Al-Zaaq: Today, the people of Riyadh can determine the direction of the qiblah from the sun

(Photo of sunset over Riyadh - Photo by: Ali Mubarak)

Arabia Weather - The meteorologist, Dr. Khaled Al-Zaaq, in his paragraph broadcast on Al-Arabiya channel, that the direction of prayer qiblah in the Riyadh region today, Thursday, can be determined through the sun, as the relationship of Muslims with the sun and the moon is an inferential relationship, so through the moon’s phases they know the beginning of their months, and through the locations of the sun they know the times of prayer as well as through the locations of stars.

Al-Zaaq explained the steps for that, as the sun will set today on Riyadh in the direction of the qiblah completely, so you look at the sun as it sets and the place of its setting is the direction of the qiblah, which is the method previously used by astronomers to determine the direction.

And the meteorologist indicated that the place and time of sunrise and sunset change daily throughout the days of the year, so sometimes the sun cuts the line connecting the place to Mecca and is used to determine the qiblah, and the scholars of the Islamic world were the first to use that method to determine the qiblah.

Al-Zaaq continued, that the sun sets today, Thursday (December 15), in the direction of the qiblah in Riyadh, and sets in the direction of the qiblah in Doha on February 5, and sets in the direction of the qiblah in Abu Dhabi on February 24, and on October 12 it sets in the direction of the qiblah in Muscat.

The meteorologist indicated that the sun will be the qiblah at the time of the noon call to prayer on the campus worldwide on May 27 and July 26.