It is narrated from Hazrat Bara’ (may Allah be pleased with him) that when the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) arrived in Madinah Munawwarah, he first stayed with his maternal relatives. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed facing Bayt al-Maqdis for sixteen (or seventeen) months, while he wished that the Qiblah be towards the Ka‘bah. The very first prayer he offered facing the Ka‘bah was the ‘Asr prayer, in which some people participated with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). One of them went out and passed by a mosque where the worshippers were in the state of bowing, facing Bayt al-Maqdis. He said,“I bear witness by the name of Allah that I have prayed with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) facing the Ka‘bah.”So those people turned towards the Ka‘bah while in that very state. In short, the Prophet’s (peace and blessings be upon him) desire was that his direction be turned towards the Ka‘bah, because when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed facing Bayt al-Maqdis, the Jews and all the People of the Book were very pleased with this. But when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) turned his direction towards the Ka‘bah, it became displeasing to them.