"While the people were in Quba praying Subh prayer, someone came to them and said that revelation had come to Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) the night before, and he had been commanded to face Ka'bah. So face toward it. They had been facing toward Ash-Sham, so they turned to face toward Ka'bah."
The Book of the Qiblah - Sunan an-Nasa'i 745
"While the people were in Quba praying Subh prayer, someone came to them and said that revelation had come to Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) the night before, and he had been commanded to face Ka'bah. So face toward it. They had been facing toward Ash-Sham, so they turned to face toward Ka'bah."
Historical Context
This narration marks the momentous occasion when the Qiblah was changed from Bayt al-Maqdis (Jerusalem) in Ash-Sham to the Sacred Mosque in Makkah, approximately 16-17 months after the Hijrah.
The people of Quba were performing the dawn prayer when the divine command reached them, demonstrating the immediate obedience of the Companions to Allah's revelation.
Juridical Significance
This hadith establishes the obligation of facing the Ka'bah during prayer and the abrogation of facing Jerusalem.
It shows that prayers performed before the change of Qiblah remain valid, as the Companions simply turned during their prayer without restarting it.
The incident demonstrates the principle of immediate implementation of divine commands without delay.
Spiritual Wisdom
The change of Qiblah signifies the completion of Islam's distinct identity and its separation from previous Abrahamic traditions.
It teaches the importance of spiritual orientation toward the center of Islamic monotheism and the unity of the Muslim Ummah in worship.
The immediate obedience of the Companions exemplifies perfect submission (islam) to divine will.