And by the blessed command of Allah Almighty (فَوَلِّ وَجْهَكَ شَطْرَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ) "So turn your face toward Al-Masjid Al-Haram," what is meant is the Noble Ka'bah, because the Noble Ka'bah is within Al-Masjid Al-Haram. And Allah Almighty has commanded the Noble Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم and the Muslims to face the Noble Ka'bah while performing prayer, because the qiblah is only the Noble Ka'bah, not the entire Al-Masjid Al-Haram, because the term "masjid" applies to the whole place where prostration is performed.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Usama bin Zaid (may Allah be pleased with him) that when the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) entered the House of Allah (on the day of the conquest of Makkah), he supplicated in all its corners and did not pray inside it until he came out. Then, when he came out, he performed two rak‘ahs in front of the noble Ka‘bah and said: "This is the Qiblah."

In the hadith of Sayyiduna Bara bin Azib (may Allah be pleased with him), it is mentioned that then we were turned towards the Noble Ka'bah. And in the narration of Israel, it is stated that then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was commanded to face the Noble Ka'bah, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) liked that he be permitted to face the Noble Ka'bah.

In the narration reported by Hazrat Thabit (may Allah have mercy on him) from Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him), it is stated: Beware, the Qiblah has been changed towards the noble Ka'bah. Uthman bin Sa'd al-Katib also narrated similarly from Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was turned towards the noble Ka'bah. Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) performed prayers facing Bayt al-Maqdis for a few months, then during this period, one day while he (peace and blessings be upon him) was offering the Zuhr prayer, he (peace and blessings be upon him) had completed two rak'ahs when he (peace and blessings be upon him) was turned towards the noble Ka'bah. Then the foolish people said: «‏‏‏‏مَا وَلَّاهُمْ عَن قِبْلَتِهِمُ الَّتِي كَانُوا عَلَيْهَا» ‏‏‏‏ "What has turned them away from the Qiblah to which they were accustomed?"

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) that the people of Quba were praying facing towards Bayt al-Maqdis, when a person came to them and said: Indeed, the Qur’an has been revealed to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and he has turned his face towards the Noble Ka’bah, so you too should turn towards it. Thus, they turned towards the Ka’bah while remaining in their current state (of prayer). And in the narration of Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both), these words are mentioned: The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was commanded to turn his face towards the Noble Ka’bah.

In the narration of Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both), it is mentioned that then the Prophet (peace be upon him) was turned towards the Noble Ka'bah. And in the narration of Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him), it is mentioned that the announcer of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) came and announced that indeed the Qiblah has been turned towards the Noble Ka'bah. I have mentioned all these ahadith in the Book of Salah al-Kabir. Imam Abu Bakr (may Allah have mercy on him) says that all these ahadith are evidence that the Qiblah is only the Noble Ka'bah. In the narration of Sayyiduna Sahl bin Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him), these words are mentioned that a man went to the people of Quba and said that indeed the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) has been commanded to pray facing the Noble Ka'bah. And in the narration of Sayyiduna 'Ammarah bin Aws (may Allah be pleased with him), he says: I bear witness regarding my Imam that he and the men and women prayed facing the Noble Ka'bah. And in the narration of Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both), it is mentioned that when the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was commanded to turn his face towards the Noble Ka'bah.