Volume 9, Book 91, Number 358:
Narrated Al-Bara’:
When Allah’s Apostle arrived at Medina, he prayed facing Jerusalem for sixteen or seventeen
months but he wished that he would be ordered to face the Ka’ba. So Allah revealed: —
‘Verily! We have seen the turning of your face towards the heaven; surely we shall turn you to a
prayer direction (Qibla) that shall please you.’ (2.144) Thus he was directed towards the Ka’ba. A
man prayed the ‘Asr prayer with the Prophet and then went out, and passing by some people from
the Ansar, he said, “I testify. that I have prayed with the Prophet and he (the Prophet) has prayed fa –
cing the Ka’ba.” Thereupon they, who were bowing in the ‘Asr prayer, turned towards the Ka’ba.