[17] Change of the Qibla Direction...

[17] Change of the Qibla Direction: – Year 2 Imam Hassan Al-Askari -asws (11 th Shia Imam) said: ‘And that when Rasool Allah -saww used to be in Makkah, Allah ‑azwj Ordered him -saww to face towards the Bayt Al-Maqdis during his -saww Prayers, and make the Kabah to be in between if possible, and if it is not possible then only towards the direction of Bayt Al-Maqdis as before. And Rasool Allah -saww did that for a long duration of thirteen years.

‘And when he -saww was in Madinah, he -saww used to face towards Bayt Al-Maqdis and not towards the Kabah for seventeen months . A group of stubborn Jews came and said: ‘By Allah ‑azwj ! Mohammed -saww does not know how to Pray to the extent that he -saww faces towards our direction and he -saww has adopted our ways and customs in his -saww Prayers’. Jibraeel -as came over and Rasool Allah -saww said to him: ‘O Jibraeel -as !

It would be good if Allah -azwj were to change the direction from Bayt Al-Maqdis to the Kabah, for I -saww have been hurt by the talks of the Jews regarding the direction’. Jibraeel -as said: ‘Peace be on you -saww ! Ask your -saww Lord -azwj , for He -azwj will never reject anything that you -saww ask for and will never keep you -saww away from your -saww desire’.

When his -saww supplication was completed, Jibraeel -as flew up into the sky and then came down within a moment and said: ‘Read, O Mohammed -saww ! “ Indeed We see the turning of your face to heaven, so We shall surely turn you to a qibla which you shall like; turn then your face towards the Sacred Masjid, and wherever you are, turn your face towards it ” (2:144). The Jews said with regards to that “What has turned them from their qibla which they had?

●(2:142) Allah -azwj Answered them beautifully by Saying: “Say: The East and the West belong only to Allah” – 2:142 and He -azwj is the Owner of them and Placing on you the effort to turn in one direction is like Placing on you the effort of turning towards another direction “He guides whom He likes to the right path – 2:142 and it is for your betterment, and the obedience to this will take them towards the Blissful Gardens (an extract).

[18] Battle of Badr – Year 2 And the day of Badar was on the day of Friday of the seventeenth night of the Month of Ramazan of the year two from the Hijra , at the beginning of the eighteenth month (after Hijra) , and it is said it was the 19th of the Month of Ramazan, and that has been reported from Abu Abdullah -asws .

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