Hazrat Abu Ishaq says that I heard Sayyiduna Bara’ (may Allah be pleased with him) saying, he said: We prayed facing Bayt al-Maqdis for sixteen or seventeen months in the company of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), then we were turned towards the Ka'bah.

Hazrat Muhammad bin Ishaq, may Allah have mercy on him, says that the greatest scholar among the Ansar, Hazrat Ma’bad bin Ka’b bin Malik, narrated a hadith to me that his respected father, Sayyiduna Ka’b bin Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated to him that Sayyiduna Ka’b bin Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, informed about the Ansar’s departure from Madinah Munawwarah to Makkah Mukarramah for the pledge of Aqabah, and in this account, he also mentioned that Sayyiduna Bara’ bin Ma’rur, may Allah be pleased with him, submitted to the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, that I set out on this journey and Allah Almighty granted me the guidance of Islam, so I thought that I would not turn my back towards this building (the Holy Ka’bah), therefore I prayed facing it, and my companions opposed me in this matter until I felt bad about it, so what do you command, O Messenger of Allah? The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:“Indeed, I am upon one Qiblah (praying facing it); if you remain patient upon it, it is better.”He says that therefore Sayyiduna Bara’, may Allah be pleased with him, turned towards the Qiblah of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and prayed with us facing towards Shaam (Bayt al-Maqdis).

Imam Abu Bakr, may Allah have mercy on him, says that the hadith of Hazrat Bara bin Azib, may Allah be pleased with him, is also related to this chapter.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and his noble companions (may Allah be pleased with them) used to perform prayers facing Bayt al-Maqdis. Then when this verse was revealed: «‏‏‏‏فَوَلِّ وَجْهَكَ شَطْرَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ» ‏‏‏‏ [ سورة البقرة ] "Turn your face towards Masjid al-Haram," a man from Banu Salamah passed by while they were in the bowing position during the Fajr prayer, and he called out to them, saying, "Be aware that the Qiblah has been changed towards the noble Ka'bah." So they turned (towards the noble Ka'bah) while still in the bowing position.

Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Companions used to pray facing Bayt al-Maqdis, then he narrated as in the above-mentioned narration and added these words: "And they counted their previous prayers."

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.