A prayer corner at home
Finding the direction of the qibla from your city, and arranging a quiet, clean place for prayer, for reading and for the children.
A prayer corner needs little: a clear piece of floor of about 70 by 120 cm, facing the right way. What matters is that it is clean, calm and always ready.
In short
- The qibla is the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca. From Europe it is towards the south-east; from Morocco, almost due east; from Canada and the United States, towards the north-east; from Dubai, Doha and Riyadh, towards the west and south-west.
- Find it once with the tool on this page and a compass, then mark it discreetly.
- Keep the place clean and clear. In a busy room, store the rug off the floor between prayers.
Finding the qibla
Choose your city. The tool gives the direction as a compass bearing, measured clockwise from north.
Qibla direction from your city
Open the compass of your phone, hold it flat and turn until it shows this number. Keep away from metal, radiators and speakers.
- Open the compass of your phone, hold the phone flat and turn until it shows the number given.
- Stand away from metal furniture, radiators, speakers and the fridge: they pull a compass off by many degrees.
- Check twice, in two places in the room.
- The direction from North America surprises many people: the shortest way to Mecca on the globe goes north-east, over the Atlantic.
- Mark it with the edge of a rug, a small arrow inside a cupboard door, or the line of a floorboard.
Arranging the place
- A corner of the bedroom or the living room, out of the way of people passing and not facing the television.
- A clean floor, a prayer rug, and a shelf or a small cupboard above floor level for the Quran and books.
- A folding stand for reading, a string of prayer beads, a box or a basket for the rugs.
- Soft, warm light: a wall lantern or a small lamp.
- For someone who prays seated: a firm chair without arms, kept in the same place.
- In a shared flat or a studio: a rug kept rolled in a basket and a mark for the direction are enough.
With children
- A small rug of their own next to yours.
- A low shelf with their books, at their height.
- A Ramadan calendar, and a lantern they light in the evening.
- Let them help roll the rugs and choose where things go.
Ramadan and Eid
- Add a second rug for guests, and a tray with dates and water near the door.
- The prayer times for your city are on the Today page.
Mistakes to avoid
- Trusting a compass next to a radiator or a metal shelf.
- Guessing the direction: in most cities abroad the qibla is far from due east.
- A place that has to be cleared of things before every prayer.