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Fatwa CenterDirection of the Ka'ba
Question
There are two groups in North America have differing opinions concerning al-Qiblah. The first says the bearing is Northeast, the second says, it's Southeast. Mohamed Yussuf Afifi Mohammed Metwali Ashaaraoui, Moftia al-Azhar confirms that the bearing to al-Qiblah is Southeast. I will be very thankful to you if you clarify this matter, and give me an answer as soon as you can.
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. We ask Allaah to exalt his mention as well as that of his family and all his companions.
As far as the issue of facing the Qiblah (direction of the Ka'bah) is concerned, people are divided into two groups:
Some of them are obliged to exactly face the body of the Ka'bah for those who can see it directly or are near it but separated from it by a barrier. Allaah Says (what means): {So turn your face in the direction of Al-Masjid- al-Haraam.} [Quran 2:144].
Some others, who are far from it, are obliged to turn their faces towards the direction of the Ka'bah, hence they are not obliged to exactly face the body of the Ka'bah. The Prophet 
said: ''Between the East and the West is a Qiblah.' ' [ At-Tirmithi ].
All the Muslim nation agreed that the prayer of people standing in a row which exceeds many times the width of the Ka'bah is valid. The narration ''Between the East and the West is a Qiblah" was said in regard to the People of Madeenah (and those to whom the same ruling applies in regard to the direction of Qiblah) as the Prophet mentioned this narration in regard to them.
The Jurists
stated that those who are at the East or West of the Ka'bah, their Qiblah is between the North and the South. For instance, the Qiblah for North America is to the direction of the East with a slight diversion to the North. The spherical nature of the earth should be taken into account. Thus, if the people between the South and the North turn to the East, with a slight diversion to the North, they would be facing the Qiblah. However, if they turn to the southeast, then this is diverting too far from the direction of the Qiblah.
The scholars determined that a slight diversion from the direction of Ka'bah, in a way that one does not completely turn away from the Qiblah but a side of his face is facing it, is acceptable.
The principle in facing the Qiblah is to direct one's face to its direction without necessarily facing it with the middle of one's face.
Ibn Taymiyyah 
said: "One should face the Qiblah in a way that a straight line is to be imaginatively drawn from his face, chest, and abdomen towards it. This line is not necessarily drawn exactly from the middle of his face, chest, and abdomen. Therefore, it is known that facing the Qiblah with one's face is more general than facing it with the middle of one's face."
If it is confirmed by trustworthy and well-experienced Muslim experts that a certain device or apparatus can be used to outline the direction of Qiblah, whether exactly or generally, then there is no harm in facing the Qiblah according to the direction outlined by this device. Rather, a person who wants to perform the prayer is obliged to use this device if he does not find any other guidelines at hand to find the direction of Qiblah. That is because if a religious obligation could not to be fulfilled except by the use of something then this thing becomes an obligation as well.
May Allaah enable us to do good.
Allaah Knows best.
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