KaꜤba, in accordance with his wish and pleasure. So, while still in salah, the Beloved Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم turned to face the KaꜤba and the Muslims also followed him in facing it too, and they offered two units of Ẓuhr salah in the direction of Bayt al-Maqdis and two in the direction of the KaꜤba.

Allah Almighty seeks to fulfil the Prophet’s wish

O devotees of the Prophet! One thing that becomes apparent from the changing of the Qibla is that the pleasure of the Noble Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم is beloved to Allah Almighty and He fulfils His Prophet’s صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم wish.

The Quranic commentator, Imam Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه exclaimed:

Indeed, Allah Almighty changed the Qibla on account of His Beloved صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, and He did not say in this verse that “We will turn you towards this Qibla in which lies My pleasure,” rather He said:

فَلَنُوَلِّیَنَّكَ قِبْلَةً تَرْضٰىهَا۪-

so most certainly We shall turn you towards the Qiblah that you are pleased with.^[1]

It is as though to say: “O Beloved صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, everyone seeks My pleasure, and I seek your pleasure in both worlds.”^[2]

Hajj: a significant obligation

Dear Islamic brothers! One significance of the KaꜤba is that it is the place where millions of Prophetic devotees from the entire world gather every year. Irrespective of ethnicity, language, colour or country, they collectively raise the call of Labbayk. In every direction, the following declaration echoes:

لَبَّیْکَ ؕ اَللّٰـھُمَّ لَبَّیْکَ ؕ لَبَّیْکَ لَا شَرِیْکَ لَکَ لَبَّیْکَ ؕ اِنَّ الْحَمْدَ وَالنِّعْمَۃَ لَکَ وَالْمُلْکَ ؕ لَا شَرِیْکَ لَکَ ؕ

Hajj is one of the fundamental pillars of Islam and a significant act of worship