How to Find the Qibla Direction Accurately, With or Without an App

Facing the Qibla is a condition of the prayer, and most of us now rely on an app to find it. But apps can be wrong, and sometimes you are in a hotel, a hospital or a car with no signal. It helps to understand how the direction is worked out, and to have a few simple ways to check it yourself. This guide explains both.

This article is about practical methods. For rulings on special cases, such as praying on a plane or when the direction is uncertain, please ask a qualified scholar.

What is the Qibla?

The Qibla is the direction of the Ka’bah in Makkah. Allah commands in the Quran: “Turn your face toward al-Masjid al-Haram. And wherever you are, turn your faces toward it” (2:144). The commonly given coordinates of the Ka’bah are about 21.4225° N, 39.8262° E, and these are what most apps use.

Why the direction can look strange on a map

The earth is a sphere, so the shortest path between two places is not a straight line on a flat map. It is a curve, called a great circle. This is why people in North America face roughly north-east and not east, and why people in the UK face roughly south-east. To give a sense of the size of the difference, the Qibla bearing from London is about 119° (measured clockwise from north), from New York about 58°, and from Delhi about 266°. These are approximate values, and your exact bearing depends on where you are standing.

Method 1: A compass or a phone app

This is the simplest method, but it has traps:

• Calibrate the compass. Most phones ask you to move the phone in a figure of eight. Do it before you use the Qibla function.
• Keep away from metal and magnets. Phone cases with magnets, steel furniture, car bodies, and electronic devices can distort a compass reading by many degrees.
• Magnetic and true north are different. A magnetic compass points to magnetic north, which is not the same as true north, and the difference changes with location. A good app corrects for this, and a basic compass does not.
• Use two sources. Compare an app with a map or with the direction of the mosque or a known Qibla marker.

The Qibla direction tool page on this site has the tools we provide. Whichever tool you use, it is worth checking it once at a place where the direction is already known, such as your local mosque.

Method 2: The sun over the Ka’bah

Twice a year, the sun passes almost exactly over the Ka’bah. At that moment, the shadow of any vertical object, such as a pole or a building edge, points directly away from the Qibla. The two dates are commonly given as:

• Around 27 or 28 May, at about 12:18 pm Makkah time (about 09:18 UTC).
• Around 15 or 16 July, at about 12:27 pm Makkah time (about 09:27 UTC).

The exact day depends on the year (in leap years the dates are a day earlier), and the times may vary by a minute or so, so please check a reliable source close to the date. You can use this time to check your mosque, your home and even your phone app. It only works in places where it is daytime at that moment, which includes most of Europe, Africa, Asia and the Middle East.

How to use it: Stand a straight stick on flat ground at that time, mark the end of the shadow, and the Qibla is the direction in the opposite way, from the tip of the shadow to the base of the stick. You can then fix a permanent marker or ask your mosque to check the direction.

Method 3: Other mosques and local knowledge

Most established mosques have a verified Qibla. The niche (mihrab) of a local mosque is a good reference, as is a Qibla marker in a hotel room or a prayer room. If you are travelling, ask at the nearest mosque.

What if you cannot find it exactly?

Scholars generally say that a person should make a sincere effort to find the direction, using the means available, and that if they pray towards what they believe to be the Qibla, the prayer is valid, even if it later turns out to be a few degrees off. Details differ for different situations (for example, someone inside the Haram can see the Ka’bah, so must face it exactly), so please ask a scholar about your case.

Some people mention the saying that “what is between the east and the west is the Qibla”. A report of this kind is found in Sunan al-Tirmidhi, and scholars explain that it was said about the people of Madinah, whose Qibla is to the south, and discuss how far it can be applied elsewhere. We mention it as reported and do not suggest relying on it where you can find the direction more accurately.

Common mistakes

• Trusting a compass held next to a laptop, a car or a metal table.
• Using a map that is not set to north at the top.
• Assuming the direction is the same in the whole city. In a large city, the angle can change slightly from one side to the other.
• Forgetting that a mosque built long ago may have been built using older and less accurate methods. If the direction looks wrong, ask the mosque committee politely rather than correcting it by yourself.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Qibla the same all over my city?

It is almost the same, but it can change by a degree or two across a large city.

How accurate does it need to be?

The most important thing is to face the general direction as accurately as you reasonably can. A difference of a few degrees is not usually a concern for people far from Makkah, but please ask a scholar for the details.

Which direction should I face on a plane or a train?

Scholars have given detailed guidance for this, which differs by school. Many say to face the Qibla at the start if possible, and to make the effort during the journey. Please ask a scholar.

Do prayer times and the Qibla use the same location?

Yes, both rely on your location. If the location is wrong, both will be wrong. See also our guide to how prayer times are calculated.

Sources and further reading: The Quran, 2:144; Sunan al-Tirmidhi (the chapter on the Qibla); the published sun-over-the-Ka’bah dates and times of the Saudi authorities and astronomical societies. Bearing values are approximate and depend on the exact location.