During the early ages when there were no compass to navigate the seas, sailors developed the art of reading the stars to find the navigation. As the earth rotates, stars moves to different positions.
Muslim sailors to find the direction of Kaaba to pray, devised a method and called it al-Qiblah and it is found in the constellation they named al-Rakabah. We know it as the North Star, found in the Ursa Minor. Once this is spotted, it becomes easy to locate the North Star to know the Qiblah. This is how Qiblah can be located with help of stars:
1. Locate Banat Naash al-Kubra (The Ursa Major):
This constellation is shaped as a large spoon. That is, three stars in the handle and four stars in the head. By finding Ursa Major, you can spot the North Star.
2. Trace a line to al-Qiblah (the North Star):
Next step is to imagine a line that connects the front two stars of this Ursa Major. If you follow this particular line, you can spot the North Star at a five times distance range. It’s the first bright star you’ll run into that’s close to this vector.
Thanks to technology of today that we have such advanced portable smart devices in the form of smartphones that we can now use from a host of applications offered to find the exact direction of Qibla from any point on Earth, whether be sailing, flying, driving or in a remote location.
Technology has made things easier even if it has taken toll on many other aspects of life.
Muslim sailors to find the direction of Kaaba to pray, devised a method and called it al-Qiblah and it is found in the constellation they named al-Rakabah. We know it as the North Star, found in the Ursa Minor. Once this is spotted, it becomes easy to locate the North Star to know the Qiblah. This is how Qiblah can be located with help of stars:
1. Locate Banat Naash al-Kubra (The Ursa Major):
This constellation is shaped as a large spoon. That is, three stars in the handle and four stars in the head. By finding Ursa Major, you can spot the North Star.
2. Trace a line to al-Qiblah (the North Star):
Next step is to imagine a line that connects the front two stars of this Ursa Major. If you follow this particular line, you can spot the North Star at a five times distance range. It’s the first bright star you’ll run into that’s close to this vector.
Thanks to technology of today that we have such advanced portable smart devices in the form of smartphones that we can now use from a host of applications offered to find the exact direction of Qibla from any point on Earth, whether be sailing, flying, driving or in a remote location.
Technology has made things easier even if it has taken toll on many other aspects of life.
