Qibla Direction Finder – Online Sun Shadow & Compass

The Qibla is the direction Muslims face during prayer (Salah), toward the Kaaba in the Sacred Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is a fundamental aspect of Islamic worship, symbolizing unity as over 1.9 billion Muslims around the world face the same direction five times daily. The Kaaba's coordinates are approximately 21.4225°N, 39.8262°E.

This tool uses spherical trigonometry to calculate the great-circle bearing from your current location to the Kaaba. The formula computes the initial azimuth (bearing from True North) using your latitude/longitude and the Kaaba's fixed coordinates. If you enable the compass, your device's magnetometer provides real-time orientation, allowing the on-screen compass to align with the physical world — simply rotate until the green arrow points straight ahead.

The Sun Shadow Method is a traditional technique: place a vertical stick (gnomon) in flat, level ground on a sunny day. The shadow cast by the stick points in the opposite direction of the sun. If you know the sun's current azimuth (its angle from North), the shadow points to sun azimuth + 180°. When the shadow direction aligns with the calculated Qibla bearing, you've found the right direction. On Qibla Days (May 27–28 and July 15–16), the sun passes directly over the Kaaba, and at that precise moment, shadows everywhere on Earth point toward the Qibla.

The mathematical calculation is highly accurate (within 0.1° when using precise GPS coordinates). However, real-world accuracy depends on: (1) your device's GPS precision (typically ±5 meters outdoors), (2) your phone's magnetometer calibration for the live compass feature, and (3) avoiding magnetic interference from metal objects or electronics. For prayer purposes, a few degrees of deviation is perfectly acceptable — Islamic jurisprudence allows a reasonable margin.

Qibla Days occur twice a year: around May 27–28 and July 15–16. On these dates, the sun reaches the zenith directly above the Kaaba at approximately 12:18 PM (May) and 12:27 PM (July) local Mecca time (UTC+3). At that exact moment (09:18 GMT in May, 09:27 GMT in July), any vertical object anywhere on Earth casts a shadow that points directly toward or away from the Qibla. To use this: note the exact GMT time, go outside, place a vertical stick, and mark the shadow line — that's your Qibla direction.

The live compass feature requires a device with a magnetometer (most modern smartphones have one). On iOS 13+, Safari requires explicit user permission for DeviceOrientation — tap "Enable Live Compass" to grant access. On desktop browsers, magnetometer data is generally unavailable, so the compass displays a static view. For best results, use this tool on a smartphone outdoors, away from magnetic interference (metal structures, electronics, car dashboards).

Yes! The core Qibla calculation runs entirely in your browser using JavaScript — no server requests are needed once the page loads. You can manually enter coordinates even without an internet connection. The sun position calculation also works offline. However, the initial GPS detection and live compass features require device hardware access, which works offline as well on most devices.