Want to find out the direction of the Qibla [the direction of the Holy Ka’aba – the house of Allah – toward which Muslims turn to offer their five daily prayers] on your own? You can.
On Thursday, May 27, Muslims around the world can determine the direction of the Qibla simply by facing the sun as it passes over Islam’s holiest mosque, the Masjidul Haram, in Makkah.
Astronomers said the Holy Ka’aba will be directly under the sun at 02:18 pm Pakistan Standard Time [12:18 pm Saudi time] – a celestial phenomenon that is known as “zero shadow.” At the given time, there will be no shadow of the holy place.
People living in Arab countries, the northern hemisphere, Africa and Europe can mark the direction of the Qibla by vertically fixing a straight stick on the ground. The shadow of the stick will indicate the direction of the Qibla.
Those living in China, Russia and the East Asian countries can also determine the direction of the Qibla by following this simple method.
The sun passes directly over the Ka’aba twice a year- on May 27 and July 15.
