For Muslims on holiday, finding the Qibla direction for prayer is essential. The Qibla direction in new locations often differs from what it is at home.
Many hotels, especially in countries with significant Muslim populations, provide Qibla direction information in their rooms. Plus, if there's a mosque nearby, it's easier to figure out the Qibla direction.
But what if neither of these options is available? No worries, with the advancement of technology and smartphones, it's easy to find the Qibla direction online. In this article, I'll explain how to do this without downloading an app.
Why online? Because there are many websites offering Qibla direction services without needing to install an app. This saves storage space on your smartphone.
I recommend using Qibla Finder. It's a service provided by Google, so I can rely on its reliability. To use this service for finding Qibla direction, just follow these simple steps:
Start by visiting the Qibla Finder website. Once the site loads, select the language you prefer. After choosing the language, click the "Let's Go" button to proceed to the next step.
To accurately determine the Qibla direction, this service uses your smartphone's GPS system. Therefore, it needs permission to access your current location.
The service also requests access to your camera. This is for an augmented reality display, which helps in showing the Qibla direction. Please grant both permissions for the service to function properly.
If your smartphone's compass sensor isn't accurate, Qibla Finder may ask you to calibrate it. Do this by moving your phone in a figure-eight pattern several times.
Now, your smartphone's camera will activate, showing the Qibla direction with an illustrative guide. When you point the camera at the floor, a large compass appears on the screen with a blue line directing you to the Qibla.
If you point the camera towards the Qibla direction, an image of the Qibla will appear, along with the distance from your location to the Kaaba. The compass will move to the bottom left of the screen.
An interesting feature is that when your camera is correctly aligned with the Qibla, your screen will display a message saying "You're facing the Qibla." Below this message, there are options to share this information via social media or other apps on your phone.
If you prefer not to use the augmented reality feature, you can turn it off by sliding the camera icon at the top right of the screen. The display will then switch to a simple illustration.
So, these are the steps to find the Qibla direction online using Qibla Finder. This service makes it easy to locate the Qibla direction when you're visiting new places on holiday.
