Fatwa ID: 07366

Answered by: Alimah Shireen Mangera-Badat

Question:

Is it okay to have a bed positioned where the person sleeps with the feet pointing towards the qibla? I have heard elders say this isn’t allowed, but please can you explain if this is allowed or not. Same with if a person sleeps on a sofa and the feet is pointing towards the Qibla direction. Is this allowed or not? 

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Answer:

There is no explicit prohibition in the primary sources of Islam against sleeping with one’s feet pointing towards the Qibla. The elders’ advice may stem from cultural respect for the direction of prayer. However, it is not considered sinful or impermissible in Islamic jurisprudence.

Allah says in the Quran: “To Allah belong the east and the west, so wherever you turn, there is the Face of Allah.” (Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:115)

Therefore, it is permissible to sleep with feet pointing towards the Qibla, although it may be preferable to follow the cultural practice out of respect and not lay your feet deliberately towards the Qibla.

Only Allah knows best.

Written by Alimah Shireen Mangera-Badat

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham