It is narrated from Sayyiduna Bara’ bin ‘Azib (may Allah be pleased with him) that when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) arrived in Madinah Munawwarah, he first stayed with his ancestors or maternal uncles, who belonged to the Ansar. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to pray facing Bayt al-Maqdis for sixteen or seventeen months, although he preferred that his Qiblah be towards the Baytullah. (Eventually, this happened and) the first prayer he offered facing it was the ‘Asr prayer. Some people also prayed with him. One of them passed by a group of people in a mosque while they were in the state of bowing (ruku‘), and he said to them: I bear Allah as my witness that (the Qiblah has been changed and) I have prayed with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) facing Makkah. Upon hearing this announcement, they turned towards the Baytullah while still in the state of bowing. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) liked that he be turned towards the Baytullah, but when he used to pray facing Bayt al-Maqdis, it pleased the Jews and the People of the Book (because they considered it as following them). Therefore, when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) turned his face towards the Baytullah, they disliked it.

Sayyiduna Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) says that some people in Quba were performing the Fajr prayer when a person came to them and said: Last night, Qur’an was revealed to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), according to which he has been commanded to face the Ka’bah, so you too should turn towards it. Their faces were towards Shaam (i.e., Bayt al-Maqdis), but upon hearing this announcement, they turned towards the Ka’bah.

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) says that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and his companions used to face Bayt al-Maqdis and pray for sixteen months, then the Qiblah was changed.

It is narrated from Ubaid bin Adam, Abu Maryam, and Abu Shu'aib that Sayyiduna Umar bin Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) was in Jabiyah. Then the narrator mentioned the conquest of Bayt al-Maqdis. Abu Salamah says: Abu Sufyan narrated to me from Ubaid bin Adam, who said: I heard Sayyiduna Umar bin Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) asking Sayyiduna Ka'b (may Allah be pleased with him): Where should I pray, what is your opinion? He said: If you want my opinion, then pray behind the rock, the whole of Quds will be in front of you. But Sayyiduna Umar bin Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) said: In this way, I would be imitating Judaism; no, but I will pray where the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed. Then he moved forward, faced the Qiblah, and performed the prayer. Then he came and cleaned, gathered the trash in his cloak, and then the people also cleaned.

Ibrahim bin Abi Ablah says: I saw Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umm Haram Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him), he had a wheat-colored woolen silk garment over himself, and he prayed towards both Qiblahs with the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Ibrahim gestured with his hand towards his shoulders, from which Kathir bin Marwan understood that he meant a cloak.

(Second chain) I saw Abu Ubayy Ansari, he narrated to me that he prayed towards both Qiblahs with the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, while he had a wheat-colored woolen silk cloak over himself.