216. Constructing houses facing each other.

This verse (10:87) of the Quran asks Muslims to make their houses as Qibla, in a way they face each other.

The word qibla means facing the direction of worship, and another meaning is face to face.

Most of the scholars have given the meaning as direction faced while worshiping. As per their argument each one organizes his house to be a Qibla and starts praying, resulting in many qiblas.

If it is understood this verse as a commandment to the Jews then it renders their Qibla Bait-ul-Muqaddas as non-existent.

Making houses to be Qibla (the direction to face while worshiping) is meaningless. and the word Qibla means the direction (target) faced by a community, and if each house becomes a Qibla, then the idea of a single Qibla is lost.

In case if each one’s house is to be considered a Qibla,then everyone should come out to face their houses.

Instead of uniting a community in facing a comman direction, this concept will end in chaos and confusion. 

It can also be explained as to have the entrance of the house in the direction of the Qibla, but this is not feasible, because the houses arranged in a street with entrances on alternate sides would face the Qibla on opposite sides.

Moreover, except for the community of Prophet Muhammad, the whole world is not declared as place of worship. People from other communities of prophets were commanded to worship in their own places that were allotted for worship.

(Hadith by: Bukhari 335, 438).

Hence this verse cannot be taken to mean to consider treating one’s house as Qibla.

The apt explanation could be taken as God’s commandment was to make houses in rows on either side of a street facing each other.

Hence we have translated it as “ have your houses arranged opposite to each other.