Milestone·Prophetic era
Direction of Prayer Changed Toward Mecca
- Date
- January 624 CERajab 2 AH1,402 years ago
- Place
- Medina, Hejaz
- People
- Muhammad
Muslims in Medina were told to face the Kaaba in Mecca in prayer, instead of Jerusalem, in the second year after the Hijrah. Tradition dates the change to Rajab, which falls around January 624. The Quran refers to the change in Surah al-Baqarah (2:142-144). The mosque where it is said to have happened is called the Mosque of the Two Qiblas.
Why it matters
The Kaaba became the fixed direction of prayer for Muslims everywhere, a practice that continues today.