Facing the qiblah

Q: Our masjid was built in the 1980’s and the committee at that time put the carpet in line with the building although the qibla was at an angle so that more musalees could pray salaah. The qibla is out by approximately 23 degrees. The link bellow shoes the correct qibla in Blue line and the qible being used is in line with the centre ridge of the roof.

http://www.elahmad.com/maps/qibla-english.htm?latitude=53.565809&longitu...

A mufti gave a fatwa some years after the masjid was built, that they could continue praying salaah in the current wrong direction to prevent controversy, but if the carpet is ever changed, then the correct qibla should be followed. Last month the current committee changed the carpet (knowing the fatwa given by the mufti to change the qibla direction if the carpet is changed) but kept the old incorrect qibla. Will salaah in the masjid with the wrong qibla be accepted? Does the committee need to move the carpet so that the correct qibla is achieved?

A: Though the namaaz will not be invalid, but it is wrong for them to continue in this manner. They should at once correct the direction of the carpets even though it will amount to the decreasing of the musallees.

And Allah Ta'ala (الله تعالى) knows best.

 

Answered by:

Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)