to his right. As clearly seen, one can easily face directions without concerning himself with
travelling or moving. This fact, that one can face a direction without imagining himself
travelling or comparing himself or his prayer to an airplane, is unquestionable and of the
utmost importance. Besides, had one travelled or moved- which is totally irrelevant in the
issue of the Qiblah-, his relative directions would be changing, but still unable to escape
these fixed cardinal directions. In other words, his movement also does not make the
cardinal directions change, so movement and travelling are meaningless. For the Qiblah,
we want a DIRECTION, not a shape, nor a route, motion, arc, or a distance. Remember
this fact for the rest of your life. If you understand it, it will protect you from believing the
northeast fallacy. It will come back for understanding a lot of what is in this booklet.
The Religious proof teaches us, and all humans know -Muslim or not- that the east is the
direction from which the sun rises:
<( َ‫م‬ْ‫م‬‫ا‬ َ‫ن‬ِ‫م‬ ِ‫س‬ْ‫م‬َّ‫مش‬ ِ‫ِب‬ ِ‫ِت‬ِ‫أ‬َ‫ي‬ ََّ‫اَّلل‬ َّ‫ن‬
ّ
‫ا‬َ‫ف‬ ُ‫مي‬ِ‫ه‬‫ا‬َ‫ر‬ْ‫ب‬
ّ
‫ا‬ َ‫ل‬‫ا‬َ‫ق‬ِ‫ب‬ِ‫ر‬ْ‫غ‬َ‫م‬ْ‫م‬‫ا‬ َ‫ن‬ِ‫م‬ ‫ا‬َ ِ‫ِب‬ ِ‫ت‬ِ‫أ‬َ‫ف‬ ِ‫ق‬ِ ْ‫ْش‬ )>13
< Abraham said, “Certainly, Allah brings the sun from the east. Bring it from
the west”. >
It is from that direction- the east- that we know the time of the Dawn Prayer is first in, even
if one were at the North Pole.
The west is the direction in which the sun sets, and it is from that direction that we know
that the Night Prayer is first in. The Messenger of Allah ‫ﷺ‬ said in the hadith about how
the fasting person breaks his fast14
:
‫ا‬َ‫ﺫ‬ِ‫إ‬َ‫م‬َ‫ب‬ْ‫ﻗ‬َ‫ﺃ‬ُ‫م‬ْ‫ﻴ‬َّ‫ه‬‫ان‬ٍِْ‫ي‬،‫ا‬َََُُْٓ‫ﺮ‬َ‫ب‬ْ‫ﺩ‬َ‫ﺃ‬َُٔ‫اﺭ‬ََُّٓ‫ان‬ٍِْ‫ي‬،‫ا‬ََُُِْٓ‫ج‬َ‫ب‬َ‫ﺮ‬َ‫غ‬َُٔ‫س‬ًَّْ‫ﺸ‬‫ان‬ْ‫ﺪ‬َ‫ق‬َ‫ف‬َ‫ﺮ‬َ‫ط‬ْ‫ف‬َ‫ﺃ‬
ُ‫ى‬ِ‫ئ‬‫ا‬َّ‫ص‬‫ان‬
13
Al-Baqarah, 258
14
Sahih Al-Bukhariyy

Page
14
“If the night approaches from here (and he signaled to
the east), and the daylight disappears from here (and he
signaled to the west), and the sun has set, the fasting
person breaks fast.”
We watch the western horizon to break our fasts and to spot the new moon.
The north is known by the North Star, and the south is its opposite. The North Star, also
known as the Polaris, is included in the saying of Allah:
<(َ‫ون‬ُ‫د‬َ‫ت‬َْ‫َي‬ ُْ‫ُه‬ ِ‫م‬ْ‫ج‬َّ‫ن‬‫م‬ ِ‫ِب‬َ‫>)و‬15
<They are guided by the star>.
These proofs were mentioned in case a misguided person produces the idea that the
directions are not truly exiting, like some people who liken Allah to the creations do. It
would not be surprising for a person who is stubborn about the incorrect northeastern
qiblah to claim this if cornered, for as you will see, they have made many absurd claims.
Hence, when determining the direction of prayer, and not the distance between our
location and Makkah, we are concerned with the four cardinal directions that we just
referenced with religious proof: north, south, east and west. That is why the mujtahid,
Imam Abu Hanifah, mentioned these cardinal directions, not front and back, or right and
left when he mentioned the unanimous rule about facing the Qiblah16
:
‫ا‬َ‫و‬ ِ‫ال‬َ‫م‬ِّ‫ش‬‫ال‬ ِ‫ل‬ْ‫َى‬‫أ‬ ُ‫ة‬َ‫ل‬ْ‫ب‬ِ‫ق‬ ُ‫وب‬ُ‫ن‬َْ‫ْل‬‫ا‬َ‫و‬ ِ‫ق‬ِ‫ر‬ْ‫ش‬َ‫ْم‬‫ل‬‫ا‬ ِ‫ل‬ْ‫َى‬‫أ‬ ُ‫ة‬َ‫ل‬ْ‫ب‬ِ‫ق‬ ُ‫ب‬ِ‫ر‬ْ‫غ‬َ‫ْم‬‫ل‬‫ا‬َ‫و‬ ِ‫ب‬ِ‫ر‬ْ‫غ‬َ‫ْم‬‫ل‬‫ا‬ ِ‫ل‬ْ‫َى‬‫أ‬ ُ‫ة‬َ‫ل‬ْ‫ب‬ِ‫ق‬ ُ‫ق‬ِ‫ر‬ْ‫ش‬َ‫ْم‬‫ل‬‫ا‬ُ‫ال‬َ‫م‬ِّ‫ش‬‫ل‬ِ‫ل‬ْ‫َى‬‫أ‬ ُ‫ة‬َ‫ل‬ْ‫ب‬ِ‫ق‬
ِ‫وب‬ُ‫ن‬َْ‫ْل‬‫ا‬
“The east is the Qiblah of the people of the west, the west is the Qiblah of the people of
the east, the south is the Qiblah of the people of the north, and the north is the Qiblah of
the people of the south.”
15
An-Nahl, 16
16
‫ذثييي‬‫الذقائق‬‫ششح‬‫كٌز‬‫الذقائق‬‫ّداشيح‬‫الشلثي‬(1/101 ):

Page
15
A map is not the religious reference for facing the Qiblah, as will come. However, if we use
a map to talk about these directions, like a globe, then we must read it as a map, and not
look at it as a mere ball. Our concern is praying, not travelling, relocating or moving. It is
when travelling that one is concerned with the shortest distance between his location and
his destination, with his bearing, and with the relative directions of forward and behind,
above, below, right and left, not when praying17
.
Part of understanding the mistake of those who support northeast is knowing that many, if
not all of them, do not know what directions are. One of them said, “The direction is the
direction a person moves.” Then when he was asked, “If I move in a circle, what direction
is that?” he had no answer. Another part of understanding their mistake is knowing that
they have mixed these two sets of directions, the relative and the cardinal. The result of that
mixture is that despite that Makkah is south of the U.S.A., and they know that, their fallacy
is to say, “If one initiates a travel going northeast (which is a cardinal direction), and then
stayed on a straight course in the direction of „forward‟ (which is a relative direction),
without going to the right or the left (relative directions), he would reach Makkah, which is
southeast from us in terms of bearing, not direction.”
The conclusion is that they say that one must face north while knowing that Makkah is
south of the U.S.A. However, to make that southern position of Makkah ambiguous, they
evasively say, “Southeast is the bearing, not the direction.” Nonetheless, the Qiblah is not
an issue of travel, nor an issue of distance, it is a religious issue of facing a direction. Saying
that southeast is the bearing is actually a confession that Makkah is truly southeast of us,
because it would not be the bearing had it not been southeast. Nor is the Qiblah an issue of
math, especially not advanced math, but it is a religious issue that must follow religious
guidelines. They have abandoned the religious rules, the Sunnah, and invalidated their
prayers by leaving out a condition: facing the Qiblah.
17
If one wanted to plot the quickest, shortest course for an airplane, then it would be useful to look at the
globe as a ball, but when labelling directions after that, one must account for all changes in direction in that
plotted course.

Page
16
‫وِبهلل‬‫امتوفيق‬

Page
17
THE OBLIGATION OF FACING THE KA^BAH
Linguistically, „qiblah‟ is the name of the thing for which you have „muqabalah‟; the name
of that which you face. Religiously, the Qiblah is the Ka^bah, that known building first
erected by the father of men, Prophet Adam ‫ﷺ‬, and later rebuilt by our Master, Prophet
Ibrahim (Abraham) ‫ﷺ‬ after it was destroyed in the flood of Prophet Nuh (Noah) ‫ﷺ‬ .
Al-Husniyy said18
:
َ‫ي‬ِْ‫ت‬َ‫ب‬ْ‫ع‬َ‫ك‬ْ‫ن‬‫ا‬‫سًﻴج‬َٔ‫ت‬َ‫ه‬ْ‫ب‬‫ﻗ‬ٌَ ِ‫ﻷ‬ّ‫ه‬َ‫ص‬ًُْ‫ن‬‫ا‬‫ي‬‫يقابهٓا‬
“It (The Qiblah) is the Ka^bah. It is named as such (as a „qiblah‟) because the praying
person is opposite of (or faces) it.”
In the Qur‟an, we are ordered with facing the Ka^bah, which is contained in Masjidul-
Haram. This is a condition for the validity of the prayer that would be achieved by two
steps:
1. Establishing the direction of Makkah from one‟s location by comparing the location
of Makkah to one‟s personal location, then,
2. Without concerning oneself with the issues of travel, distance, motion, or the shape
of the earth, and without one imagining himself praying through the earth, over the
earth, or any other irrelevant matter, one uses the religious references to his utmost
ability to simply face that said direction.
The Consensus
We already mentioned that Abu Hanifah clarified the unanimous rule about facing the
Qiblah19
:
18
‫كفايح‬‫األخياس‬‫في‬‫دل‬‫غايح‬‫االخرصاس‬(1/44 ): Al-Kifayah
19
‫ذثييي‬‫الذقائق‬‫ششح‬‫كٌز‬‫الذقائق‬‫ّداشيح‬‫الشلثي‬(1/101 ): Tabyin Al-Haqa‟iq

Page
18
‫ا‬َ‫و‬ ِ‫ال‬َ‫م‬ِّ‫ش‬‫ال‬ ِ‫ل‬ْ‫َى‬‫أ‬ ُ‫ة‬َ‫ل‬ْ‫ب‬ِ‫ق‬ ُ‫وب‬ُ‫ن‬َْ‫ْل‬‫ا‬َ‫و‬ ِ‫ق‬ِ‫ر‬ْ‫ش‬َ‫ْم‬‫ل‬‫ا‬ ِ‫ل‬ْ‫َى‬‫أ‬ ُ‫ة‬َ‫ل‬ْ‫ب‬ِ‫ق‬ ُ‫ب‬ِ‫ر‬ْ‫غ‬َ‫ْم‬‫ل‬‫ا‬َ‫و‬ ِ‫ب‬ِ‫ر‬ْ‫غ‬َ‫ْم‬‫ل‬‫ا‬ ِ‫ل‬ْ‫َى‬‫أ‬ ُ‫ة‬َ‫ل‬ْ‫ب‬ِ‫ق‬ ُ‫ق‬ِ‫ر‬ْ‫ش‬َ‫ْم‬‫ل‬‫ا‬ِ‫ل‬ْ‫َى‬‫أ‬ ُ‫ة‬َ‫ل‬ْ‫ب‬ِ‫ق‬ ُ‫ال‬َ‫م‬ِّ‫ش‬‫ل‬
ِ‫وب‬ُ‫ن‬َْ‫ْل‬‫ا‬
“The east is the Qiblah of the people of the west, the west is the Qiblah of the people of
the east, the south is the Qiblah of the people of the north, and the north is the Qiblah of
the people of the south.”
Anyone who claims to be a Sunni must conform to the Consensus. At-Tahawiyy conveyed20
what Ahlus-Sunnah, the Sunnis, believe about the Consensus:
َ‫ال‬ٍََْٔ‫ي‬‫ي‬ِ‫ع‬َّ‫ﺪ‬َ‫ي‬‫ًا‬‫ﺌ‬ْ‫ﻴ‬َ‫ش‬ُ‫ف‬ِ‫ن‬‫ا‬َ‫ﺨ‬ُ‫ي‬َ‫اﺏ‬َ‫خ‬ِ‫ك‬ْ‫ن‬‫ا‬َ‫ت‬َُّ‫ﱡ‬‫س‬‫ان‬ََٔ‫ع‬‫ا‬ًَْ‫ج‬ِ‫إ‬َِٔ‫ت‬َّ‫ي‬ُ ْ‫اﻷ‬
“And (we do not believe) anyone who opposes the Book, the Sunnah or the Consensus of
the Nation.”
As for the one who is not a Sunni, like the Kamal Abdali who invented the northeast
method, he needs to fix his ^aqidah (creed) before he fixes his Qiblah.
We verify this Consensus, that the Qiblah in the U.S.A. and Canada is southeast, by
pointing out the fact that the Muslims adhered to this rule- that the south is the Qiblah of
the people of the north- since the time of the Prophet .‫ﷺ‬ The people of North America
are north of the Ka^bah, so they have to face south. It was the people of North America
who broke that Consensus, only recently in the 70‟s. Some claim that there is no consensus
about the Qiblah in North America, using as evidence the obvious difference about
northeast versus southeast that is now existing. We say that this difference of opinion has
no consideration, because it came after a consensus. Imamul-Haramayn said21
:
20
‫هري‬‫الطذاّيح‬ At-Tahawiyyah
21
‫الْسقاخ‬(1/24 ): Al-Waraqat

Page
19
‫لو‬ْ‫و‬َ‫ق‬‫ل‬ ‫ا‬َ‫يى‬َ‫غ‬ ‫دون‬ ‫ة‬‫حج‬ ‫مة‬ ْ‫اْل‬ ‫ه‬ِ‫ذ‬َ‫ى‬ ‫اع‬َْ‫ْج‬ِ‫إ‬َ‫و‬‫ﷺ‬‫ل‬‫ه‬ِ‫ذ‬َ‫ى‬ ‫بعصمة‬ ‫ورد‬ ‫ع‬ْ‫ر‬‫الش‬َ‫و‬ ‫ة‬َ‫ل‬ َ‫َل‬َ‫ض‬ ‫على‬ ِ‫أمت‬ ‫جتتمع‬
َ‫ن‬‫ا‬َ‫ك‬‫عصر‬ ‫َي‬‫أ‬ ِ‫ِف‬َ‫و‬ ِ‫اِن‬‫الث‬ ‫ر‬ْ‫ص‬َ‫ْع‬‫ل‬‫ا‬ ‫على‬ ‫ة‬‫حج‬ ‫اع‬َْ‫ْج‬ِْ‫اْل‬َ‫و‬ ‫مة‬ ْ‫اْل‬
“The Consensus of this nation, and not that of another one, is evidence, because of his (the
Prophet‟s) saying, ‫ﷺ‬:
‫عه‬ ‫ﺃيخي‬ ‫حجخًع‬ ‫ال‬‫ضﻼنت‬ ٗ
<My nation will not gather on a misguidance>.
The Religious Law came with the infallibility of the nation. The Consensus is evidence for
the following era, and for any era to come…”
We must follow the same rule that existed for over a millennium. It applies to us also.
Merely facing the direction, and not knowing the distance, nor having a bearing, is the easy
obligation Allah ordained when He said in His Book:
<(‫ه‬َ‫ر‬ْ‫ط‬ َ‫ش‬ ْ ُ‫َُك‬‫ه‬‫و‬ُ‫ج‬ُ‫و‬ ‫ا‬‫و‬ّ‫م‬َ‫و‬َ‫ف‬)>22
{Turn yourselves towards its direction}
This only requires vision and knowing how to locate the sun, shadows, stars, and other
creations of Allah.
It is worth noting that some who face the northeast do not translate the word “shatr” in the
verse, which means “direction”, as in Nuh Keller‟s book. This is a direct result of their
deviance in this issue: abandoning the direction. Ash-Shafi^iyy said that the shatr is the
jihah (direction)23
.
22
Al-Baqarah, 150
23
( ‫ففش‬‫ض‬‫عليِن‬‫ديث‬‫ها‬‫كاًْا‬:‫أى‬‫يْلْا‬‫ّجُِْن‬ٍ‫ّشطش‬ ٍ‫شطش‬:َ‫جِر‬‫في‬‫كالم‬‫العشب‬.‫إرا‬‫قلد‬:‫أقصذ‬‫شطش‬،‫كزا‬‫هعشّف‬‫ذقْل‬ ‫أًك‬:
‫أقصذ‬‫قصذ‬‫عيي‬،‫كزا‬‫يعٌي‬:‫قصذ‬‫ًفس‬‫كزا‬... )

Page
20
We are not ordered to calculate a travel route to face, nor to measure the surface of the
earth, nor to know the distance between towns and regions, which not every person is
capable of performing. We are simply ordered to face the direction.
How to face the Qiblah
Very few people who face northeast know the true rules for facing the Qiblah, as well as
many who face southeast. Before proceeding, let us give brief, proper instruction on how to
face the Qiblah. Memorize this quote of Imam An-Nawawiyy24
:
‫وأمكن‬ ‫فقد‬ ‫فإن‬ ‫علم‬ ‫عن‬ ‫خيرب‬ ‫ثقة‬ ‫بقول‬ ‫أخذ‬ ‫وإل‬ ‫والجتهاد‬ ‫التقليد‬ ‫عليو‬ ‫حرم‬ ‫القبلة‬ ‫علم‬ ‫أمكنو‬ ‫ومن‬
‫التقليد‬ ‫حرم‬ ‫الجتهاد‬
“Whoever is able to have knowledge of the Qiblah is forbidden from imitating another and
making a determination (ijtihad). If unable, he takes the word of a trustworthy person who
informs him based on knowledge. If that is missing, and one were able to make a
determination, it is forbidden for him to imitate another.”
This quote spells out one‟s first steps in facing his prayer direction:
1. If you have knowledge25
of the Ka^bah‟s location, which is by seeing it, then you
may not use any other means to face it, not the word of another, nor a
determination by using the likes of the stars or shadows.
2. If you cannot achieve knowledge of the Ka^bah because you cannot see it, then
before making a determination (making ijtihad by the sun, stars, etc.), you take the
word of a trustworthy person who informs you by his knowledge; his seeing the
Ka^bah- not one who is informing you of his own determination (ijtihad).
“He made it obligatory on them to turn themselves towards its „shatr‟ wherever they may be, and in the
speech of the Arabs, its „shatr‟ is its direction. If you said, „I seek the shatr‟ of such and such, it is known that
you are saying, „I seek the very entity of such and such‟, meaning, „I seek the thing itself‟…”
24
Minhaj At-Talibin
25
A realization that complies with reality

Page
21
3. If you do not have knowledge of the Ka^bah by seeing it, nor are you informed by
a trustworthy person who sees it, then you can make your best determination
(ijtihad), and then face what is your overwhelming speculation (ghalabatudh-dhann)
of its direction. From the U.S.A. and Canada, it is certainly southeast, but the
degree of south varies from place to place. A person following this step cannot
imitate another; you cannot rely on another person‟s Qiblah determination.
4. If you are unable to make a determination because of being blind or a child who
does not yet possess the skill to make a proper determination, then you may imitate
another. This is why An-Nawawiyy also said:
‫عارفا‬ ‫ثقة‬ ‫قلد‬ ‫كاْلعمى‬‫اْلدلة‬ ‫وتعلم‬ ‫الجتهاد‬ ‫عن‬ ‫عجز‬ ‫ومن‬
“Whoever is unable to make a determination, and (unable) to learn the Qiblah
references, like the blind, he imitates a trustworthy, knowledgeable person.”
The synopsis is that if you can see the Ka^bah, you cannot use other means to face it. If
you cannot see it, but a trustworthy person who sees it informs you, then you cannot use
any other means. If you do not have the word of a trustworthy person reporting his
sighting, then you have to make your own determination. You do not follow another
person‟s determination, because like you, he does not see the Ka^bah, and he lacks the
word of a trustworthy person reporting his sighting the Ka^bah to him. You both have the
same obligation. If you cannot make a determination, like a child or blind man, only then
can you imitate someone else‟s determination. The occurrence of this northeast tragedy
makes the wisdom of this rule clear. It is not valid for the one who can determine the
Qiblah to just follow without checking the Qiblah references and making his own
determination.

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22
Adillatul-Qiblah (the Qiblah References)
Over 1,000 years ago, the scholars mentioned the easy, religiously recognized signs for
determining the Qiblah. An-Nawawiyy also said26
:
َ‫ال‬َٔ‫ﱡ‬‫خ‬ ِ‫ص‬َ‫ي‬ُ‫ﺩ‬‫ا‬َِٓ‫خ‬ْ‫ج‬ ِ‫اال‬َّ‫ال‬ِ‫إ‬ِ‫ت‬َّ‫ن‬ِ‫ﺩ‬َ‫أ‬ِ‫ب‬،ِ‫ت‬َ‫ه‬ْ‫ب‬ِ‫ق‬ْ‫ن‬‫ا‬َ‫ي‬ٌَِْٔ‫ة‬َ‫ﻴﺮ‬ِ‫ﺜ‬َ‫ك‬‫ا‬َٓ‫ﻴ‬ِ‫ف‬ٌ‫ب‬ُ‫خ‬ُ‫ك‬،ٌ‫ت‬َ‫ف‬ََُّ‫ص‬ُ‫ي‬‫ا‬َٓ‫ف‬َ‫ع‬ْ‫ض‬َ‫ﺃ‬َُٔ‫ح‬‫ا‬َ‫ي‬ ِّ‫انﺮ‬
‫ا‬َِٓ‫ف‬ َ‫ﻼ‬ِ‫خ‬ْ‫خ‬ ِ‫ال‬‫ا‬َْ‫ا‬َْٕ‫ﻗ‬َ‫ﺃ‬َُٔ‫ب‬ْ‫ط‬ُ‫ق‬ْ‫ن‬‫ا‬
“It is not valid to make the determination (ijtihad) except by using the (religiously
recognized) Qiblah references, and they are many. There are books authored about them.
The weakest of them is the wind because of its fluctuation, and the strongest of them is the
Polaris (North Star).”
When one makes his determination for the direction, he uses the previously mentioned
signs. We will focus on the strongest sign. As will be repeated, the North Star plays two
roles:
a. Not only does it give the direction of north if one were to face it, and the south
by turning one‟s back to it, but
b. It also proves how far north or south one is (in the northern part of the world):
In Makkah, one sees the North Star very close to the horizon. In the United States, one
sees the North Star even higher; further from the horizon. In Canada, one sees it even
higher, until reaching very far north, where one would find the North Star directly
overhead. This means that Makkah is south of the United States and Canada.
26
(1/217 ): Rawd At-Talibin

Page
23
The one who learns properly will be able to find the directions any time of the day or night,
and face the proper direction.
Since Makkah is southeast of our position, one can find the east in the morning by finding
the light of dawn, or the horizon of sunrise, face that direction, and then turn to the right
slightly. At the zenith (noon), the sun is in the center of the sky. One can then know north
and south by facing the sun: In the southern regions like Australia, the sun will be in the
northern sky, and in the northern regions, like the U.S.A. and Canada, it will be in the
southern sky. In the beginning of the night, if he relies on the horizon of sunset, then he
puts his back to it so that he faces the east and then he turns to the right to face south of
east. After the night settles, he may also find the North Star, turn his back to it for the
south, and then turn to his left to face southeast. The southern regions of the earth that
cannot use the North Star have other stars that they can use.
What is mentioned here is simple and applicable by all people, not just mathematicians
and geographers. Anyway, no geographer will claim that Makkah is north of North
America, and nor would a mathematician if he knows geography. It is the northeast person
calling your bluff when he says, “It seems you are lacking in basic geography.” They are the
people who are contradicting geography. If you truly know geography, basic grade school
geography, you can refute a northeast person.
In fact, as will be seen if Allah willed, the method used to (falsely) verify the north eastern
qiblah is impractical for an illiterate person or someone who does not know the shape of
the earth. For example, instead of using the signs we just mentioned, people who support
northeast have said:

Page
24
“Since Earth has a spherical shape, we can use the formula for great circle to find
qibla direction for any point on the Earth. Indeed, this direction can be easily
computed using the following one-line formula:
where (φ1, λ1) is the latitude-longitude of your location, and (φ2, λ2) = (21.42, 39.83)
is the latitude-longitude of Ka‟ba. The returned value, α, specifies the angle of qibla
clockwise from true North.”
There is nothing easy about that for the layman, and it is in contradiction with the authentic
hadith27
:
ِ
ّ‫ُم‬‫أ‬ ٌ‫ة‬‫ُم‬‫أ‬ ‫ا‬‫ن‬ِ‫إ‬‫س‬َْ‫َن‬ َ‫ل‬َ‫و‬ ُ‫ب‬ُ‫ت‬ْ‫ك‬َ‫ن‬ َ‫ل‬ ،ٌ‫ة‬‫ي‬ُ‫ب‬
“We are an illiterate nation. We do not write and we do
not calculate.28
”
27
Al-Bukhariyy, Muslim and others
28
Check the explanation of the hadith:
‫فتح‬‫الباري‬‫البن‬‫رجب‬(3/76:
‫وٌدل‬‫على‬‫ذلك‬‫من‬‫األدلة‬‫الشرعٌة‬:‫قول‬ً‫النب‬-‫ى‬َّ‫ل‬َ‫ص‬‫ه‬‫للا‬‫ْه‬ٌَ‫ل‬َ‫ع‬َ‫م‬َّ‫ل‬َ‫س‬ َ‫و‬-(( :‫إنا‬‫أمة‬،‫أمٌة‬‫ال‬‫نكتب‬‫وال‬،‫نحسب‬‫الشهر‬‫هكذا‬‫وهكذا‬‫وهكذا‬))،
‫وخنس‬‫إبهامه‬ً‫ف‬،‫الثالثة‬‫ثم‬‫قال‬(( :‫صوموا‬،‫لرؤٌته‬‫وأفطروا‬،‫لرؤٌته‬‫فإن‬‫غم‬‫علٌكم‬‫فأكملوا‬‫ال‬‫عدة‬)) .
‫فتبٌن‬‫أن‬‫دٌننا‬‫ال‬‫ٌحتاج‬‫إلى‬‫حساب‬‫وال‬‫كتاب‬
Fathul-Bari by Ibn Rajab: “…The religious evidence that proves that is the saying of the Prophet,
„We are an illiterate nation. We do not write and we do not calculate. The month is like this and
like this…‟ …(Ibn Rajab said) So it became clear that our Religion does not need calculations nor
writing.”
‫طرح‬‫التثرٌب‬ً‫ف‬‫شرح‬‫التقرٌب‬(4/114:
‫به‬َ‫ب‬َّ‫س‬‫ال‬ َ‫و‬ً‫ع‬ ْ‫ر‬َّ‫ش‬‫ال‬‫وب‬‫ه‬‫ج‬‫ه‬‫و‬ْ‫ل‬‫ل‬‫ا‬َ‫م‬َّ‫ن‬‫إ‬َ‫هو‬‫ه‬‫ه‬‫ة‬ٌَْ‫ؤ‬‫الر‬َ‫ال‬َ‫م‬ْ‫ل‬‫ع‬َ‫ك‬‫ل‬َ‫ذ‬‫اب‬َ‫س‬‫ح‬ْ‫ال‬‫ب‬‫ه‬‫ل‬ ْ‫َو‬‫ق‬‫ل‬-‫ْه‬ٌَ‫ل‬َ‫ع‬َ‫ل‬َّ‫ص‬‫ال‬‫ه‬‫ة‬‫ه‬‫م‬ َ‫َّل‬‫س‬‫ال‬ َ‫و‬-ً‫ف‬‫ٌث‬‫د‬َ‫ح‬ْ‫ال‬‫ٌح‬‫ح‬َّ‫ص‬‫ال‬«‫ا‬َّ‫ن‬‫إ‬‫ة‬َّ‫م‬‫ه‬‫أ‬‫َّة‬ٌ‫م‬‫ه‬‫أ‬َ‫ال‬‫به‬‫س‬ْ‫َح‬‫ن‬
َ‫ال‬ َ‫و‬‫به‬‫ه‬‫ت‬ْ‫ك‬َ‫ن‬»َ‫ٌث‬‫د‬َ‫ح‬ْ‫ال‬‫ى‬َ‫ه‬َ‫ت‬ْ‫ن‬‫ا‬.
ْ‫د‬َ‫ق‬ َ‫و‬َ‫ر‬َ‫ه‬َ‫ظ‬‫ا‬َ‫م‬‫ب‬‫ه‬‫ه‬‫ا‬َ‫ط‬َ‫س‬َ‫ب‬‫ه‬‫ة‬َّ‫ح‬‫ص‬‫َب‬‫ه‬ْ‫ذ‬َ‫م‬‫ور‬‫ه‬‫ه‬ْ‫م‬‫ه‬‫ج‬ْ‫ال‬ً‫ف‬‫ٌق‬‫ل‬ْ‫ع‬َ‫ت‬‫م‬ْ‫ك‬‫ه‬‫ح‬ْ‫ال‬‫ة‬ٌَْ‫ؤ‬‫الر‬‫ب‬َ‫هون‬‫د‬‫َا‬‫ه‬‫ْر‬ٌَ‫غ‬‫ه‬‫ب‬ َ‫و‬َ‫ل‬‫ا‬َ‫ق‬‫ك‬‫ال‬َ‫م‬ً‫ع‬‫اف‬َّ‫ش‬‫ال‬ َ‫و‬‫هو‬‫ب‬َ‫أ‬ َ‫و‬َ‫ة‬َ‫ف‬ٌ‫ن‬َ‫ح‬‫ه‬‫ور‬‫ه‬‫ه‬ْ‫م‬‫ه‬‫ج‬ َ‫و‬‫اء‬َ‫م‬َ‫ل‬‫ه‬‫ع‬ْ‫ال‬ْ‫ن‬‫م‬
‫ف‬َ‫ل‬َّ‫س‬‫ال‬‫ف‬َ‫ل‬َ‫خ‬ْ‫ال‬ َ‫و‬
Al-^Iraqiyy says “The Religious issue that dictates the obligation is sighting, not the knowledge of
that by calculation, because of his saying, „We are an illiterate nation. We do not write and we do
not calculate.‟ The correctness of the school of the majority has become clear by what we have
explained with detail, which is making the ruling dependant on sighting, not something else, and
this is what Malik, Ash-Shafi^iyy and Abu Hanifah said, and the majority of the scholars of the
Salaf and the Khalaf.”

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25
We do not cite this hadith to discredit knowledge, literacy or math, and the northeast
people hate for this hadith to be cited. It is a sword against their innovated method. It will
often stop the conversation, depending on how deviant the person is in this issue. It is cited
to prove that the religious obligations are easy matters achieved by both the literate and the
illiterate.
For the northeast person, debunking and nullifying this hadith is of the utmost importance.
The cost is not the concern, only the end: facing northeast. One may think that he should
use calculations, because “they are available”, but the religious references are available too.
In his mind, the calculations are math, and properly applied math is correct, however the
Qiblah is religion, and misapplied religious rules lead to mistakes. The Religion is not by
our opinions. Had it been, then we would have wiped on the bottom of the khuff (footgear
fulfilling certain conditions) because that is the side that gets dirty. However, Imam ^Aliyy
said, “I saw the Messenger of Allah ‫ﷺ‬ wiping the top.” If the Prophet of Allah ‫ﷺ‬ said
that we do not calculate, then why calculate? Once the northeast person says, “Because…”,
then know that he wants to disobey the Messenger of Allah ‫ﷺ‬; he does not want to obey
this hadith although he is able to, and he thinks that you are a fool for mentioning it as
‫عمدة‬‫القاري‬‫شرح‬‫صحٌح‬‫البخاري‬(11/687:
‫وعلق‬‫ع‬‫ار‬َّ‫ش‬‫ال‬‫م‬ ْ‫و‬َّ‫ص‬‫ال‬‫ٌَره‬‫غ‬ َ‫و‬‫ة‬ٌَْ‫ؤ‬‫الر‬‫ب‬‫لرفع‬‫رج‬َ‫ح‬ْ‫ال‬‫ن‬َ‫ع‬‫أمته‬
Al-^Ayniyy the Hanafiyy says in the explanation of Sahih Al-Bukhariyy about this hadith „We are
an illiterate nation‟: “The Law Bringer (the Prophet ‫)ﷺ‬ has made the fasting and other things
dependent on sighting, to lift the burden (of calculations) from his nation.”
‫عمدة‬‫القاري‬‫شرح‬‫صحٌح‬‫البخاري‬(13/196:
‫ن‬‫َإ‬‫ف‬‫قلت‬{ :‫فاكتبوه‬( }‫ة‬َ‫َر‬‫ق‬َ‫ب‬ْ‫ال‬:686. )‫مر‬َ‫أ‬‫من‬‫للا‬،‫ى‬َ‫ل‬‫ا‬َ‫ع‬َ‫ت‬‫بت‬َ‫ث‬ َ‫و‬ً‫ف‬(‫ْن‬ٌَ‫ح‬ٌ‫ح‬َّ‫ص‬‫ال‬)‫ن‬َ‫ع‬‫ْن‬‫ب‬‫ا‬،‫عمر‬َ‫ل‬‫ا‬َ‫ق‬:َ‫ل‬‫ا‬َ‫ق‬‫ول‬‫ه‬‫س‬َ‫ر‬،‫للا‬‫صلى‬‫للا‬‫ْه‬ٌَ‫ل‬َ‫ع‬‫سلم‬ َ‫و‬:
(‫ا‬َّ‫ن‬‫إ‬‫أمة‬‫َّة‬ٌ‫م‬‫ه‬‫أ‬َ‫ال‬‫نكتب‬َ‫ال‬ َ‫و‬‫نحسب‬)،‫ا‬َ‫م‬َ‫ف‬‫جمع‬ْ‫ال‬‫ا؟‬َ‫م‬‫ٌنه‬َ‫ب‬‫قلت‬:‫ن‬‫إ‬‫ٌن‬‫الد‬‫من‬‫ه‬‫ْث‬ٌَ‫ح‬َ‫هو‬‫ه‬‫غٌر‬‫مفتقر‬‫ى‬َ‫ل‬‫إ‬‫ة‬َ‫ب‬‫َا‬‫ت‬‫ك‬‫أصل‬‫ن‬َ‫أل‬‫كتاب‬‫للا‬‫قد‬‫سهل‬‫للا‬
‫حفظه‬‫على‬‫اس‬َّ‫ن‬‫ال‬‫َن‬‫ن‬‫الس‬ َ‫و‬‫ْضا‬ٌَ‫أ‬‫ه‬‫ف‬ْ‫ح‬َ‫م‬‫ة‬َ‫ظ‬‫و‬‫ن‬َ‫ع‬‫ول‬‫ه‬‫س‬َ‫ر‬،‫للا‬‫صلى‬‫للا‬‫ْه‬ٌَ‫ل‬َ‫ع‬،‫سلم‬ َ‫و‬‫ي‬‫ذ‬َّ‫ل‬‫ا‬ َ‫و‬‫مر‬َ‫أ‬‫بكتابه‬‫ا‬َ‫م‬َّ‫ن‬‫إ‬َ‫هو‬‫ه‬‫اء‬ٌَْ‫ش‬َ‫أ‬‫جزئٌة‬‫تقع‬‫ٌن‬َ‫ب‬،‫اس‬َّ‫ن‬‫ال‬
‫َأمروا‬‫ف‬‫مر‬َ‫أ‬‫إرشاد‬َ‫ال‬‫مر‬َ‫أ‬،‫اب‬َ‫ج‬ٌ‫إ‬‫ا‬َ‫م‬َ‫ك‬‫ذهب‬،‫ْه‬ٌَ‫ل‬‫إ‬َ‫هو‬‫ه‬ َ‫و‬‫َب‬‫ه‬ْ‫ذ‬َ‫م‬،‫ور‬‫ه‬‫ه‬ْ‫م‬‫ه‬‫ج‬ْ‫ال‬‫ن‬‫َإ‬‫ف‬‫كتب‬،‫َحسن‬‫ف‬‫ن‬‫إ‬ َ‫و‬‫ترك‬َ‫َل‬‫ف‬‫س‬ْ‫أ‬َ‫ب‬.
And he says: “If you say {‫فاكتبوه‬} (which means) <Write it>- is an order from Allah to write, but it is
confirmed from the Messenger of Allah: „We are an illiterate nation, we do not write and we do
not calculate‟, so how do you put those two together (so to avoid contradiction)? I say: The
Religion in itself is not in need of writing in the first place, because Allah made memorizing the
Book of Allah easy on the people, and the Sunnahs are also memorized (or preserved) from the
Messenger of Allah. What was ordered (in the Qur‟an) to be written is only some particular
matters that take place among the people. They were ordered with an order to guide them (to a
benefit), not an order of obligation… and this is the school of the majority. If one wrote, it is
good, and he did not, there is no problem.”

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26
evidence. However, his opinion is meaningless in the Religion of Allah. We command
them to obey the Messenger of Allah ‫ﷺ‬, who said:
َ‫ش‬ ُ‫ر‬ْ‫َج‬‫أ‬ ُ‫و‬َ‫ل‬ ِ‫ت‬‫ُم‬‫أ‬ ِ‫اد‬َ‫س‬َ‫ف‬ َ‫د‬ْ‫ن‬ِ‫ع‬ ِ‫ت‬‫ن‬ُ‫س‬ِ‫ب‬ ُ‫ك‬ِ
ّ‫س‬َ‫م‬َ‫ت‬ُ‫ْم‬‫ل‬‫ا‬ٍ‫يد‬ِ‫ه‬
“The one who holds fast to my Sunnah upon the corruption
of my nation has the reward of a Martyr.”
Some narrations mention that he has the reward of 100 martyrs. They blatantly oppose the
hadith. Those who have more knowledge find round-about ways to justify abandoning the
hadith.
The illiterate can still read the stars and watch the sun and shadows. These are the proper
means for determining the Qiblah, not advanced mathematics, nor the earth‟s shape. Had
the earth‟s shape influenced the Qiblah, then what degree does the curve in the earth have
to be to nullify the Sunnah in their claim, and which imam documented that? Which
reliable books of Fiqh document the shape of the earth as reference for the Qiblah? Is
there not a curve between Makkah and Morocco, albeit less than the curve between the
U.S.A. and Makkah? How can they validly be on the Sunnah, but we cannot be? Why are
they permitted to ignore the shape of the earth but we are obligated to know it? Knowing
the shape of the earth is not an obligation, nor a condition for the Qiblah, so do not be
fooled.
If someone were to ask, “Does this mean that we cannot use any new inventions or devices
besides those signs?” The answer is that if those other means comply with the original
„Adillatul-Qiblah‟, then they are permissible, like a tested compass. One should not
purchase a compass and rely on it without testing it against the likes of the North Star. On
the other hand, if devices or new inventions contradict those known signs, like putting a
string on the globe or calculating distance on the earth‟s surface, which leads one to face
north while Makkah is most certainly to our south, then they are rejected and the original
signs are preserved. If a compass that opposes the North Star is rejected, how about a

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calculus or trigonometry problem that contradicts it? When it was said to someone who
faces northeast that we only want the original ways of practicing the Religion, and any new
way has to comply with the old, and the northeast people want a new way without concern
about it complying with the old way, he disrespectfully said, “We just want to face the
Ka'aba in obedience to Allah. That‟s all. New, old, yada yada... facing Mecca is the
objective.” His objective should be facing Makkah as per the proper rules. If he wants to
obey Allah, he needs to do the worship properly or else he will be a disobedient sinner.
The North Star is easy, while calculations for the majority of people are not. Obey the
Messenger ‫ﷺ‬ and choose the easy route. He said:
‫و‬‫أيسره‬ ْ‫م‬ُ‫ك‬‫دين‬ ‫خي‬
“The best of your Religion is the easiest of it.”
Certainly, the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad. They will not hold fast to the
hadith that negates calculations, because no calculations means no northeast. If Allah
blinds the heart, the person will follow his desire over the evidence, even if he claims
Ahlus-Sunnah.
Here, it is good to warn people from the so called “Qiblah Compasses” that have been
manufactured by people who support the northeastern qiblah. Many of the laymen believe
that these compasses point towards the Qiblah. People who know about compasses know
that a compass gives one the (magnetic) north, not the Qiblah. The way these actually work
is that they point north like any other compass, but it has a prepared line that marks the
northeast. Laypeople then just face the line and have no clue that they have been mislead.
If that is clear, then let us proceed to unravel some fallacies in the book of Nuh Keller.
‫امتوفيق‬ ‫وِبهلل‬

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Page
29
UNRAVELLING AN OPTICAL ILLUSION
Be certain that each cardinal direction is different from the other; they are not one and the
same. Had they all been the same, there would be no way to distinguish between one
direction and the other, and a person would be unable to point east with one hand and
west in the other direction with the other hand, as reported about the Prophet ‫ﷺ‬:29
َ‫ل‬‫ا‬َ‫ﻗ‬ِِِ‫ﺪ‬َ‫ﻴ‬ِ‫ب‬‫ا‬َ‫ﺫ‬ِ‫إ‬ِ‫ج‬َ‫ب‬‫ا‬َ‫غ‬ُ‫س‬ًَّْ‫ﺸ‬‫ان‬ٍِْ‫ي‬َْ،‫ا‬ََُُٓ‫ء‬‫ا‬َ‫ج‬َُٔ‫م‬ْ‫ﻴ‬َّ‫ه‬‫ان‬ٍِْ‫ي‬،‫ا‬ََُُْْٓ‫ﺪ‬َ‫ق‬َ‫ف‬َ‫ﺮ‬َ‫ط‬ْ‫ف‬َ‫ﺃ‬ُ‫ى‬ِ‫ئ‬‫ا‬َّ‫ص‬‫ان‬
He said (by signaling) with his hand, “If the sun
disappeared from here, and the night came from here, the
fasting person breaks his fast.”
Thus, north is not the same as south, east or west; south is not the same as north, east or
west; east is not the same as north, south or west, and west is not the same as north, south
or east.
Some of those directions are opposite of the others, like south and north, and some are
not, like south and east. The existence of a thing negates its opposite‟s existence in
reference to the same time and place, like black and white, up and down, existence and
non existence, and south and north.
South is definitely the opposite of north. This is a simple truth, and one may think that
repeating it is an insult to the intelligence, and surely it is not expected that someone would
contradict this, but we will see that Nuh Keller, and many who defend northeast, did
contradict it, and they hinted at an impossibility that is nothing more than an overturning of
reality.
If what has been presented thus far is clear, then understand the fallacy of Nuh Keller, who
used optical illusions to support the northeastern qiblah. Among those illusions is what he
used to deny the reality of the directions, and to give the impression that they are only
virtual:
29
‫صذيخ‬‫هسلن‬(6/666 ) Sahih Muslim

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30
Figure ‎0-1: Nuh Keller diagram 1
This picture is a cropped scan from his book. It implies that north and south are not
opposites, and in fact, that they have no actual reality, and are instead just ideas of men.
This diagram is not correct for two reasons30
:
1. In reality (the actual physical world), one would never walk in one cardinal
direction, north for example, without turning or curving; without changing
direction, and then that direction becomes the other (south). In the physical world,
the real world, not the imaginary one, all directions are different. Going from north
to south requires a turn (a change in direction); a curve that is not expressed in this
30
This does not mean that there are not other reasons.

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31
diagram, thus promoting one illusion among several. As for the globe, it has a
curve, and the line drawn over it or the string placed over it will certainly change
direction.
Because some of them do not know how to read a map, and others among them do
not want to read the map, they claim that this curve is a straight line and one
direction. They claim that this „unchanging direction‟ is the direction of „forward‟,
which is invalid, because the directions in the issue of the Qiblah are the cardinal
directions, not the relative.
2. This picture implies that there is a place on earth in which east, west and north all
become south; that a person could stand in a place in which what is in front of him
is the same direction as what is behind him, which would also be what is to his right,
which would be the same as what is to his left: south. In the imaginary world, this
place exists as the result of imaginary lines meeting in one place, but in the real
world, this place does not exist.
No one can say that this diagram is like the one who climbs to the peak of a mountain,
because there is no mountain top at which all directions are the same.
Also, denial of this illusion does not imply that we are saying that the earth is flat. Actually,
this diagram itself is covertly saying something that they do not believe: that there is a fine
edge from which one could fall off of the earth, since according to this picture, all
directions disappear but one: south.
Furthermore, had there been such a place on the earth- a place in which there is no
direction but south, no human would be able to fit in that place, because his front cannot
be in the same direction as his back, nor can his right be in the same direction as his left. In
fact, the photographs of the North Pole (which is said to be a place that is not on any stable
land mass) show it to be a place like every other: with four cardinal directions, including the
directions of sunrise and sunset (east and west).

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32
So, whoever confirms that directions are real and that each direction is different from the
other, must confirm that this picture is an illusion, and if this picture does not contain an
illusion, it is valid that all directions- north, east, south and west- would be the same, and
that the sun could rise from one horizon, which would be the south, and set in the other,
opposing horizon, which would still be the south. If someone accepts this impossibility,
then there is no need for further discussion. And so, shame on Muslims who have
accepted such absurdities after the Muslims have been the true masters of logic, and shame
on the one who attributes this to the Religion of Allah, tabaraka wa ta ^ala. Actually, even
the non-Muslims know that the direction from North America and Canada is southeast,
because they read the map. Among them are those who have written against the Muslims
and belittled them for facing northeast in North America, and among them are those who
say to the Muslim, “Your people are praying the wrong way.”
BENEFIT: Some scholars said that there are few people who escape the mistake of
imagination. Muslims do not compare reality to imagination. The religious knowledge
teaches us to distinguish between what is confirmed by the intellect and what is conjured in
the imagination. One should not judge matters that have not been seen or experienced by
what one has imagined. There are many examples, such as:
1. The sun seemingly sinking into the ocean at sunset at the seashore.
2. The two sides of a road seemingly merging in the distance.
3. Many imagine things without actual proof, such as for one to find his friend‟s
bedroom light on while his car is parked out front. A person with an unsound
mind, one who cannot resist and think past his imagination, takes that as definitive
proof for his friend being home.
4. Some of our scholars even counted reflections as a type illusion, and for that reason
a person may see himself wider or taller than he is in reality, or may even see the
vastness of the sky in a small puddle or mirror.

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5. Also, it is the imagination that concludes that Allah exists in a place, because one
cannot imagine something without shape, form or color, and without beginning or
end. However, the sound mind dictates that Allah exists without a place, because
He existed before creating places and directions.
These people have believed that the North Pole is a place from which every direction is the
same direction, south, because of imaginary lines used to designate coordinates on a map.
Those lines do not truly exist, and the place at which these imaginary lines merge, the place
that they claim has no direction but south, is only an imaginary place. It will also become
clear, by the help of Allah, that they arbitrarily reject these lines when they want and
reference them when they want. They assumed that reality complies with this imagination.
However, what proves that this imagination is falsehood in the real world is that they
confirm a physical fact that the North Pole has a sunrise and sunset. Here are some other
optical illusions to help you solve this riddle:
Figure ‎0-2: This was called the impossible triangle
The shading in figure two gives the illusion that it is a three dimensional object. It also
appears that the front of the triangle goes to the rear and the rear goes to the front.

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Figure 4: illusion of curved lines
One can find many, many optical illusions drawn by people. Among the secrets to making
an illusion is shading or lines that give the false impression of a three dimensional object,
Figure ‎0-3: illusion of black dots

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35
whether cubical, cylindrical or spherical. Now that you are more familiar with illusions,
revisit the diagram of Nuh Keller:
Figure 5: Nuh Keller diagram 1
Recognize the fundamental mistakes in this illusion:
1. Part of his mistake is that he started from the North Pole. The known religious
reference is the Ka^bah, in Makkah, not the North Pole. At this point, the person
who faces northeast is challenged with producing religious reference that one‟s focal
(or reference) point is the North Pole. If he cannot bring it, then he must be silent
about this issue31
, and by religious reference, we mean Qur‟an, Hadith, Consensus
31
One person who wishes to undermine the correct direction in North America, and to abandon
the religious rules, was asked why one must consider the North Pole. Here is his answer in
quotation marks and red letters, with the refutation of each point immediately following: He said,
“Direction is determined by using the North Pole as the focal point.” The claimer did not provide
religious evidence for this claim. If this is the focal point for the directions, then how did the
Companions successfully determine the directions without adding the North Pole as a factor? If
they were able to successfully determine directions without factoring the North Pole, then we are
too. If they were unable, then they were all making a mistake by misapplication. If the North Pole
has to be factored in to reach the correct conclusion, then they reached incorrect conclusions for

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36
leaving out a factor. If one says that they did not need the North Pole because they were close to
Makkah, then how far does one have to be for it to become a factor? He said, “The North Pole is
the center of direction and it is used as a reference in order to relate direction.” In our Religion,
the Ka^bah is the center and the focus, and whoever is north of it faces the south, and whoever
west of it faces the east, etc. Where is a religious reference (Qur‟an, Hadith, Consensus or Qiyas)
that we should believe this and factor in the North Pole? Where is the documentation that the one
who wants to face the Ka^bah must consider a third place in his determination; a place other
than his location and the location of Makkah? He has provided none. He said, “However, in order
to determine the direction of the Ka'bah, there will be a drastic change between the earth being a
surface and the earth being spherical and oblate.” Where is this from the rules of the Qiblah? These
people insist on using a method that is foreign to the Religion, and they know it, but do not care.
They want to compete in showing which one has stronger math skills, and who among the people
has enough arithmetic to explain this math problem. Did The Companions use it? Did the Four
Imams use it? If not, how do these northeast people have the permission to add something to the
Religion that contradicts the original rules they practiced? If they say that the later scholars became
aware of what the Prophet ‫ﷺ‬ did not know, then they must prove that. The Prophet ‫ﷺ‬ knew
from Allah by way of revelation what others did not know. The Prophet ‫ﷺ‬ left the earth and
ascended up into the skies. He received revelation of the Qur‟an with descriptions of the earth,
sky, and more, and he knew the Tafsir (interpretation) of those verses. They have to prove that
the Prophet ‫ﷺ‬ was ignorant of what they claim, and as such what he taught was deficient
(which they will wickedly try to do although his Sunnah is applicable all over the world), because
if he knew what they claim and ignored it as a factor, they must do the same, and if he was
ignorant of what they claim and still his method was sufficient, then they must throw all of their
qiblah calculations in the trash. He said, “Consider the following illustration of an orange peel.
When a visible mark is made on the orange peel and the orange is carefully peeled and flattened,
the mark will not remain at the same point.” Firstly, this is totally irrelevant to facing the Ka^bah.
By this they make the issue distorted and convoluted. Secondly, this claim is untrue. The mark
remains where it is, it is the peel itself that moves, just like a ring on a finger. The ring remains in its
place, but the finger moves. If a person‟s chest were cut open, this does not make the nipples of his
chest relocate. It is the chest itself that moved, so the nipples moved with it while in their place.
This example is totally irrelevant for facing the Qiblah. “The earth is a sphere and expressing
directions of this sphere as a surface creates great distortions.” This is untrue. The directions are
clear. The way to read a globe is clear. There is no ambiguity in north, east, south and west on a
globe, or on the real earth. The only thing unclear for the majority of people is the calculations
used to face northeast, and what is even more unclear, is why a person believes that he has to
reject the Sunnah for facing the Qiblah in North America. For this reason, school children can
easily know what is east of what or north of what by using a globe. There is absolutely nothing
difficult about that. What is difficult is the ingredients needed to convince a person that they have
to face north to face the south. He said, “In short distances, this may be insignificant but in long
distances it will matter.” This is untrue. Directions do not change due to distance. North of
Makkah is north of Makkah no matter the distance. This is the same for all other directions. He
said, “Our concern here is the direction of facing Makkah and not the direction one would take to
reach Makkah.” This is the true concern, but it is not truly the concern of the northeast people.
The concern of the northeast person is to face the shortest route to Makkah, and this is not part of
facing the Qiblah. “Whilst the direction to reach Makkah may be many but the direction of facing
Makkah from any point will only be one. Notwithstanding the arguments of the modernists in
their decision, the underlying principle of the Fuqahaa (for those who cannot see the Ka'bah) is to
face the direction of the Ka'bah. “The direction of travelling (i.e. shortest route along the great
circles) undoubtedly cannot be a blanket rule in determining the direction of the Ka'bah due to the
constant change of directions. It is not necessary that the great circle route will always (NOT) be

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or Qiyas. The best that they can do for this is bring names of contemporaries who
are pushing the northeast direction, or quotes from Sunni imams with heavy
wording that do not actually prove what they are saying. None of the Sunni Imams
said that you can be north of Makkah and face the south by facing north, unless he
went against the Consensus.
Advice to any person defending the southeastern Qiblah: if this issue comes up in
the discussion; if you ask for proof that one must use the North Pole as a reference,
nothing should be accepted before him producing a reference, or until he admits
that he does not have a reference. He will try hard to slide out of this imposition,
but do not let him. Once he admits that he does not have a reference, then and
only then move on. If he is honest, he will easily admit it, but if his true concern is
to win the debate, or not to be shown as a loser; if actually he does not want to
establish the truth, he will refuse this imposition and refuse to answer.
2. Another part of his mistake is that he abandoned the religiously recognized signs
for determining the directions, and instead, he preferred imaginary markers. Our
Religion is easier than that, applicable by the literate and the illiterate. According to
his diagram, directions are determined by imaginary markers, not the signs of Allah
like the sun and the stars. According to this, a person could be facing the north, and
instead of going back in the other direction, take one step in the same direction,
and be facing the south.
the direction of facing your destination neither will the rhumb line route always be the method of
facing your destination.” Makkah is not our destination, because we are not travelling. He said,
“However, the rising and setting of the sun will determine East and West, and the movement of
the sun is according to the spherical shape of the earth. Therefore, when determining direction on
earth, the spherical shape of the earth cannot be ignored.” This is also irrelevant. The person
seeking the Qiblah does not have to consider the reality of the sun‟s rising and setting. All he has to
know is that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. Nothing more is needed in this issue.
There is no religious evidence for their claim. There is only western „science‟, calculus,
trigonometry and other things that a person does not have to know to obey Allah. There is more
talk after these quotes, but perhaps what is mentioned here is sufficient for the person to know
that the North Pole has nothing to do with facing the Ka^bah. One can see that this answer
diverges far from the original question: why must we consider the North Pole? The fact is, no one
has to care about the North Pole to face the Qiblah.

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In the real, physical world, a learned Muslim would look for the sunrise to know the east,
for the sunset to know the west, and for the North Star to know the north, and put his back
to it for the south. If he is in the northern part of the world, he can also face the sun at its
zenith for the south, and turn his back to it for the north. Those imaginary markers do not
truly determine the directions, and the globe is not among „Adillatul-Qiblah‟; the religious
proofs for determining the Qiblah. It is by the signs created by Allah that the directions are
determined- at least this is the case for the Muslim who wants to practice like the Prophet
‫ﷺ‬ and his Companions. The Messenger of Allah ‫ﷺ‬ said32
:
‫ن‬ِ‫إ‬َ‫خي‬‫ا‬‫ر‬ِ‫اّلل‬ ِ‫ر‬ْ‫ك‬ِ‫ذ‬ِ‫ل‬ َ‫ة‬‫ل‬ِ‫َظ‬ْ‫اْل‬َ‫و‬ َ‫وم‬ُ‫ُّج‬‫ن‬‫ال‬َ‫و‬ َ‫ر‬َ‫م‬َ‫ق‬ْ‫ل‬‫ا‬َ‫و‬ َ‫س‬ْ‫م‬‫الش‬ َ‫ن‬‫و‬ُ‫اع‬َ‫ر‬ُ‫ي‬ َ‫ين‬ِ‫ذ‬‫ال‬ ِ‫اّلل‬ ِ‫اد‬َ‫ب‬ِ‫ع‬
“Surely, the best of the slaves of Allah are those who observe
the sun, the moon, the stars and the shadows for the remembrance
of Allah (the Prayer).”
Among what demonstrates that they believe that this imaginary realm exists, this
„dimension‟, is what one of them, who most definitely wants to remain anonymous, posed
in a debate against us, “Another point (among many others) that indicates the invalidity of your
method in some parts of the world is that it becomes insufficient in determining the Qiblah
direction at the two poles. A religiously method that is valid all over the world should not become
insufficient to determine the direction of Qiblah at the poles.” The answer is that had a person
truly been at the Poles, the east would still be the direction of sunrise, and the west would
be the direction of sunset. In our Religion, the sun sets in the west until the day it shall rise
from its place of setting. That is among the Major signs of Judgment Day. On that day, the
Door of Repentance will be closed, and the Beast of the Earth emerges. There is no
inconsistency in using the Sunnah of the Qiblah at the Poles. What this man said is due to
a creed that implies that the Revealed Laws are not applicable all over the world and until
the end of time, a creed generated by misapplying the rules and following wahm (delusion;
imagination).
32
At-Tabaraniyy and others

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39
Had Nuh Keller demonstrated in his picture that there is a curve; a change in direction-
which will be shortly demonstrated-, then we would be unable to argue with this diagram.
However, it would then be useless for him, because he needs something that looks like a
straight line. Instead, he left the impression that there is no curve; no change in direction,
to encourage people to pray in the wrong direction.
For him to explicitly confess that there is a curve (change in direction) is to open himself up
for rebuttal. The direction between points A and B is not the shortest distance between the
two points. It is the shortest distance without a curve (without a change in direction); the
shortest distance with a straight line. As for the shortest distance over a curved surface, this
is the concern of the traveler, not the person performing the prayer.

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PEOPLE WHO FACE NORTHEAST DO NOT READ THE MAP
1. globe/glōb/ … A spherical representation of the earth or of the constellations with a map on the surface. 2. Globe [gləʊb] n (Earth
Sciences / Physical Geography) a sphere on which a map of the world or the heavens is drawn or represented ‎3. Globe - a sphere on which
a map (especially of the earth) is represented 4. A sphere on which is depicted a map of the earth (terrestrial globe) 5. Globe [countable] 1 a
round object with a map of the Earth drawn on it…
People who face northeast have disgraced themselves, not for any faulty math, but because
they seemingly do not know how to read a map. This lack of simple and universal
knowledge makes non-Muslims who know of this northeast mistake chuckle at these
Muslims facing northeast. Some do not even know what is a map and what is not, because
they say that the globe is not a map, as one said, “And again a globe is not a map. They are
two completely different things”. More than one of them said, “Maps are flat, the earth is
round.” It is as if he is saying that there are no maps of the earth! Let them tell this to an
elementary school teacher and see her reaction. To that embarrassing confession of
ignorance or arrogance (which is defined by the Prophet ‫ﷺ‬ as “raddul-haqq: (intentional)
rejection of the truth”), you may say:
1. If the globe is not a map, why does it have latitude and longitude lines on it?
2. If every map is flat, what is the point of calling a map that is not a globe a flat map?
So, the essence of their mistake is that they looked at the globe, not as a map, but as a mere
ball. If this is not blindness and stubbornness, then it can only be an extremely deformed
ignorance (that causes blindness).
They say, “The earth is not flat, therefore we need a globe to truly express the issue,” then
they pull a string from New York to Makkah and say, “Look how the string goes
northeast.” If the listener does not know how to read a map, he would easily accept. If he
knows how, then he would say, “Wait, the string is turning; it‟s going from northeast, to
east, then to southeast, and that is not an unchanging direction.” The person who faces
northeast would easily ignore that point as if it is the babble of a child, and justify his
northeast argument by saying, “It‟s not changing, actually. Look at it from the top and see
that it is a straight line; the shortest distance from New York to Makkah.” Unfortunately,
for many people, they have denied their own eyes and despite seeing the line change
directions, and perhaps even after knowing how to read a map, they believe that it is an
unchanging direction because of looking from the top (the northern view). This will only

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take place for the one who does not look at the globe like a map. Whoever reads it as a
map will be unable to accept it.
It is very important to understand here, that we are not citing maps to verify southeast. The
Qiblah is verified by the religiously recognized signs. It is the map that must comply with
the Qiblah references, not the other way around. They refer to a map to prove the
northeastern direction: a globe, however they do not read it. They merely use it as a ball. It
is this notion that we are attacking. We are not saying that maps are the evidence of the
southeast Qiblah. However, no map contradicts the southeast Qiblah.
In their minds, the person is travelling forward, and therefore is maintaining one constant
direction until reaching Makkah. Refute this claim by reminding the person about the
directions. There are two sets of directions: the fixed, unmoving cardinal directions (north,
east, south and west), and the six, alternating relative directions (over, below, ahead,
behind, right and left). Tell him that your line definitely changes (both cardinal and
relative) direction, and your claim of an unchanging direction is false: If you are going
forward, you would be going forward into one of those four cardinal directions. Therefore,
had you gone forward (east), without changing that direction to go backward (west), while
keeping the constant direction of forward (east) you are still going from side to side (north
then south). This means that you are changing directions; starting northeast, turning, and
ending southeast. This is crystal clear, dubious beyond uncertainty, and cannot be denied
without astounding an intelligent person‟s mind, yet they deny it. Contradicting that makes
the school children laugh, but they contradict it. One of them said, “You do realize that the
pilot is continuing in the same direction he started out in right? That Northeastern
direction. He never steers right, he never steers left, and you know what happens....He
ends up in Mecca. I say: This is proof enough. Just like if I was in Mecca and could see
the Ka'aba from a mile away. If I was to walk strait, never turning to the right, never turning
to the left I would walk right smack dab into the Ka'aba. The reality is, the pilot is going
strait, this Southern direction you say he's going is the result of the Earth's shape, a reality
we don't ignore.” Look at how this person ignored (or did not realize) the fact that north
and south are two opposite directions. O, you who faces the north to face the south, who

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said that one can change cardinal directions without changing relative directions? If one is
facing east, the north is to his left and the south is to his right. Silly rabbit, going from
northeast to southeast requires a RIGHT TURN.
To avoid this imposition, he may come up with a number of tricks:
1. He may invent a new way to define „direction‟, or restrict all directions to only one:
“forward; front”. For that, he says “The direction (of facing) of something is such
that it's right in front of us, were we to walk straight we'd reach it.” The key that
eradicates this fallacy and renders him in opposition with his own definition is the
word „straight‟. If straight means „without going to the left or right‟, then we ask,
„Who said that one can go forward eastbound (for example), and change cardinal
directions (from north to south) without changing relative directions (left to right)?‟
2. He may negate that cardinal directions are relevant, but if cardinal directions are
irrelevant, then why is his line called “northeast”?
3. He may introduce the fallacy of „direction vs. bearing‟. He will say, “Northeast is
the direction, but southeast is the bearing.” Upon that you can ask:
a. Who said that bearing is relevant in the issue of the Qiblah? Remember,
though, that references and hadiths are all irrelevant to them. However, you
may insist on the reference because they are very relevant in reality.
b. Is southeast a direction or not? If he says yes, then he contradicted himself. If
he says no, then he exposed himself, because saying that southeast is not a
direction is unheard of. Insist on a yes or no answer. He will most likely refuse
to answer.

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These answers of theirs are a result of not actually reading the map, and all of this effort on
their part is to avoid confessing to a mistake.
They are like a person who only looks at the pictures in a book without reading the words,
and then misinterprets the pictures because of not reading. One does not read the book,
either because he does not know how, or because he does not want to. This is why they
discuss the Qiblah with any round object, but reject any map that is not a globe; reading the
map is not their concern, even if it is on a sphere. This is why they ignore the latitude-
longitude coordinates that prove that Makkah is southeast of the U.S.A., whether on a
globe or a flat map, and this is why the issue makes sense in their minds. They imagined
the string that they pulled over the globe as one direction because they saw a line from
point A to point B over a mere ball, but this is not the way to read a map. One of them
said, “I would say put aside north, south, east and west, and just connect two points on a
globe or ball. Then draw your poles and latitudes. Unless one of your points is at a pole, or
both points line up on the equator, you will have a direction that has different bearings
along its path.” Putting those four directions to the side is his confession of ignoring the
map from the beginning, as well as his confession that he is not seeking a direction, which
is against the basis of facing the Qiblah. Connecting two points on a globe (he really intends
by the word „globe‟ a mere sphere and not a globe that is a map) or a ball is the proof that
he is not seeking a direction. Facing a direction does not require connecting two points.
Drawing the poles and latitudes after the fact means that he was not using the globe as a
map from the beginning; not seeking any one of the cardinal directions.
This is why they will never answer these questions with a straight, honest answer: Is
Makkah closer to the Equator than we are? Are we closer to the North Pole? Is it in the
tropical region, and is the U.S.A. north of the tropical region? These questions are only
answered by them, if answered, with lengthy explanation, although they are very simply
answered with a „yes‟. If they were looking at the globe as a map, then their claim would be
as ridiculous to them as it is to everyone who reads it as a map, but if they look at it like a
mere object or sphere, seeking the shortest distance (and not the direction) between points

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A and B and not being concerned with the cardinal directions of north, south, east and
west, then their math is correct (for the shortest distance between two points on an object).
How to read a map
This is how one reads a map33
: Mapmakers draw two sets of lines: a set of east-west lines,
parallel to the Equator, and a set of north-south lines crossing the Equator. The result is a
grid, a network of reference lines for pinpointing locations and establishing distance and
direction between places:
The position of a point north or south of the Equator is known as its „latitude‟. Its lines are
called „parallels of latitude‟ or simply „parallels‟. Lines of latitude run east-west, but north-
south positions are referenced by them. The entire U.S.A. and Canada has a higher degree
of latitude than Makkah, so Makkah is to the south.
33
What is mentioned here is general guidelines for understanding a map. Maps have other features
not mentioned in this booklet.

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45
A second set of lines passing through the poles is known as „meridians of longitude‟, or
simply „meridians‟. One meridian is designated as the Prime Meridian. The position east
or west of a prime meridian is its „longitude‟. Lines of longitude (meridians) run north-
south but east-west positions are referenced by them. There is no difference in opinion that
Makkah is to our east, but it is not true that east is sufficient for the one who knows that
Makkah is in the desert, and that the warm region of the earth is to our south.
Here are other projections with respective latitude and longitude lines:

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46
Figure ‎0-1: a flat map is still valid if the landmasses comply with the grid properly
Figure ‎0-2: different projections have different goals, but if the parrallels and maridians are correct, the map is
correct
It is for this reason our determination of Makkah being southeast of the U.S.A. does not
contradict any map; we are actually reading the map and following its rules. Again, the map
is not our proof, but the map complies with the reality of the situation. The person who
knows how to read a map knows that as long as the „land masses‟ fall on the grid (latitude
and longitude lines) properly, then the distortion of the map is irrelevant. The distortion

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exists because different maps have different purposes. When did the Muslims become
ignorant of how to read maps?
Therefore, the Equator is 0 on any map, even if the projection of that map shows the
Equator bending, broken, closer to the top of the page, or closer to the bottom. Also, the
North Pole is 90 on any map, no matter the projection or distortion of the map. Observe
other projections. If the latitude and longitude lines are properly distributed, then Makkah
is southeast of the U.S.A. on all of them:
Figure ‎0-3: Demonstrating the relationship between a globe and a fat map

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And so, we ask the northeast supporter, “Is latitude and longitude relevant or not?” If he
says yes, then he must face southeast as per reading the map as it should be read. If he says
no, then why is he calling his line „northeast‟? Knowing north on the map is by latitude
lines, and knowing east on the map is by longitude lines. That is as far as reading a map is
concerned. In reality, knowing north would be by the North Star and knowing east would

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be by the sunrise. However, a mere ball or sphere is not looked at as having north or
south. Once we assign north or south on the ball or sphere, it becomes a sort of map, and
then must be read as maps are read.
The person who supports northeast cannot hold both sides. If he wants to refer to a round
object simply for its shape, then he cannot assign cardinal directions to it and treat it like a
map, and cannot validly call his line „northeast‟, although he can successfully find the
shortest distance between two points on that object by placing a string over it. If he wants a
globe, then he cannot ignore the fact that it is a map, and not a mere ball, and thus cannot
validly name a line „northeast‟ based on the shortest distance; that is not how you read a
map. Nor can he refuse any other map because of its distortion, for all maps have one
thing in common: latitude and longitude lines.
So, if the grid on the map is irrelevant, then based on what is he determining north and east
on the globe when he pulls his string? If he names his line “northeast” because of a North
Pole at 90 and an Equator at 0, then he has to be consistent all the way through, and
accept the latitude and longitude coordinates in between 0 and 90, and face southeast. If
he wants to ignore all latitude and longitude, then he has confessed that he is not seeking a
direction, and has validated that of which we have accused him: not facing the direction.

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MORE ILLUSIONS
Now, if it is clear that all cardinal directions are different, then it is clear that if a line
designated as AC were a perfectly straight line; an unchanging direction bearing
north(east), then line CA would not bear north(west), since it should be the opposite
direction. It must bear south(west). To say otherwise is to fall into explicit contradiction,
which is invalid.
This is the same fallacy of Nuh Keller. Here are more optical illusions from his book. Try
to follow the reasoning behind them being illusions and the refutation of them. It might be
more difficult for one to understand this case, especially if one is reading on his own and
not hearing the words of a teacher, but we seek the help of Allah in making this as simple
as possible. Below, there are three globe pictures:

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Figure ‎0-1: Nuh Keller diagram 2 (labelled)
A C
A
C
A

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52
How many illusions can you detect?
1. One illusion is that the circles seem three dimensional while they are only pictures
drawn on a flat surface; these are flat and not spherical globes.
2. Another illusion is that line AC in the second and third pictures is bearing
north(east), and line CA , the exact opposite, is also bearing north(west) instead of
south(west).
3. Yet a third illusion is that a line that is not curved occurs over a curved surface:
The illusion of a straight line over a curved surface is clear; if the surface is curved, any line
running over it would also be curved. Therefore:
1. They promote yet another illusion, which is that this „unchanging direction‟ is a
three dimensional object, because in their reasoning, if you look at the line from
“above”, it appears straight, and if you look at it from “the side” it appears to bend,
like a bridge that had you seen it from the side you would see it curving as it
ascends and descends as an arc, but had you seen it from above, it looks straight.
They claimed the northeast qiblah is an unchanging direction because they are
looking from “above”; from the North Pole view. The Qiblah, in reality, is not a
line or a beam that is looked at from the side or the top. Nor is any direction
something looked at from the top or side. This is in terms of reality, not imagined
conception.
2. For him to draw a solid, black line for northeast, and a curved, dotted line for
southeast is dishonesty. Both lines would be curved in reality, because the surface
of the globe is curved, but our point is that the surface and the curve do not
influence the directions. They only effect one‟s ability to move about; to travel. The
cardinal directions will not change because of this curve. At this point, many who
defend southeast will slip and lose their footing in the debate, so be attentive: If they
ask us, “If your line (over the surface) is curved too, it means you have no straight
direction, like us, and no one else has one either.” The answer is that we do not
figure out the Qiblah by drawing lines on a globe, and we do not use the shape of

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the earth to determine east, west, north or south. We face the Qiblah by having
foreknowledge of the Ka^bah‟s direction from ours- meaning the cardinal
directions, not the relative ones-, then we use the religiously recognized signs for
determining the Qiblah to face that said direction.
We are now only talking about lines over the globe to refute their method, not
because we use it. It is important for the one who defends southeast to know how
to handle this question properly. The fact that the earth is curved is not a concern
of ours, because the directions do not curve. Know, however, that many who face
northeast believe that directions do turn and bend around the earth. Again, this is a
result of comparing imagination to reality. If you are defending the correct
southeastern Qiblah, do not try to prove your point by drawing a line on a map or
referring to the shape of the earth. Just stick to the religious references and
methods.
Note that in his diagram of three globes, the first of the three images shows a solid line
which we will call AB . From left to right, it goes from south to north:
Nuh Keller (underhandedly) only showed one side, the western hemisphere side, to show
the initial line going northeast. For them, this image is sufficient to prove that the Qiblah is
A
B

the advisory of those who face the qiblah

the advisory of those who face the qiblah

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