History of Earth's First House and Paradise Stone
Salat is obligatory for an adult Muslim, and the prayer must be performed facing the Qibla. Qibla from different regions is in different directions, for some in the West and for some in the East. So the question may come how the Qibla direction is determined?
Actually the Qibla is determined by following the position of the Holy Kaaba Sharif, in other words, whichever direction Kaaba Sharif is from your position, that direction will be your Qibla.
Many will ask, why Kaaba Sharif? Why not something else instead?
To answer this question we need to know about the history of Kaaba Sharif and Qibla. So let's know today about the history of Kaaba Sharif, and why turn this direction will be at the salat?
Just as the Kaaba is not a shrine, it is not an object of worship. However, many non-Muslims try to compare the Kaaba to their statue. They think Muslims may worship the Kaaba like them.
Actually not, this house is a house of worship called Baitullah, and Muslims do not worship the house of Kaaba, they are worship for only Allah. The history of Kaaba is the history of the beginning of the world, so if you want to know about it, you have to go back past.
According to Hadith, the site of the Kaaba is the first land in the world. About 2 thousand years before the creation of Hazrat Adam (A.S.), the first house in the world, Baitullah or the house of Allah, was built there, the angels built the Kaaba on the instructions of Allah.
In this regard, Allah Ta'ala says in the Holy Qur'an:
Indeed, the first House [of worship] established for mankind was that at Makkah - blessed and a guidance for the worlds. ( Ale Imran: 96 )
Later, the first father of mankind, Hazrat Adam (a.s.) rebuilt the Kaaba house, then the Kaaba was destroyed during the time of Hazrat Nuh (A.S.). after that there was no house for a long time.
Then, during the time of Hazrat Ibrahim Alaihis Salam, Allah Ta'ala ordered him to build the Kaaba with his son Hazrat Ismail Alaihis Salam, by the order of Allah, they both started building the Kaaba. They both rebuilt the Kaaba with the help of Allah.
After the construction work was completed, Allah Ta'ala ordered Hazrat Ibrahim (peace be upon him): Call the people to perform Hajj, they will come from far and wide on foot and on camels.
The Holy Quran mentions thus:
And announce the Hajj to the people, they will come to you on foot and on the backs of all kinds of light camels, they will come over long distances ( Hajj: 27 ).
After receiving this order from Allah, he said to Allah: Here is a wilderness without people. There is no one to hear the announcement; where there is population. How will my voice get there? In response, Allah Ta'ala said: Your duty is only to announce. It is my responsibility to reach the people of the world.
After that Ibrahim Alaihis Salam announced the call to perform Hajj according to the order of Allah, since then so many people started coming there that till today there is no shortage of people there.
History of Qibla Changes
Since the construction of the Holy Kaaba house, worship was centered around the Kaaba, but since the construction of the Masjid al-Aqsa by Hazrat Sulaiman Alaihis Salam, the Masjid al-Aqsa was established as the Qibla.
Later, when the Prophet (PBUH) migrated from Makkah to Madinah, he prayed facing Baitul Muqaddas for about 16-17 months. But his wish was to pray facing the Kaaba Sharif which is the Qiblah of Ibrahim (A.S.). And for this he used to make du'a and looked up to the sky again and again. In the end, Almighty Allah ordered to change the Qibla. Seeing that, the Jews and the hypocrites started rioting. But prayer is a worship of Allah.
And in worship, he is obliged to do as he is instructed. So it was necessary for him to return to the direction to which Allah had turned him. Moreover, to God who is worshipped, all the directions east and west belong to Him; So the direction doesn't matter. Allah can be worshiped in every direction. The only condition is that Allah has given the order to choose that direction. This instruction to change Qibla came during Asr. As a result, the (first) Asr prayer was performed facing the Kaaba Sharif, two rakats of the Prophet's (PBUH) prayer was performed during the change of Qibla, at that time the command to change the Qibla came through revelation, so the remaining two rakat prayers were performed facing the Kaaba Sharif.
About this, Allah Ta'ala says in the Holy Qur'an:
Soon these fools will say, what turned them away from their Qiblah which they had been following. Say, The East and the West belong to Allah, He guides whomever He wills. ( Baqarah: 142 )
This is how Kaaba Sharif becomes our Qibla, and that is why we have to pray facing Kaaba Sharif.
