The sun is above the Kaaba, it's time to straighten the direction of the Qibla

Monday (27/5) at 16.18 WIB, the Sun was directly above the Kaaba. This is the right moment to straighten out the Qibla of prayer, easy but accurate

AP PHOTO/AMR NABIL

Hajj pilgrims, on Tuesday (13/8/2019), circled around the Kaaba in the Masjidil Haram, which was captured using slow motion technique during the Hajj season in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

Today, Monday (5/27/2024), the Sun will be directly above the Ka'bah in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, at 12:18 local time or 4:18 PM WIB. As a result, the shadow of all objects on the Earth's surface experiencing daylight will point towards the Ka'bah. Therefore, this is the best time to determine and correct the direction of the qibla for prayer.

Phenomenon The Sun above the Kaaba in Mecca, Saudi Arabia or also known as istiwa a'zam is actually the same as the phenomenon of the culmination of the Sun in various regions in Indonesia at certain times. This phenomenon is also similar to the event of the Sun above the equator which is also often celebrated in Indonesia.

All of these phenomena have the same character, which is that astronomically, the Sun reaches its culmination or highest point in its path across the sky throughout the year. Therefore, at noon, the Sun will be directly above the observer's head in the region.

KOMPAS/ILHAM KHOIRI

Pilgrims performed the tawaf, circling the Kaaba at the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca, Saudi Arabia on Saturday (16/7/2022). Some of the pilgrims did the tawaf wada or farewell circling, as they would return to their respective countries after completing all the hajj rituals.

Because the sun is above the head, the shadow of objects will fall beneath the feet or become invisible. As a result, people in that area will experience a "day without shadows" phenomenon. However, people outside the region experiencing this culmination will still see the shadow of objects.

This is the condition that will be experienced by Muslims in Mecca, including Indonesian hajj pilgrims who arrived in Mecca on Monday (May 27, 2024). The sun will reach its culmination point or highest point at 12:18 local time or 16:18 Western Indonesian Time and 17:18 Central Indonesian Time. At that time, they will also feel the sensation of a shadowless day for a moment.

Meanwhile, for the community outside Mecca, the shadow of objects will appear as usual. Uniquely, at that time, all the shadows of objects throughout the Earth's surface experiencing daylight will point towards Mecca. Therefore, these shadows can be utilized to straighten the direction of the qibla for prayer.

The use of the Sun above the Ka'bah to straighten the Qibla for prayer makes this day also called the day of rashdul qibla or the day of straightening the Qibla. This technique can be used to determine the direction of the Qibla of a mosque or prayer room that is being built, the field where Eid prayers are held, or to perfect the Qibla direction of various existing prayer places, including those in homes, offices and shopping centers.

Director of Islamic Religious Affairs and Sharia Development at the Ministry of Religion, Adib, in the webinar "Method of Measuring Qibla Direction Without an Application", Sunday (26/5/2024), said that measuring the Qibla by using istiwa a'zam or days < i>rashdul qibla is a technique that is easy for anyone to do.

"In this way, the Qibla can be determined without applications, telescopes, theodolites, or complicated formulas," he said.

Although this method is simple and some may consider it not modern, it is actually the most accurate way compared to using various other technological devices. If using a directional compass, the results obtained must be calibrated because the Earth's magnetic north pole does not coincide with the true north pole of the Earth. In addition, the use of a magnetic compass is susceptible to interference if there are many building elements around it that contain iron or magnets.

This method is also easy to do without the need for complicated astronomical or technical calculations. Refining the direction of qibla with shadows can also be done by anyone without the need to use specific tools or applications, including knowledge of how to operate and calibrate them.

KOMPAS/ILHAM KHOIRI

The old mihrab marker at the Qilataian Mosque in Medina, Saudi Arabia, on Monday (25/7/2022) points towards the Baitul Maqdis in Jerusalem. However, this mihrab is no longer used because the mosque now uses a mihrab that faces the Kaaba in Mecca. With two qiblas, the mosque is named the Qiblataian Mosque.

Time span

To determine the direction of qibla, the community can use a vertical stick planted in the ground or a pendulum hung in an open field or outside. As Indonesia's geographic position is in the southeast of Mecca, the direction of qibla is along the shadow line pointing towards the northwest. After determining the direction of qibla, the row or line of prayers can be made by standing perpendicular to the shadow of the direction of qibla.

Meanwhile, for indoors, according to Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics Research at the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Thomas Djamaluddin, determining the direction of the qibla can be done by looking at the shadow of the door and window frames, or any object in the room that is still exposed to sunlight. When the sun is over the Ka'bah, the shadow of the frame will certainly also point to the direction of the Ka'bah.

Even though the time when the Sun is directly above the Ka'bah will occur on Monday (27/5/2024) at 4:18 PM WIB and 5:18 PM Wita, based on Thomas's calculations, the qibla measurement can be done two days before and after, as well as 5 minutes before and after the time when the Sun is directly above the Ka'bah.

Thus, the qibla alignment can be performed between Saturday (25/5/2024) and Wednesday (29/5/2024) at 4.13-4.23 pm WIB or 5.13-5.23 pm Wita. "If the sky is cloudy or raining on Monday, there is still an opportunity to make observations on other days as long as it is within the available time range," he said.

Furthermore, the event of the Sun above the Kaaba does not happen only once a year, but twice. Apart from May 27, 2024, this year the Sun will be above the Kaaba again on July 15, 2024 at 4:27 PM WIB or 5:27 PM Wita. At that time, the direction of the Qibla can also be corrected.

KOMPAS/M ZAID WAHYUDI DIOLAH DARI GOOGLE

The difference in Qibla direction between Jakarta and Banda Aceh is due to their different angles. As a region located in the southeast of Mecca, the Qibla direction in Indonesia faces northwest. However, each area has a varying Qibla direction, depending on its position relative to Mecca.

The position of the Sun above the Kaaba, which occurs twice a year, is a consequence of the apparent motion of the Sun due to the tilt of the Earth's rotation axis of 23.5 degrees. This apparent motion makes the Sun appear to move back and forth from the southern hemisphere to the northern Earth and vice versa.

The furthest point or turning point that the Sun can reach is at latitude 23.5 degrees north latitude on June 20-21 and 23.5 degrees south latitude which is reached on December 21-22. Istiwa a'zam on May 27 is the result of the Sun's movement from the southern hemisphere to the north and on July 15 it will occur when the Sun moves from the northern equinox to the southern equinox.

Nevertheless, the position of the sun above the Ka'bah on May 27th and July 15th only occurs during leap years or long years marked by the presence of February 29th. This year, 2024, is a leap year. Leap years occur every 4-8 years.

Meanwhile, for basit years, aka short years, which occur more frequently, a'zam special will occur every May 28 and July 16. However, the hour or time the Sun's position above the Kaaba remains the same. Likewise, the time span for the alignment of the Qibla is two days before and after and 5 minutes before and after the time the Sun is above the Kaaba.

The Ministry of Religion invites Muslims to join the movement Million Qibla Day which will be held on Monday (27/5/2024) afternoon. If it rains this afternoon, there are still two days ahead to be able to straighten out the Qibla. Even if weather conditions remain unfavorable, there is still a chance next July.

Also read: Time to Perfect the Qibla Direction

KOMPAS/AGUS SUSANTO

Worshippers attempt to touch the door of the Kaaba after performing the circumambulation or prayer while circling the Kaaba in the area of Masjid al-Haram, Mecca, Saudi Arabia, on Wednesday (14/6/2023) early morning. Circumambulation is a part of the Umrah ritual that is also performed by pilgrims while awaiting the hajj season.

Antipode

For the Eastern parts of Indonesia, such as Maluku and Papua, as well as other regions on Earth's surface where it is nighttime when the Sun is above the Kaaba on May 27th, 2024, like the Pacific and Americas regions, the technique of aligning the Qibla direction with the use of the Sun's shadow can still be done. However, the reference point will be different.

The reference for the position of the Sun that is used is no longer when The Sun is above Mecca, but when the Sun is above the area that is the antipode of Mecca. Antipodes are two regions on Earth whose positions are opposite to each other. If one region were drilled straight through the Earth's core, this hole would penetrate the region that is the antipode.

With Mecca's position located in the northern hemisphere and eastern longitude, its antipode must be located in the southern hemisphere and western longitude. If Mecca's astronomical position is 21 degrees 25 minutes North Latitude and 39 degrees 49 minutes East Longitude, its antipode is located at 21 degrees 25 minutes South Latitude and 140 degrees 11 minutes West Longitude.

The antipode of Mecca is located in the southern Pacific Ocean around the French Polynesia region. The sun will be directly above this antipode twice a year, on January 13 at 12:30 local time or January 14 at 06:30 WIT, and on November 28 at 12:09 local time or November 29 at 06:09 WIT.

Within the same time span, determining the direction of qibla during the time when the sun is at the antipode of Mecca can be done from January 12-16 at 06.25-06.35 WIT and November 27 to December 1 at 06.04-06.14 WIT. By using a stick's shadow, the qibla direction in eastern Indonesia remains towards the northwest.

ADITYA DIVERANTA

The initial display of the Muslim Pro application installation on the screen of a device accessed in Jakarta on Friday (11/20/2020). This application requests access to the user's location for the improvement of various features, such as Qibla direction information and prayer times.

Don't disagree

If in the future there is a correction of the qibla direction that reveals a difference with the existing qibla direction in a mosque, prayer room, or other place of worship, it must be handled wisely. Follow-up actions regarding any differences need to be discussed with the local mosque or prayer room management to avoid disputes.

Incorrect qibla direction is often found in old mosques in various countries around the world. As an illustration, according to Thomas, the qibla direction of the Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta deviates by 2 degrees from the true direction of the qibla. Meanwhile, the qibla of the Great Mosque of Sang Cipta Rasa in Keraton Kasepuhan Cirebon, which was built during the time of Sunan Gunung Jati in 1498, tilts by 7 degrees.

The issue of non-straight qibla direction also occurs in Saudi Arabia. The Quba Mosque, the first mosque built by Prophet Muhammad in 622, is inclined 8 degrees off the qibla line towards Mecca. As for the Nabawi Mosque in Medina, its qibla direction deviates by 4 degrees.

Deviation from the direction of the qibla can still be accepted because the direction of prayer towards the Kaaba is not like flying in a plane towards it. "Deviation from the qibla direction can still be tolerated when the line of the prayer rows with the actual line is not noticeably different," said Thomas.

KOMPAS

Determining the direction of qibla by using the position of the sun when it is directly above the Kaaba or above Mecca, Saudi Arabia, and when the sun is overhead in the antipodal region of Mecca, namely in the waters of French Polynesia.

If mosque or prayer room administrators want to correct or perfect the direction of the qibla, there is no need to demolish the existing building. Correction can be made simply by slightly shifting the line of the prayer rows or the position of the prayer rug used for prayer.

If the mosque or prayer hall's management does not want to change the direction of the qibla because they consider the previous qibla direction as a legacy of the predecessors, then respect that decision. The unity of the community, peace, and tranquility must still be prioritized because even the first mosque built by Prophet Muhammad deviated from the actual qibla direction.

In addition, the Fatwa of the Indonesian Ulama Council Number 5 of 2010 regarding the Direction of Qibla only mentions that the Qibla for Indonesian Muslims is to the northwest with varying angles depending on each region's position towards Mecca. The prayer Qibla in areas south of the Indonesian equator will be more inclined towards the north compared to the areas located north of the equator.

Also read: Now is the Opportunity to Straighten the Qibla Direction

However, human knowledge about determining the direction of the Qibla has developed over time with the increasing knowledge and technology that humans have. It is very natural that mosques built in the past have a Qibla direction that is not as precise as when measured using current technology. Therefore, the momentum of rashdul qibla or refinement of the Qibla direction which is currently taking place should not be used as a tool to divide the people.