Q. According to some Hadiths, the Prophet (peace be upon him) described the Aqsa Mosque to the people of Makkah after his night journey which took him to Jerusalem and back. As it is historically known, the temple in Jerusalem was destroyed in the first century and was not rebuilt until the Islamic era. How authentic is this Hadith?
Mustafa
A. The Hadith that you refer to does not mention the Aqsa Mosque, except as the place where the Prophet led all former prophets in a congregational prayer on the site. The Hadith mentions Bait Al-Maqdis, which was the name the Arabs used to refer to Jerusalem, the city, not the shrine. The Arabs were fully aware of the importance of the city as they passed by it during their travels to Syria for trade and business. Thus, when the Prophet told the unbelievers about his night journey, they in their disbelief asked him to describe the city, and it was the image of the city that was given to them by the Prophet. It is not to be imagined that, had the Aqsa Mosque been there, the Arabs would have given it much attention, as they would have had to compare it with their own shrine, the Kaaba, which they held in very high esteem.
The Direction of the Qiblah Over the North Pole
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.
