Masjid al-Qiblatayn

Masjid al-Qiblatayn
The main entrance to the Masjid al-Qiblatayn.
Basic information
Location	Medina, Saudi Arabia
Geographic coordinates	24°29′02.71″N 39°34′44.07″E / 24.4840861°N 39.5789083°E / 24.4840861; 39.5789083
Affiliation	Islam
Architectural description
Architectural type	Mosque
Completed	623
Specifications
Capacity	2000
Dome(s)	1
Minaret(s)	2

Masjid al-Qiblatayn (Arabic: المسجد القبلتین‎‎), or the Mosque of the Two Qiblas, is a mosque in Medina that is historically important for Muslims as the place where, after the Islamic prophet Muhammad received the command to change the direction of prayer (qibla) from Jerusalem to Mecca, the entire congregation led by a companion changed direction in prayer. Thus it uniquely contained two prayer niches (mihrabs). Recently the mosque was renovated; the old prayer niche facing Jerusalem was removed, and the one facing Mecca was left.

The Qiblatayn Mosque is among the three earliest mosques in Islam's history, along with Quba Mosque and Al-Masjid al-Nabawi.

The name of the mosque goes back to the beginning of Islam when the companions of Muhammad named it after an event that took place. Muhammad received revelation from Allah instructing him to take the Kaaba as the Qiblah in the early morning hours of the day. He announced this to his companions in his own mosque (Masjid-al-Nabwi), after which the news began to spread. A companion who heard this went to Masjid al-Qiblatayn to share this news. Upon arriving, he noticed the congregation were already engaged in the afternoon prayer (Asr). He called out from the back of the mosque that the change of direction has been ordained, and upon hearing this, the imam (leader of the prayer) immediately turned around to face Mecca, and those praying behind him also did so. After this, the mosque in which this incident occurred came to be known as Masjid al-Qiblatayn (i.e. 'Mosque of the Two Qiblas'). Many pilgrims who go to Mecca for hajj often visit Medina where some end up visiting the notable Qiblatayn because of its historic significance.

Sahih Bukhari says;

While some people were offering Fajr prayer at Quba' (mosque), some-one came to them and said, "Tonight some Qur'anic Verses have been revealed to the Prophet and he has been ordered to face the Ka'ba (at Mecca) (during prayers), so you too should turn your faces towards it." At that time their faces were towards Sham (Jerusalem) so they turned towards the Ka'ba (at Mecca).