Change of the Qiblah
The Prophet (r) as well as the Muslims had been facing Jerusalem while worshipping, that
is, they regarded it as housing the Qiblah. This practice was followed for one year and four
months after migrating to Madinah. It was the Prophet’s desire that the Ka'bah be made the
Qiblah for prayers as did the other Arab converts to Islam, for they had been holding the
sanctuary at Makkah in a reverential regard since time immemorial. To them the house of
worship built by Ibrahim and Ismail (u) was the holiest of the holy ones, incomparable in
sanctity to any other sanctum or shrine. They were put to a severe test by being asked to
face Jerusalem instead of the Ka'bah and they withstood this trial by dutifully obeying the
divine command. Such was their devotion to the Prophet (r) that they always replied,
whether they found anything to their linking or not:
“We hear, and we obey,” [Qur'an 24:51]and:
“We believe therein: The whole is from our Lord,” [Qur'an 3:7]Thus, after the faith of the earliest Muslims had been brought to a test and they had defied
it successfully, the Qiblah for the prayer was changed to the Ka'bah’.
“Thus We have appointed you a middle nation, that ye may be witness against man-
kind and that the messenger may be witness against you. And We appointed the Qib-
lah which you formerly observed only that We might know him who followeth the
messenger, from him who turneth on his heels. In truth it was a hard (test) save for
those whom Allah guided.” [Qur'an 2:143]The Muslims changed their direction promptly in prayer, in compliance with divine com-
mand, towards the Ka'bah which was henceforth selected as the Qiblah for all the believers,
living in any part of the World, for all times to come.
THE JEWS LASH OUT AGAINST THE MUSLIMS
It preyed upon the minds of the Jews that Islam had established itself in Madinah and was
making rapid strides day after day. They were sane enough to realize that if the popularity
of Islam continued unabated for an extended period of time, it would be difficult for them
to stand up against their potential enemies. So they decided to put up a front against the
Muslims and launched a campaign to slight, vilify and ridicule them.