Darul Ifta Ibn Masood

Sitting on a couch with one’s back facing the Qiblah

· 6 Rabiʻ II 1444 AH1 min readEnglish

Question

What is the ruling with regard to a person sitting on a couch with his back facing the Qiblah?

Answer

There is no harm sitting on a couch with the back facing in the direction of the Qiblah. The prohibition of facing the back in the direction of the Qiblah refers to the time of relieving oneself, irrespective of whether one is in a bathroom, or in an open field (at the time of necessity).

References (Arabic / Urdu sources)

لَا تَسْتَقْبِلُوا الْقِبْلَةَ وَلَا تَسْتَدْبِرُوهَا بِغَائِطٍ أَوْ بَوْلٍ أَخَذَ بِظَاهِرِهِ أَبُو حَنِيفَةَ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ وَطَائِفَةٌ فَحَرَّمُوا ذَلِكَ فِي الصَّحْرَاءِ وَالْبُنْيَانِ وَخَصَّهُ آخَرُونَ بالصحراء وَعَلِيهِ الْأَئِمَّة الثَّلَاثَة لحَدِيث بن عُمَرَ الَّذِي يَلِيهِ قَالَ الْقَاضِي أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ الْعَرَبِيِّ وَالْمُخْتَارُ الْأَوَّلُ لِأَنَّا إِذَا نَظَرْنَا إِلَى الْمَعَانِي فَالْحُرْمَةُ لِلْقِبْلَةِ فَلَا يَخْتَلِفُ فِي الْبُنْيَانِ وَلَا فِي الصَّحْرَاءِ (حاشية السيوطي علي سنن النسائي ص22 ج1)

Answered by
Mufti Mohammed Desai
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Source: Darul Ifta Ibn Masood — https://fataawa.co.za/sitting-on-a-couch-with-ones-back-facing-the-qiblah/
Fatawa SA: https://fatawa.co.za/fatwa/ibnmasood-20745

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