“Narrated to us Amr ibn Khalid, he said: Informed us Zuhair, he said: Informed us Abu Ishaq, from Al-Bara’, that the Prophet, peace be upon him, when he first arrived in Medina, prayed facing the ancestors (or relatives) from the Ansar for sixteen or seventeen months. He prayed facing the direction of Jerusalem, and he liked for his Qibla to instead be the Kaaba (Mecca). He prayed the first prayer, which was the Asr prayer, and a group prayed with him. Then, a man from those who prayed with him went out and passed by people in a mosque who were in the state of bowing in prayer. He said, ‘I bear witness by Allah that I have prayed with the Messenger of Allah facing Mecca.’ So, they turned their faces towards the Kaaba. The Jews were impressed when he used to pray facing Jerusalem, as well as the People of the Book. When he turned his face towards the Kaaba, they disapproved of that. Zuhair said: Abu Ishaq informed us from Al-Bara’ in this narration that he died facing the Qibla before some people apostatized and were killed. We did not know what to say about them. Then, Allah revealed: ‘And Allah would not waste your faith.'”
حَدَّثَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ خَالِدٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا زُهَيْرٌ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو إِسْحَاقَ، عَنِ الْبَرَاءِ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم كَانَ أَوَّلَ مَا قَدِمَ الْمَدِينَةَ نَزَلَ عَلَى أَجْدَادِهِ ـ أَوْ قَالَ أَخْوَالِهِ ـ مِنَ الأَنْصَارِ، وَأَنَّهُ صَلَّى قِبَلَ بَيْتِ الْمَقْدِسِ سِتَّةَ عَشَرَ شَهْرًا، أَوْ سَبْعَةَ عَشَرَ شَهْرًا، وَكَانَ يُعْجِبُهُ أَنْ تَكُونَ قِبْلَتُهُ قِبَلَ الْبَيْتِ، وَأَنَّهُ صَلَّى أَوَّلَ صَلاَةٍ صَلاَّهَا صَلاَةَ الْعَصْرِ، وَصَلَّى مَعَهُ قَوْمٌ، فَخَرَجَ رَجُلٌ مِمَّنْ صَلَّى مَعَهُ، فَمَرَّ عَلَى أَهْلِ مَسْجِدٍ، وَهُمْ رَاكِعُونَ فَقَالَ أَشْهَدُ بِاللَّهِ لَقَدْ صَلَّيْتُ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قِبَلَ مَكَّةَ، فَدَارُوا كَمَا هُمْ قِبَلَ الْبَيْتِ، وَكَانَتِ الْيَهُودُ قَدْ أَعْجَبَهُمْ إِذْ كَانَ يُصَلِّي قِبَلَ بَيْتِ الْمَقْدِسِ، وَأَهْلُ الْكِتَابِ، فَلَمَّا وَلَّى وَجْهَهُ قِبَلَ الْبَيْتِ أَنْكَرُوا ذَلِكَ. قَالَ زُهَيْرٌ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو إِسْحَاقَ عَنِ الْبَرَاءِ فِي حَدِيثِهِ هَذَا أَنَّهُ مَاتَ عَلَى الْقِبْلَةِ قَبْلَ أَنْ تُحَوَّلَ رِجَالٌ وَقُتِلُوا، فَلَمْ نَدْرِ مَا نَقُولُ فِيهِمْ، فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى {وَمَا كَانَ اللَّهُ لِيُضِيعَ إِيمَانَكُمْ}