Qiblatain Mosque (Masjid al-Qiblatain)

Masjid al-Qiblatain, originally known as Banu Salim Mosque, is located in the neighborhood belonging to the Banu Salim clan of the Khazraj tribe. In the early years of Islam, Muslims prayed facing the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. The Prophet Muhammad always harbored the desire to turn towards the Kaaba in his heart and was awaiting revelation from Allah regarding this matter. In the 16th month of the Hijra, in the middle of the month of Sha'ban in the year 2 AH (February 624 AD), the 144th verse of Surah Al-Baqarah was revealed: "We will certainly turn you to a qibla that will please you. So turn your face towards the Sacred Mosque. Wherever you are, turn your faces towards it." This verse was revealed while the Prophet was in the middle of prayer at the Banu Salim Mosque. According to the strongest narration, the Prophet had gone to visit the mother of Bishr ibn Bara ibn Ma'rur; when the time for the noon prayer came, he was leading the congregation in prayer. After two rak'ahs were performed, the verse about the qibla was revealed; the Prophet immediately turned his face towards the Kaaba, and the congregation turned with him. Thus, the first two rak'ahs of the prayer were towards Jerusalem, and the last two rak'ahs were towards the Kaaba. Because of this historical event, the mosque was named "Masjid al-Qiblatain" (The Mosque of Two Qiblas). The change of the qibla represents one of the most symbolic moments in Islamic history: Muslims would now worship facing the Kaaba, the legacy of Prophet Ibrahim, establishing a distinct identity separate from the Jews. The Jews reacted strongly to this change, expressing their objections by reminding that Muslims had previously turned towards their qibla. In response, the subsequent verses of Surah Al-Baqarah addressed these objections. The mosque was renovated during the governorship of Umar ibn Abdulaziz. It was completely rebuilt by Suleiman the Magnificent in 1543-44 AD; at that time, the mosque had an area of 425 m². Most recently, in 1987, it was expanded by the Saudi government to a modern structure of 3,920 m². [Source: "Masjid al-Qiblatain", TDV Islamic Encyclopedia, https://islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/mescid-i-kibleteyn; "Qibla", TDV Islamic Encyclopedia, https://islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/kible]