submission productions presents:

THE POOR MANS EVIDENCE

against those who direct themselves in prayer like travelers
Clarification that one must face the direction in prayer, and not a travel route, that the shape of the Earth does not influence the prayer direction, that the line drawn over the globe is curved, not straight, and that the method that lead to praying northeast is itself invalid.

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In the name of Allah this debate is produced after having the issue of the Qiblah presented in a way that dictated study and concentration. It is a refutation of a famous book prepared with the purpose of defending the north-eastern Qiblah in North America. Fortunately, that books level is above that of the average persons understanding and interest, leaving much of it to be neglected by the reader. Unfortunately, however, the books size and diagrams encourage the person who prays in the wrong direction, and intimidate the person who prays in the correct direction. Truly, the most powerful aspect of the book is only its thickness and its pictures. When looking past those, it becomes clear that the book is like a cowardly giant, intimidating others only by its size, while its heart is as weak and measly as that of a child. Its academic approach may have caused many of those who are on the right path to lower their heads, for the masses of the people are not equipped to deal with the fallacies and mathematics presented therein. As a service to those poor Muslims who are not vastly knowledgeable about the different aspects of geography, geometry, trigonometry and the like, here are answers from basic Fiqh and simple matters of logic. This book is not necessarily to convince those who pray northeast, and hopefully they will be convinced, but to assure and empower those who face the proper direction, and sway those who are doubtful. There is no math or special terminology, but there are a few diagrams that address the most basic and vital matters needed to understand the case and repel the fallacies. It is not a condition that this work be comparable to that one in size, for surely Allah gave victory to His Prophet Dawud (David) in the face of the arrogant giant Jalut (Goliath). Certainly, Allah supports those who support His Religion, and He helps those who help their fellow Muslim.

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THE POOR MANS EVIDENCE

When determining the direction of prayer, we are only concerned with the four cardinal directions: north, south, east and west. That is different from travelling or moving, for then one is additionally concerned with the relative directions of forward and behind, above, below, right and left. In the Quran, we are not ordered with anything other than facing the actual direction of Masjidul-Haram, which contains the Ka^bah. That would be achieved by two steps: 1. Establishing the direction of Makkah from ones location by comparing the location of Makkah to ones personal location, then, 2. Without concerning oneself with the issues of travel, motion, or the shape of the earth, and without one imagining himself praying through the earth, or any other irrelevant matter, one uses the religious references to his utmost ability and faces that said direction. This is the easy obligation Allah ordained when He said in His Book:

<(1>)
{Turn yourselves towards its direction}
This only requires vision and knowing how to locate the sun, shadows, stars, and other creations of Allah. We are not ordered to calculate a travel route to face, nor to measure the surface of the Earth, which not every person is capable of performing. It is worth noting that some who face the northeast do not translate the word shatr in the verse, which means direction.

Al-Baqarah, 150

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#1)

Southeast Supporter: There are four directions.

Northeast Supporter:

I Disagree I Agree

You have contradicted the Qur'an

PROCEED TO #2

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The directions are confirmed in the Quran and the Hadith. An often overlooked question is, What are the four directions according to the religious references (not the statements of non-Muslim geographers or Muslims who have not learned (or practiced) their Religion properly)? The four directions are confirmed in the Quran when Allah says:

<{2>} {The Lord and Owner of the two easts and the two wests}.
As for the east and the west, they are pronounced in the verse. As for the north and the south, they are implied by the verse, because the two easts are the southeast and the northeast. Depending on the season, the sun rises from one of these two easts. The two wests are the southwest and the northwest. Also, depending on the season, the sun sets in one of these two wests3. Furthermore, over 1,000 years ago, the scholars mentioned the religiously recognized signs for determining these four directions. The Religious proof teaches us that the east is the direction from which the sun rises, and it is from that direction that we know the time of the dawn prayer is first in. The west is the direction in which the sun sets, and it is from that direction that we know that the night prayer is first in. The north is known by the North Star, and the south is its opposite. This is simple and applicable by all people, not just mathematicians and geographers. If someone were to ask, Does this mean that we cannot use any new inventions or devices besides those signs? The answer is, If those other means comply with the original signs for finding the Qiblah, then they are permissible, like a tested compass. If they contradict those known signs, then they are rejected, like putting a string on the globe or calculating the Earths surface.

Surah Ar-Rahman, 17. 706 / 12( :) = : ( ) : . ); : ( 16 / 12( :) = : ( ) :

2 3

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#2) Southeast Supporter: Each direction is different from the other; they are not one and the same.

Northeast Supporter:

I disagree.

I agree.

Southeast Supporter: Then there is no way to distinguish between one direction and the other, and this is invalid.

proceed to #3

Certainly, it is necessary that each direction would be different from the other, or else a person would be unable to point east with one hand and west in the other direction with the other hand. Thus, north is not the same as south, east or west; south is not the same as north, east or west; east is not the same as north, south or west, and west is not

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the same as north, south or east. Anything otherwise is an overturning of reality. This introductory matter is key to understanding and unravelling the fallacy that shall come.

#3) Southeast Supporter: The directions are physically confirmed; they are not mere concepts with no actual reality.

Northeast Supporter:

No, they are mere concepts

Yes, directions are physically confirmed

proceed to #4

Southeast Supporter: you have negated what is confirmed by sound senses.

The scholars of Creed, as well as the scholars of Usul-Fiqh and Hadith, have confirmed that sound senses are a channel for creatures to achieve definite, certain knowledge. All who have sound senses are able to confirm that the directions have an actual existence, and that they are not mere concepts or ideas. One can simply point, or

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even look into a direction, thereby confirming it. This is true of the relative directions as well as the directions that are determined by the sunrise, sunset and the North Star.

#4) Southeast Supporter: Each

direction has an actual existence, and neither direction is the other. Some of them are opposites when compared to eachother, and others are not.

Northeast Supporter
I agree I disagree

proceed to #5

Southeast Supporter: What, then, are the directions according to you?

Northeast Supporter: The directions are north, south, east and west.

PROCEED TO #5

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If two things are different from each other, they are either opposites, or not. If they are opposites, the existence of one negates the other in reference to the same time and place. This is like black and white, up and down, existence and non existence, south and north, etc. If they are different without being opposites, then the existence of one would not cancel the existence of the other, such as a bed and a chair, or a house and a flower, or south and east.

#5) Southeast Supporter: South is the opposite of north.

Northeast Supporter: I agree.

If what has been presented thus far is clear, then before proceeding to number six, it would be easy to understand the fallacy of Nuh Keller, who used optical illusions to support the Northeastern Qiblah. Among those illusions is what he used to deny the reality of the directions and give the impression that they are only virtual:

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This picture is a cropped scan from his book. It implies that north and south have no actual reality, and that they are just ideas of men. This is not correct, for in reality (the actual physical world), one would never walk without turning or curving, and then one direction becomes the other. In the physical world, all directions are different. Going from north to south requires a curve (change in direction).
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Part of his mistake is that he started from the North Pole. As will be mentioned again later, the starting point is Makkah, not the North Pole. Another part of his mistake is that he abandoned the religiously recognized signs for determining the directions, and instead, he preferred imaginary markers. Our Religion is easier than that. According to this diagram, a person could be facing the north, take one step forward and be facing the south. In the real, physical world, a learned Muslim would look for the sunrise to known the east, the sunset to know the west, and the North Star to know the north, and put his back to for the south. Those imaginary markers do not truly determine the directions. It is by the signs created by Allah that the directions are determined- at least this is the case for the Muslim who wants to practice like the Prophet and his Companions. Had Nuh Keller demonstrated in this picture that there is a curve, then we would be unable to argue. Instead, he left the impression that there is no curve, to encourage people to pray in the wrong direction. For him to explicitly confess that there is a curve is to open himself up for rebuttal from those who know that the direction between points A and B is not only the shortest distance between the two points, but the shortest distance with a straight line. As for the shortest distance over a curved surface, this is the concern of the traveler, not the person performing the prayer.

PROCEED TO #6

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#6) Southeast Supporter: If "A-B" were a perfectly straight line going north, then "B-A" would not be north since it is the opposite direction.

Northeast Supporter

I disagree.

I agree.

Southeast Supporter: you have fallen into explicit contradiction, which is invalid

PROCEED TO #7

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This is the same fallacy of Nuh Keller. Here is another optical illusion from his book:

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In these above mentioned diagrams, one illusion is that line line

BA

AB

is bearing north, and

, the exact opposite, is also bearing north. Another illusion is that this straight

line occurs over a curved surface.

Note that in his diagram, the first of the three images shows a solid line, we will call it
CD

, which goes from south to north:

D C

If the exact opposite view of that picture were presented, one would clearly see line bearing south:

DC

D C

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Now take a look at both sides together and see how the illusion of a straight line disappears: D D C C

Looking at both sides reveals the obvious curve that alters the direction. Line right side of the page goes northeast, and line
DC

CD

on the

on the left side is southeast, for

ultimately, there is no escape from bearing southeast, because Makkah, in reality, is truly southeast of the United States and Canada. That is not the question at hand. Oddly, the question that confused the people was, Do we face the actual direction, or do we face the shortest route of travel? Those who took by the first option faced southeast. As for those who took by the second option, they faced northeast, convinced their followers that the shortest route is the actual direction, and then fooled themselves into thinking that a straight line occurred over a curved surface. To justify this, the aforementioned illusions

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were presented to encourage those who turn away from the Ka^bah to stay steadfast on their divergence. Then, it would not be to the interest of those who are supporting the northeastern direction by using those illusions to show the opposing view that has been presented, for then the illusion would disappear, and the change in direction, along with the fact that there is no straight line, would show up for everyone to see, thereby nullifying their point.

Supporter: The method you use implies that this impossibility could occur; that (A-B) would be a perfectly straight line bearing north, and that (B-A) is also north in the opposite direction.

#7) Southeast

Northeast Suporter:
"I don't know why"/ no response Because the globe is round, and not flat, just as the Earth is not flat.

Southeast Supporter: Because it is a mistake that should be retracted

because of the markers used in determining the directions

PROCEED TO #8
PROCEED TO #10

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To recap: If one were to put a string on a globe from New York to Makkah, it would start off bearing northeast. This is evidence for the one who supports the northeastern direction. However, there are several truths to be mentioned: Firstly, putting a string on a globe is not a proper way to determine the Qiblah. Secondly, eventually, the string would actually curve and change direction, which nullifies the validity of praying northeast. The third is that supposing it were a straight line, if one were to follow that same line back from Makkah to New York, it goes northwest. This gives the illusion that there could be a straight line to Makkah from New York bearing North (east) that goes back in the exact opposite direction while still bearing north (west) instead of south (west). In the physical world, this is actually impossible.

Note: As previously mentioned, and we repeat and reiterate, the starting point should be Makkah, not the North Pole; another case of deviating from the original rules for the talk of the non-Muslims and ignorant people. One should start from Makkah, and then go out from there. A true straight line starting at Makkah and ending at New York is northwest. Therefore, the direction from New York to Makkah is southeast, as the consensus of the scholars dictates: the people of the north face the south, the people of the south face the north, the people of the east face the west and the people of the west face the east.

If the direction from Makkah to New York is northwest (which both sides agree upon), then by necessity, northeast would not be the direction from New York to Makkah. On the other hand, it is not impossible for the route of travel to start northeast, and then for the return trip to start northwest. Thus is the difference between the route of travel (because of the terrain or shape of the surface) - and this is NOT what Allah ordered to face in our prayers- and the actual direction, which IS what we are ordered to face. The Quran orders us to face the actual direction. According to Imam AshShafi^iyy, one must strive to face the exact entity of the Ka^bah.

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#8) Southeast Supporter: The terrain or shape of a surface does not affect the direction between two stable points.

Northeast Supporter: I agree I disagree Southeast Supporter: Then you have invalidated your own evidence: your round map.

PROCEED TO #9

If the one who supports the northeastern Qiblah admits that the shape of the Earth does not affect the direction between two stable points, which is true, then there would be no benefit in using the globe as evidence. This means that whether the Earth were spherical or cubical or cylindrical, etc, the direction between points A and B are fixed and confirmed. If they do not shift or relocate, then the shape or terrain of the surface does not affect the direction between them. Hence, the Earths terrain is unreliable in determining the direction of Prayer, and that is not what Allah ordered us to rely upon. To make it clearer, if there were a mountain between one and the Ka^bah, he faces the mountain, thereby facing the Ka^bah, and he does not face the shortest route of travel,

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which would be to go around the mountain (make an arc). In our case, the ocean is like a great mountain between North America and Makkah. To face southeast is to face the mountain, but to also face the Ka^bah. To face northeast is to turn away from the Ka^bah so to go around the mountain; i.e., it is a travel route. In the following diagram, there are three arrows. The red arrow is a true straight line with the real implication of facing northeast: that one turns away from the Ka^bah. The black arrow is a straight line going through the elliptical object (not over its surface) and demonstrating the true direction to the Ka^bah: southeast. The giant curved arrow represents the string placed over the globe, or the route taken by airplanes. It is an arc, not a (straight) line. It does not give the direction to Makkah, but it is ideal for travel over the curved surface. Those who face northeast believe that this is a straight line. They think that this is what represents their prayer direction, but truly they have only taken the red arrow and invalidated their prayers by turning away from the Ka^bah, may Allah help them. The intersection made by the dotted lines represents New York on the other side of the globe.

NE

SE

SE

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#9) Southeast Supporter: How, if they vary because of terrain, can we determine the reality of the directions and distinguish between them?

Northeast Supporter: Establish markers for the directions.

PROCEED TO #10

This would be the answer of someone like Nuh Keller to what was previously mentioned in question six. He would say, We establish markers to determine the directions, and if someone passes one of those markers, he will have officially interrupted that direction and commenced a new direction. We have already mentioned that the true signs that the Muslims should use for determining the directions are the sun, stars, and other actual creations, not imaginary markers.

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#10) Southeast Supporter: It is invalid for those markers to be used in a way that leads to a contradiction.

Northeast Supporter

I disagree.

I agree.

Southeast Supporter: You have confirmed the validity of a contradiction, which is itself invalid.

Southeast Supporter: Then you have invalidated your own method.

Contradiction is categorically invalid. If the markers used are contradictory, they must be abandoned. If they are all consistent, but ones method or claim is contradictory, that method or claim must be abandoned. If ones method implies that a straight line changes directions, it must be abandoned. Among the rules mentioned by the scholars is: [

Whatever leads to an impossibility is itself impossible.

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Here are some mistakes of those who pray towards the northeast:

I.

They have abandoned the simple Religious rules, and instead relied on approximated maps with known (imaginary) markers, such as the equator and the prime meridian. This is not to say that approximated maps and imaginary markers are not useful, but they should not be used for determining the Prayer direction. One should rely on the real signs: the sun, stars, shadows, mountains, and other signs of Allah and landmarks, as mentioned by the scholars of Fiqh (practical rules). These references give one the actual directions, and this is what was done by the Prophet and his Companions. Therefore, whoever prays southeast because he used the known signs that were used by the Prophet and his Companions is in compliance with the hadith:

(The People of the Sunnah are) those who are upon what my Companions and I are upon. Consequently, anyone who prays northeast while believing that every innovation is against the Religion has certainly fallen into what he ran away from: an innovation. Applicable here is the authentic hadith:

Whoever innovates into this affair (i.e. Religion) of ours something that does not comply with it is rejected. The method that leads to northeast does not comply with the rules of the Religion, and hence must be rejected. II. Among what is said by the northeast supporters is that we must consider the surface of the Earth and face the northeast, because one does not pray through the Earth. This is invalid reasoning, for nor does one pray over (the surface of) the Earth, since the Prayer is not a traveling entity. This is further indication that those who face northeast have confused the issues of travel and direction. Whoever understands this difference knows that one does not have to consider the surface of the Earth or a route of travel for facing the Qiblah. However, if we
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want to entertain this expression of praying through the Earth, people do travel underground (through the Earth), and the shortest straight line between Makkah and New York goes through the Earth, not over its surface. Had the surface or terrain been a factor for the prayer direction, the person in an underground cavern or in a valley would have a different Qiblah than the person on the Earths surface, whose Qiblah would be different from the one who prays on a mountain top, even if the Ka^bah were in the same direction from all of them. The fact that they all have the same Qiblah proves that the surface has no consideration:
Praying atop a mountain

Mountains between one and the Ka^bah Nothing between one and the Ka^bah

Praying in a valley

The person on the other side of the Earth also does not consider the surface.

N.Y.

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III.

Some may say that the northeast method does ignore the surface and the terrain. This is just ignorance about the method of those who face northeast. They faced northeast specifically to avoid what they call praying through the Earth. What is strange is that they refused to pray through the Earth, but they accepted facing the air above the Ka^bah- as will now come- although they have the same judgment.

IV.

Among what they say is that twice a year, the sun is directly over the Ka^bah. At that time, the sun can be seen from Canada in the northeast, and since it is valid to face the Ka^bah, or the air above it, or the earth below it, then facing the sun would be facing the air above the Ka^bah, and thus the Qiblah is northeast. To that there are several responses: A. One should not face the sun, one should face the Qiblah by finding the actual direction of the Ka^bah and facing that direction. From the beginning, one is making a mistake if he is seeking other than the Ka^bah. In other words, even the one who faces the air above the Ka^bah only faces it because he sought the Ka^bah itself, but because of being at a higher elevation than that of the Ka^bah, he faced the air above it. One should not seek the air above the Ka^bah; one should seek the Ka^bah itself, then face the air above it if he has to, or the ground below it. B. Both sides agree that the earth below the Ka^bah is southeast in relation to us. If Makkah were truly northeast of us, which no one is actually claiming- not even those who face the northeast- then the earth below the Ka^bah would have to be northeast also. If the earth below the Ka^bah is southeast, then the air above it would not be northeast. C. All the other signs that Allah created prove that Makkah is southeast of us, like the North Star. Two definitive references would not contradict each other in one issue. If they do, then one of them is not definitive, or both of them are not. Therefore, if on every night and from every location in the USA and Canada, the north star gives the reading that Makkah is south of us- and the north star is the strongest sign for determining the Qiblah because it is

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practically stationary- then no consideration is given to an anomaly that appears only twice per year at a certain hour and seen in only a few locations. D. Although the shape of the Earth and its terrain do not influence the direction between us and the Ka^bah, ones physical position does influence his view and perception. It is known that the one who looks at something from an angle may perceive it in a way that does not comply with reality. V. Among what they say is that it is an obligation to follow the majority, and the majority of Muslims in the United States and Canada face the northeast. The answer to this is that the obligation of following the majority refers to the majority of the Muslim nation, not the majority of the Muslims in a particular land. Had what they understood from this case been true, then whoever goes to Iran would have to be a Shiite. Also, had this been a true concern for them, they would have argued that point before anyone prayed northeast. Additionally, any Wahhabiyy who prays northeast and claims that northeast is the position of the majority has abandoned his own Wahhabiyy madhhab, because they believe that the majority of the nation is innovators and idol worshippers. VI. Among what they say is that rejecting the method that calls for northeast is a call to ignorance, since it is an abandonment of technology, and Islam calls to knowledge, not ignorance. To that, simply say that technology has its proper place, and if the use of technology leads to what conflicts with the original rules of the Religion, then the technology has no place there. The Religious rules practiced by the Prophet and his Companions have priority over all technology and calculations. This is also the argument of those who prefer to calculate the beginning of Ramadan instead of observing the moon. VII. After having all of their points pulled from under their feet, many who pray northeast would say, Well, it is permissible to pray in any direction. This also is not true, and had they believed it, they would not have debated to say that northeast is correct and that southeast is wrong. As for the verse:

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<(, >)
4

which some think that it means that the Qiblah is valid in any direction, Imam AsSiyutiyy said in Al-Itqan5: Had we been left with only the apparent meaning of the expression, it would have dictated that it is not obligatory on the one who prays to face the Qiblah, whether traveling or residing, which is against the consensus. However, if the reason for the verses revelation is known, it would be known that the verse was about praying an optional prayer while traveling... AND ALLAH KNOWS BEST.

4 5

Al-Baqarah,115 Al-Itqan fi ^Ulumil-Quran, Knowing the Reason for the Revelation, pg. 39

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