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| Muslims in Malaysia had the opportunity to determine the direction of the qibla for themselves during the Istiwa' A'za phenomenon when the sun aligns directly over the Kaabah in Makkah at 5.16 pm |
BERNAMA
KUALA LUMPUR, June 1 -- Last Friday, Muslims in Malaysia had the opportunity to determine the direction of the qibla for themselves during the Istiwa' A'za phenomenon when the sun aligns directly over the Kaabah in Makkah at 5.16 pm.
This can be done by placing a stick vertically on the ground at the given time and the resulting shadow that leads towards the sun will indicate the right direction of the qibla.
In addition to using this technique, most Muslim people rely on certain applications in their smartphones and compasses to find the qibla for prayers, but the question is, how accurate are these methods?
It must also be reminded that even if the direction is deflected by only one degree, it is equivalent to 122 kilometres away from the actual qibla direction.
In realising this, Persatuan Ahli Falak Negeri Selangor (PAFNS) has taken the initiative to provide the service of checking, measuring and correcting the direction of the qibla at home over the last five years.
Its secretary Abdul Latip Ibrahim said using a compass or an application to determine the qibla direction at home could result in different readings due to magnetic attraction from home appliances that contain iron and metal elements.
“The readings may be accurate but usually, because of the magnetic attraction, it can be diverted from the actual qibla. That is why we are using the data from the sun, namely the light and shadow that enters the house.
“From there, we will make the measurement using the Easy Qibla and Sun Compass software before we determine the direction of the qibla in the house,” he told Bernama.
Among other equipment used during the process, which usually takes around 30 minutes, are a laser, a shadow stick, a piece of paper, a pen, a ruler, a string and a plastic or wooden liner.
Abdul Latip said if the house receives no direct sunlight, the staff would find the nearest source of light to conduct the process.
“By using this method, the direction of the qibla is accurate and permanent and helps us to be more confident in performing the obligation of prayer,” he said, adding that the association has 70 trained personnel in the field.
To date, the association has provided the service in over 10,000 private homes in Selangor and those interested to obtain the service can contact them via PAFNS official Facebook page.
However, according to the association’s Facebook page, it had to suspend the service temporarily during the Movement Control Order (MCO) period to curb the COVID-19 transmission and those who have registered would be contacted soon for their appointments.
A customer, Maisarah Mansor, 35, who lives in civil servants’ quarters in Putrajaya said previously, her family had to ask for the qibla direction from neighbours.
However, when they used smartphone applications to find the qibla, they realised that the directions were not the same and this prompted the family to use the service offered by PAFNS.
“Now, we can perform our prayers more calmly and confidently because we have no more doubts pertaining to qibla,” she said.
Meanwhile, the former Selangor Mufti Datuk Mohd Tamyes Abd Wahid said the service offered by the association could help the Muslims obtain a more accurate qibla direction.
He said although the difference in qibla direction by one to three degrees could still be forgiven, the Muslims should correct the position as it is one of the prerequisites of prayer.
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