Qibla direction from

The literal meaning of the Arabic word Qibla ( قبلة‎) is "direction". In the Islamic context it means the direction Muslims face when performing their prayers (salaath).

It is the direction in which Muslims face when performing their prayers wherever they are in the world. This is the direction leading to the Ka'ba in the Grand Mosque in Makkah in current day Saudi Arabia.

Mecca is located in western Saudi Arabia. It is also known as "Makkah" ( مكة). The Holy Ka'aba is located in Makkah. It is also the birthplace of Prophet Muhammed (Peace Be Upon Him). It is the holiest city for Muslims. Muslims go on pilgrimage to Mecca to perform Hajj and Umrah.

Muslims do not pray facing east or west wherever they are. They perform their prayers while facing Kaaba. As such, the Qibla direction depends on your location vis-à-vis Kaaba in Makkah. It could be East, West, North, South, etc.

Kaaba (Ka'aba) is the sacred building built by Prophet Abraham and his son Prophet Ismael (peace be upon them) in Makkah (Mecca). It is the cube-shaped building at the center of the Grand Mosque called Al-Masjid al-Haram – a house of God within the larger complex of the Grand Mosque. Muslims all over the world face the actual Ka'ba when they pray. It is an Arabic word (الكعبة) which means "the cube".

You should face Kaabah. Our Qibla finder tool makes the process easier to find prayer directions wherever you are. If you need help using it, our guide on the HalalTrip blog, "Your guide to using HalalTrip's Qibla direction feature", walks through each step.