Masjid al-Qiblatain

Masjid al-Qiblatain is a mosque located in Medina, Saudi Arabia. The name “al-Qiblatain” means “the mosque with two qiblas” in Arabic, referring to the fact that it was the place where the direction of prayer (qibla) was changed twice during the time of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

Before the migration of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) to Medina, Muslims used to face towards Jerusalem during their prayers. However, after the Prophet’s arrival in Medina, Allah commanded the Muslims to face towards the Kaaba in Mecca instead. This change of direction is known as the “Qibla Change”.

Masjid al-Qiblatain marks the place where the Prophet (peace be upon him) received the revelation from Allah to change the qibla during the prayer. This event is known as the “Double Qibla Incident”. The mosque has since become a place of great significance for Muslims and is visited by pilgrims from all over the world.

Today, the mosque has been rebuilt and expanded several times, and it can accommodate thousands of worshippers at a time. The main prayer hall has two mihrabs (prayer niches), one facing towards Mecca and the other facing towards Jerusalem, to commemorate the historic event that took place at this site.