Assalamu alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuhu
1. It is said that facing the legs against the Qiblah is prohibited. Is it clearly mentioned in Ahadees or just a saying? In my bedroom, while sleeping I feel comfortable in sleeping against the Qiblah due to ventilation. In such cases I remember the nature of Islam i.e. to create easiness to the followers.
2. Facing the back to Quran is also prohibited. Does it came in Ahadees? Some says that it is taken from the verse 25.30.
Shujath Imran
Hyderabad, India
April 2012
Dear Brother
Wa alaikum us salam wa Rahmatullah
In the Quran and the Hadith, it is generally mentioned that we should respect the Holy Ka’aba and the Quran and other religious books but no methods and etiquettes of respect are specified because they would differ from society to society. It is upon the practice of each society that what posture is regarded as respect and what style is considered as disrespect. In South Asian society, stretching feet towards your parents is a sign of severe disrespect, so it should be avoided for the Ka’aba and the Quran. To deal with the ventilation problem, you can make minor changes in the direction of your bed e.g. rotate it only by 20 degree at the time of sleeping and then readjust it in the morning or reverse the direction of your bed.
Turning ones back is not a sign of severe disrespect in our society. Sometimes, when we move, our back is towards our parents. So there is no harm in it. In some Hindu societies, it is regarded as a sign of disrespect and they do not turn their back towards their idols but in Muslims, it is not an issue. In the verse, turning back is in metaphorical meaning which means that rejecting something with contempt.
Wassalam
Muhammad Mubashir Nazir
Send your questions to mubashirnazir100@gmail.com.