Ruling 763. Qibla is the place of the Kaʿbah in Mecca, and prayers must be performed facing it. However, for someone who is far away, it is sufficient to stand in such a manner that it can be said he is performing prayers facing qibla. The same applies to other acts – such as slaughtering animals – that must be performed facing qibla.

Ruling 764. Someone who performs the obligatory prayers in a standing position must do so with his chest and stomach facing qibla, and his face must not divert a lot from qibla. And the recommended precaution is that his toes should also face qibla.

Ruling 765. Someone who must perform prayers in a sitting position must do so with his chest and stomach facing qibla, and his face must not divert a lot from qibla.

Ruling 766. Someone who cannot perform prayers in a sitting position must perform them lying on his side in a way that the front of his body faces qibla. Furthermore, as far as it is possible for him to lie on his right side, he must not lie on his left side, based on obligatory precaution. If both of these positions are not possible for him, he must lie on his back in a way that the soles of his feet face qibla.

Ruling 767. The precautionary prayer (ṣalāt al‑iḥtiyāṭ) and a forgotten sajdah or tashahhud (testifying) must be performed facing qibla. And based on recommended precaution, the two prostrations for inadvertence (sajdatā al‑sahw) should also be performed facing qibla.

Ruling 768. A recommended prayer can be performed while walking and riding, and if a person performs a recommended prayer in either of these ways, it is not necessary that he face qibla.

Ruling 769. Someone who wants to perform prayers must make efforts to find out the direction of qibla to the extent that he attains certainty about its direction, or that which comes under the rule (ḥukm) of certainty, such as the testimony of two dutiful people if their testimony is based on sensory perception and suchlike. If he cannot [find out its direction to this extent], he must act according to what he supposes to be the direction of qibla based on the position of the miḥrāb[1] of a mosque, or the graves of believers, or by some other way. Even if he bases his supposition (ẓann) on the words of an immoral person or a disbeliever who knows the direction of qibla by employing scientific principles, it is sufficient.

Ruling 770. If someone who has a supposition about the direction of qibla arrives at a stronger supposition, he cannot act on his first supposition. For example, if a guest has a supposition about the direction of qibla through the words of his host but he arrives at a stronger opinion by another way, he must not act on the words of his host.

Ruling 771. If someone does not have any means to find the direction of qibla, or despite his efforts he cannot arrive at a supposition as to its direction, it is sufficient for him to perform prayers facing a direction that he thinks could be qibla. Furthermore, the recommended precaution is that if there is enough time, he should perform prayers four times, each time facing one of the four compass directions [i.e. what he supposes to be north, east, south, and west].

Ruling 772. If a person is certain or supposes that qibla is in one of two directions, he must perform prayers in both of those directions.

Ruling 773. If someone who has to perform prayers in different directions wants to perform two prayers that must be performed one after the other, such as the ẓuhr and ʿaṣr prayers, the recommended precaution is that he perform the first prayer in those different directions and then the second prayer in those different directions as well.

Ruling 774. If someone wants to do something, other than perform prayers, that must be done facing qibla – for example, he wants to slaughter an animal – but he is neither certain nor has knowledge that comes under the rule of certainty about the direction of qibla, he must act on his supposition. If acting on his supposition is not possible, then it will be correct for him to perform the act facing any direction.