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Q. On arrival in the US, I started offering my prayers facing South Eastern direction, but recently I was with a group of people who offered their prayers facing the North East. They argued that it was the more accurate direction to the Kaaba. After some argument, it appeared that both views have some solid argument in support. Please comment.A. Siddiqui A. This is a recent problem that started when some people in North America suggested that the shorter distance between their hometown and Makkah is to fly over the North Pole. This may be so, but it seems to be a route with a bend that changes direction. The question is whether we can draw a straight line that connects Makkah to an American city and passes by the North Pole. If such a line is shorter than a direct line southward, then it is the better direction. If this is not possible without a curve that changes direction, then the southward way is better. It needs to be looked into very carefully. An important point that needs to be considered is the route airlines take when they travel from, say, Canada to Jeddah. If they fly over the North Pole, then it could well be the better direction to face in prayer, but if they fly southward, then that is the right direction. Posted by: Ominetch Whaiger3993 2006-12-11 |
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