Masjid al-Qiblatayn (Mosque of the Two Qiblahs)
This is the mosque that saw the qiblah (the direction Muslims face in prayer) change from Bayt al-Maqdis (Jerusalem) to the Noble Ka'bah in 2 AH. The Prophet ﷺ and his Companions turned to face the new direction during the prayer itself.
View photos and video (11)Translated from the reviewed Arabic text. The English translation has not yet had a scholar's review.
We have certainly seen the turning of your face, [O Muḥammad], toward the heaven, and We will surely turn you to a qiblah with which you will be pleased. So turn your face [i.e., yourself] toward al-Masjid al-Ḥarām.
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Visit information
Distance from the Prophet's Mosque
Driving time
How to get there
Transport cost
- Regular taxi10–15 SAR
- Ride-hailing apps (Uber, etc.)15–25 SAR
Traffic is heavier during the Hajj and Umrah seasons, especially just before the Friday prayer and at the times of the Maghrib (sunset) and 'Isha (night) prayers during Ramadan.
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Story and history
This is the great historic mosque that saw the qiblah in Islam change from al-Masjid al-Aqsa (Bayt al-Maqdis, Jerusalem) to the Noble Ka'bah in al-Masjid al-Haram in Makkah. It is also known as Masjid Bani Salimah (the Mosque of Banu Salimah). The change took place in the middle of the month of Sha'ban in 2 AH. The Prophet ﷺ was leading his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) in prayer when the noble verse was revealed to him with the command to turn toward the Ka'bah. The Prophet ﷺ and the Muslims with him then turned toward the new qiblah in the middle of the prayer. This is why it was named “Masjid al-Qiblatayn” (the Mosque of the Two Qiblahs).
Virtue of visiting
Al-Bara' ibn 'Azib (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: “When the Prophet ﷺ first came to Madinah, he stayed with his grandfathers — or he said: his maternal uncles — from the Helpers (Ansar). He prayed facing Bayt al-Maqdis [Jerusalem] for sixteen or seventeen months, and he wished that his qiblah would be toward the House [the Ka'bah].” (Sahih al-Bukhari) It is recommended to visit it and to pray in it (for example, the prayer of greeting the mosque, or a voluntary prayer), drawing inspiration from the great historic event of the change of the qiblah in Islam.
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