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- Era
- The Prophetic Era
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- Arabia
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A historic mosque in Medina where God's command was received to turn the prayer direction toward the Kaaba in Mecca.
The Mosque of the Two Qiblas is located in Medina in the district of Banu Salama, named because the prayer orientation shifted during prayer there. Muslims initially prayed facing Jerusalem until God revealed the command to turn toward the Kaaba in Mecca, and the congregation turned together in devotion.
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A historic sanctuary in northwestern Medina situated in the ancestral lands of Banu Salama. Known universally as Masjid al-Qiblatayn (The Mosque of the Two Qiblas), it marks the site where divine revelation directed the Prophet ﷺ and his companions during prayer in the second year of the Hijra (c. 624 CE) to change the liturgical direction (Qibla) from Jerusalem to the Kaaba in Mecca, as articulated in Surat al-Baqarah. Historically celebrated for featuring indicators for both early and definitive Qiblas, the mosque has been preserved and expanded across the centuries, remaining an enduring monument to this central transition in Islamic religious identity.
Overview
The mosque of Banu Salima in Medina, in the house of Banu Salima near al-Madhadh. It is called the Mosque of the Two Qiblas because the qibla was changed there. It is a place linked with the event of the change of the qibla. 1
Why it is called that
Al-Samhudi reports from Ibn Zabala that a man from Banu Salima came to them while they were praying the dawn prayer, and told them that the qibla had been changed. They turned around after having prayed two rak'as, until they faced the Ka'ba. 1
Differing reports
There is disagreement among the transmitters about the time of the change. Al-Zamakhshari and the writers of the biographies place it at the noon prayer, when the Prophet prayed two rak'as with his companions and then turned and faced the spout, and the men moved to the women's place and the women to the men's. 1
Ibn Hajar reconciled the reports. Al-Majd noted that according to the report of Ibn Zabala, the mosque of Quba was the more fitting to carry this name. 1
Whose mosque it was
According to Ibn Zabala, the mosque belonged to Banu Sawad ibn Ghanm ibn Ka'b ibn Salima, in the area of al-Madhadh. Al-Mutarri returned it to Banu Haram. 2
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Connections
- Located in
- Medina
- Site of
- The change of the qibla
- Related to
- Banu Salima
People and things also explored
The Hijra· Muwatta 525· Muhammad· The change of the qibla· Medina· Prophet's Mosque· The Sanctuary of Medina· Judaism in Arabia before Islam
Sources
- Wafa al-Wafa bi-akhbar dar al-Mustafa — al-Samhudi (older print) , p. 373-376
- Wafa al-Wafa bi-akhbar dar al-Mustafa — al-Samhudi (older print) , p. 213
Cite this page
islam.museum contributors. “Mosque of the Two Qiblas”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/building/masjid-al-qiblatayn/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Last updated 2026-10-25.