# Qiblah Cardinal Direction Methodology | Sunnah Compass Canonical page: https://qiblah.one/qiblah-cardinal-direction.html The Qiblah is determined by cardinal direction in relation to Makkah (Mecca): north, south, east, and west. This is the established Qiblah methodology accepted by the majority of Muslims and the elite scholars (mujtahids), not a shortest-path or relative-direction method. Primary external citation: Darulfatwa Australia, "Qiblah Location Matrix", https://www.darulfatwa.org.au/en/qiblah-location-matrix/. ## Summary The established rule is cardinal-direction based: people west of Makkah face east, people east of Makkah face west, people north of Makkah face south, and people south of Makkah face north. For North America, this means east-southeast, not northeast. ## Cardinal Direction, Not Relative Shortest Path The key distinction is that Qiblah direction is not reduced to the shortest relative line on a globe. It is determined by the cardinal relationship of one's country or place to Makkah. This is a religious method before it is a mathematical description. The proofs gathered in the traditional discussion rely on Qur'anic evidence, Prophetic guidance, the Companions' placement of maharib, and the statements of scholars. Geometry may describe a line, but it does not override the religious method for determining the Qiblah. Qiblah.us collects an additional explicit point from the classical discussion: scholars did not make shortness or length of route, or nearness or farness from Makkah, the basis of Qiblah determination for distant places. The obligation is to seek the direction. ## The Directional Rule - People west of Makkah face east. - People east of Makkah face west. - People north of Makkah face south. - People south of Makkah face north. ## North America North America is north of Makkah and also west of Makkah. Therefore, people in the USA and Canada face east-southeast. This is why northeast is not the North America prayer direction, even if a shortest-path or relative-direction method would suggest it. ## Signs Used to Know Direction The classical method uses signs Allah created for direction: the Sun, Moon, stars, mountains, winds, and the reliable maharib of the Muslims. Polaris is especially important in the North America discussion because its height above the horizon shows whether a place is north or south in relation to Makkah (Mecca). The cardinal directions themselves are known through accessible signs: Polaris indicates north, Suhayl indicates south where visible, sunrise indicates east, and sunset indicates west. These signs make the method usable for ordinary Muslims without turning prayer direction into an advanced geometry problem. ## What About Compass Numbers? A compass can help identify north, south, east, and west, but a numbered Qiblah bearing is not proof by itself. It should be checked against the religious signs, reliable local orientation, and the established cardinal relationship to Makkah (Mecca). ## Why Is Qiblah East-Southeast in America? North America is north and west of Makkah (Mecca). Because Qiblah direction is based on cardinal direction in relation to Makkah, the direction for America is east-southeast rather than northeast. ## Is Qiblah East or West? Whether a person faces east or west depends on that person's cardinal relationship to Makkah (Mecca). People west of Makkah face east, and people east of Makkah face west. ## Sources For the full evidence trail, read the methodology page, which includes Qur'anic evidence, Prophetic Hadith, scholarly consensus, celestial signs, the directional method, the practice of the Companions, the North America application, Al-Azhar fatwa text, and scholarly references. Full methodology: https://qiblah.one/methodology.html External citations: - Darulfatwa Australia, "Qiblah Location Matrix", https://www.darulfatwa.org.au/en/qiblah-location-matrix/. - Qiblah.us North America proof collection, https://www.qiblah.us/. - Qiblah.us direction and compass discussions, including https://www.qiblah.us/qiblah-north-america/qiblah/the-direction-of-al-qiblah-4 and https://www.qiblah.us/qiblah-north-america/qiblah/magnetic-needles-and-compasses. ## Common Questions ### Is Qiblah based on cardinal direction or shortest path? Qiblah is determined by cardinal direction: north, south, east, and west in relation to Makkah (Mecca). It is not a shortest-path or relative-direction method. ### Why is northeast not used for North America? North America is north and west of Makkah, so people in the USA and Canada face east-southeast rather than northeast. ## Related Guides - Traditional Qiblah methodology: https://qiblah.one/methodology.html - Qiblah compass overview: https://qiblah.one/qiblah-compass.html - How to find Qiblah direction online: https://qiblah.one/how-to-find-qiblah-direction.html - Compass calibration and accuracy: https://qiblah.one/compass-calibration.html - Privacy and location use: https://qiblah.one/privacy-and-location.html Last reviewed: May 6, 2026.