How to find the qibla direction
Muslims face the Kaaba in Makkah in every prayer. Here is how to find that direction, and why it is sometimes not where a flat map suggests.
قَدۡ نَرَىٰ تَقَلُّبَ وَجۡهِكَ فِي ٱلسَّمَآءِۖ فَلَنُوَلِّيَنَّكَ قِبۡلَةٗ تَرۡضَىٰهَاۚ فَوَلِّ وَجۡهَكَ شَطۡرَ ٱلۡمَسۡجِدِ ٱلۡحَرَامِۚ وَحَيۡثُ مَا كُنتُمۡ فَوَلُّواْ وُجُوهَكُمۡ شَطۡرَهُۥۗ وَإِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ لَيَعۡلَمُونَ أَنَّهُ ٱلۡحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّهِمۡۗ وَمَا ٱللَّهُ بِغَٰفِلٍ عَمَّا يَعۡمَلُونَ ﴿١٤٤﴾
Qad nara taqalluba wajhika fee alssamai falanuwalliyannaka qiblatan tardaha fawalli wajhaka shatra almasjidi alharami wahaythu ma kuntum fawalloo wujoohakum shatrahu wainna allatheena ootoo alkitaba layaʿlamoona annahu alhaqqu min rabbihim wama Allahu bighafilin ʿamma yaʿmaloona
We have certainly seen the turning of your face, [O Muhammad], toward the heaven, and We will surely turn you to a qiblah with which you will be pleased. So turn your face toward al-Masjid al-Haram. And wherever you [believers] are, turn your faces toward it [in prayer]. Indeed, those who have been given the Scripture well know that it is the truth from their Lord. And Allah is not unaware of what they do
Quran 2:144 · Surah Al-Baqara · Translation: Saheeh International · Transliteration: Tanzil.net
Why the qibla can look "wrong" on a map
The qibla is the shortest path to the Kaaba over the globe, a great circle, not a straight line on a flat map. That is why it points east-south-east from London (about 119°), but north-east from New York (about 58°) and from most of North America. From South Asia it points roughly west.
How to find it
- City pages: every prayer times page shows the qibla in degrees for that city, for example London, New York or Karachi.
- Compass: turn until the needle shows north, then face the number of degrees clockwise from north. Keep the phone or compass away from metal and magnets.
- The sun: twice a year the sun stands directly above the Kaaba: around 27–28 May at 12:18 and 15–16 July at 12:27 Makkah time (09:18 and 09:27 UTC). Anyone who can see the sun at that moment can face it for the qibla.
- The Hadaff app: the qibla compass shows the direction right on your phone.
How exact must it be?
What is between the east and the west is qibla.
at-Tirmidhi (for the people of Madinah)
Whoever can see the Kaaba must face it exactly. Everyone else faces its direction as well as they can; a small deviation does not invalidate the prayer. Whoever tried to find the qibla and later learns they were off does not need to repeat the prayer, according to most scholars.
Keep it up with Hadaff
Prayer times with athan reminders, a salah tracker, habits with streaks, athkar with a counter and a khatma plan for the Quran. Free, no ads, no ad tracking.
Frequently asked questions
Which way is the qibla in the UK?
South-east: about 119° across most of Britain, from London to Edinburgh, measured clockwise from north.
Which way is the qibla in the USA?
North-east: about 58° in New York, 49° in Chicago and about 18–24° on the west coast, because the shortest path to Makkah over the globe crosses the North Atlantic.
This article was written with the help of AI. Quran verses are inserted directly from the Quran text (translation: Saheeh International); it is general information, not a religious ruling (fatwa). For your own situation, ask a qualified scholar. Found a mistake? Write to support@hadaff.de.