Find the Qibla Direction from Anywhere

The Qibla (قبلة) is the direction of the Masjid al-Haram and the Kaaba in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. All Muslims face the Qibla when performing Salah (prayer). It is a condition (shart) of prayer that one faces the Qibla as precisely as possible. The Kaaba is located at approximately 21.4225°N, 39.8262°E.

The Qibla is calculated using the great-circle bearing formula — the shortest path between two points on the surface of a sphere. This gives the most accurate result. The formula uses your latitude and longitude and the Kaaba's coordinates to determine the bearing angle from true north.

Yes. The Qibla angle changes significantly depending on your location. For example, from London it is approximately 119° (ESE), from New York it is approximately 58° (NE), and from Jakarta it is approximately 295° (WNW). This is because the earth is spherical — the shortest path curves across the globe.

Scholars have stated that if you make a genuine effort (ijtihad) to find the Qibla direction and pray in that direction, your prayer is valid even if you were slightly off. Ibn Qudamah (Hanbali) and Ibn 'Abidin (Hanafi) both state that a reasonable approximation is sufficient. Only if you are certain you were facing the completely wrong direction should you repeat the prayer.

Flat maps distort the spherical earth. The great-circle route (shortest path) between your location and Makkah curves across the globe, which looks 'wrong' on a flat Mercator map. For example, from the US East Coast, the Qibla points northeast — not southeast as a flat map suggests — because going northeast across the Atlantic and over Europe is actually shorter than going east across the ocean.

Yes. On Android devices the live compass activates automatically — just rotate your phone and the needle tracks in real time. On iPhone (iOS 13+), tap the 'Tap to Enable Compass' button once to grant permission. Note: device compasses can be affected by metal objects and magnetic interference. For best accuracy, hold your phone flat and away from metal surfaces.

The Qibla bearing is measured from true geographic north. Most phone compasses measure magnetic north, which differs from true north by a 'magnetic declination' that varies by location (typically ±5–20°). For general prayer purposes, this small difference is within the accepted margin of approximation. Dedicated Qibla compasses and this calculator account for true north.