Qiblah القبلة

Supporting the Aforementioned by that the Religion is Easy 3

July 16th, 2005

Derrick H. Pitts, Vice President of the Fels Planetarium of the Franklin Institute Science Museum said: “Today we know that the Earth is not exactly round but what is called a geoid, that is, an ellipsoid flattened at the poles. Even in that shape, the Earth is not perfect. It actually has corners in its ellipticality. They are located at Ireland, off Peru, South of Africa, and near New Guinea.”

We would like to ask those who adopt the hypothesis of spherical triangles in determining al-Qiblah, if one of the Companions at his time had gone to the USA, how would he have determined the direction of al-Qiblah? Would he have complied with what the scholars of the religion have mentioned, that which was stated by the Prophet, and that which was shown by Allah in His Book, or with the spherical triangular calculations? Would that companion have looked at the sun and the stars to determine his position from Makkah or would he have taken out papers, pens, instruments, calculators, maps, and globe models to calculate the shortest distance using the science of spherical triangles and complex mathematics? No doubt the answer is that he would have followed the proper method. Praised is a methodology that complies with the methodology of the Companions. It is much arrogance for one to think of himself that he knows of the Religion and its rules that of which the Companions, who were taught by and learned from the Prophet, were ignorant.

Actual observation shows that the compass that ^Abdullah al-^Abdaliyy and his followers depend on points to the wrong direction of al-Qiblah when used in the mosque of the Messenger of Allah in al-Madinah al-Munawwarah. Knowing this, should one then follow this compass and the triangular calculations? Or should one follow the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam? It is not permissible to deviate even slightly from al-Qiblah of the Mosque of the Messenger of Allah. Likewise is the case in the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, the mosque that many Companions prayed in and the one that Muslim scholars continue to recognize the correctness of its Qiblah since the early days of al-‘Islam until today. When their compass was used in the Umayyad Mosque, it pointed noticeably to the wrong direction. What does al-^Abdaliyy and his followers want us to do? Should we leave out what the Messenger of Allah taught? Should we leave out what his Companies taught. Should we disregard what all the scholars of the nation saw as being correct, and instead follow his calculations? We say the route of the Messenger of Allah and his companions is the rout to be followed whether or not others agree to it. Does al-^Abdaliyy want us to find fault with the Messenger of Allah and his Companions and see his own calculations and the calculations of those who followed him as correct? Is there a Muslim who would accept this? That which the Prophet and his Companions came with is highly regarded and that which contradicts it is rejected regardless of who supports it. Allah said in ‘Surat Al-Ahzab ‘Ayah 36:

(وَمَا كَانَ لِمُؤْمِنٍ وَلا مُؤْمِنَةٍ إِذَا قَضَى اللهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَمْرًا أَن يَكُونَ لَهُمُ الْخِيَرَةُ مِنْ أَمْرِهِمْ)

Which means: “When a matter has been decreed by Allah and His Messenger, there is not entitlement for a believer, man or woman, to have any option about that matter.”

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