Narrator:Al-Barā' ibn ‘Āzib
حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى، حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ، عَنْ إِسْرَائِيلَ، عَنْ أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ، عَنِ الْبَرَاءِ، قَالَ لَمَّا قَدِمَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم الْمَدِينَةَ
صَلَّى نَحْوَ بَيْتِ الْمَقْدِسِ سِتَّةَ عَشَرَ، أَوْ سَبْعَةَ عَشَرَ شَهْرًا، وَكَانَ يُحِبُّ أَنْ يُوَجَّهَ إِلَى الْكَعْبَةِ فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى {قَدْ نَرَى تَقَلُّبَ وَجْهِكَ فِي السَّمَاءِ فَلَنُوَلِّيَنَّكَ قِبْلَةً تَرْضَاهَا} فَوُجِّهَ نَحْوَ الْكَعْبَةِ، وَصَلَّى مَعَهُ رَجُلٌ الْعَصْرَ، ثُمَّ خَرَجَ فَمَرَّ عَلَى قَوْمٍ مِنَ الأَنْصَارِ فَقَالَ هُوَ يَشْهَدُ أَنَّهُ صَلَّى مَعَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَأَنَّهُ قَدْ وُجِّهَ إِلَى الْكَعْبَةِ. فَانْحَرَفُوا وَهُمْ رُكُوعٌ فِي صَلاَةِ الْعَصْرِ.
Narrated Al-Bara':
When Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) arrived at Medina, he prayed facing Jerusalem for sixteen or seventeen months but he wished that he would be ordered to face the Ka`ba. So Allah revealed: -- 'Verily! We have seen the turning of your face towards the heaven; surely we shall turn you to a prayer direction (Qibla) that shall please you.' (2.144) Thus he was directed towards the Ka`ba. A man prayed the `Asr prayer with the Prophet (ﷺ) and then went out, and passing by some people from the Ansar, he said, "I testify. that I have prayed with the Prophet (ﷺ) and he (the Prophet) has prayed facing the Ka`ba." Thereupon they, who were bowing in the `Asr prayer, turned towards the Ka`ba.
Reported by Al-Bukhari (No. 7252, 40, 399, 4486, 4492), Muslim (No. 525b), At-Tirmidhi (No. 340, 2962), An-Nasa’i (No. 488, 489, 742), Ibn Majah (No. 1010) and Ahmad (No. 17765, 17806, 17958).