# Qibla questions **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [October 13, 2000, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/qibla-questions/36817 "2000-10-13T18:10:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![raoulortega](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/278dde/32.png) [@raoulortega](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raoulortega)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2000, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/qibla-questions/36817/1 "2000-10-13T18:10:07Z")
Which brings up some other questions-- which way does one face while in earth orbit? What about on the moon (or beyond?) In a hot air balloon over the Kaaba? In a similar vein-- how does one handle Ramadan if it occurs in the summer and you are in Arctic or Antarctic? (Or if you are Jewish, when does the Sabbath start?) [http://www.straightdope.com/columns/001013.html](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/001013.html) [Edited by CKDextHavn on 10-14-2000 at 11:03 AM] ---
**Author:** ![SandWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8491ac/32.png) [@SandWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SandWriter)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2000, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/qibla-questions/36817/2 "2000-10-13T19:25:52Z")
Hey All, I finished reading Cecil’s answer to the ‘which direction do muslim’s face’ question and I had a thought. Near the end of the answer, Cecil says there are two places where you could face any direction, Kaaba and Kaaba Prime (for lack of a better deferentiator). At the Kaaba itself you could look down towards the foundation of the shrine, or lay on your back looking up at the cieling of the shrine. At Kaaba Prime, you should look down, through the earth to the Kaaba. Another thing I thought of is that outside of the Kaaba and Kaaba Prime you could face either Kaaba or Kaaba Prime. If your prayer does travel in a circle, then it should pass through both points. I’m pretty sure this is true cause I played around with string and tape on my trackball. What do you think? -SandWriter ---
**Author:** ![whitetho](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whitetho/32/1059_2.png) [@whitetho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whitetho)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2000, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/qibla-questions/36817/3 "2000-10-13T19:46:21Z")
[How do Muslims know which way to face when praying?](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/001013.html) > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by raoulortega \* > **In a similar vein-- how does one handle Ramadan if it occurs in the summer and you are in Arctic or Antarctic?** [NOTE: During the month of Ramadan, adults follow various traditions, including avoiding eating and drinking during daylight hours. This, of course, could be a bit of the problem in “the land of the midnight sun”]. There were once some foreign students staying at my parent’s house, and we asked them about this. Two points they thought were important were: 1) The special Ramadan dietary restrictions don’t apply to travellers, and 2) the time of sunrise and sunset is determined by the nearest mosque, and they didn’t think there were any inside of the Arctic or Antarctic circles. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2000, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/qibla-questions/36817/4 "2000-10-14T03:30:37Z")
How about this? Define the Qibla as the projection of the shortest path to the Kaaba onto the plane of the surface on which the person praying is supported, or, if the person praying is not supported on any surface, the direct shortest path. This should work anywhere in the Universe, provided that the Muslim in question is not inside the event horizon of a black hole. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2000, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/qibla-questions/36817/5 "2000-10-16T16:08:35Z")
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