Tirmidhi Book 47, Hadith 2962

حَدَّثَنَا هَنَّادٌ، حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ، عَنْ إِسْرَائِيلَ، عَنْ أَبِي إِسْحَاق، عَنْ الْبَرَاءِ بْنِ عَازِبٍ، قَالَ:‏‏‏‏ لَمَّا قَدِمَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ الْمَدِينَةَ صَلَّى نَحْوَ بَيْتِ الْمَقْدِسِ سِتَّةَ أَوْ سَبْعَةَ عَشَرَ شَهْرًا، ‏‏‏‏‏‏وَكَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يُحِبُّ أَنْ يُوَجَّهَ إِلَى الْكَعْبَةِ، ‏‏‏‏‏‏فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ:‏‏‏‏ قَدْ نَرَى تَقَلُّبَ وَجْهِكَ فِي السَّمَاءِ فَلَنُوَلِّيَنَّكَ قِبْلَةً تَرْضَاهَا فَوَلِّ وَجْهَكَ شَطْرَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ سورة البقرة آية 144 فَوَجِّهَ نَحْوَ الْكَعْبَةِ، ‏‏‏‏‏‏وَكَانَ يُحِبُّ ذَلِكَ، ‏‏‏‏‏‏فَصَلَّى رَجُلٌ مَعَهُ الْعَصْرَ، ‏‏‏‏‏‏قَالَ:‏‏‏‏ ثُمَّ مَرَّ عَلَى قَوْمٍ مِنَ الْأَنْصَارِ، ‏‏‏‏‏‏وَهُمْ رُكُوعٌ فِي صَلَاةِ الْعَصْرِ نَحْوَ بَيْتِ الْمَقْدِسِ، ‏‏‏‏‏‏فَقَالَ:‏‏‏‏ هُوَ يَشْهَدُ أَنَّهُ صَلَّى مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، ‏‏‏‏‏‏وَأَنَّهُ قَدْ وُجِّهَ إِلَى الْكَعْبَةِ، ‏‏‏‏‏‏قَالَ:‏‏‏‏ فَانْحَرَفُوا وَهُمْ رُكُوعٌ ، ‏‏‏‏‏‏قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى:‏‏‏‏ هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ، ‏‏‏‏‏‏وَقَدْ رَوَاهُ سُفْيَانُ الثَّوْرِيُّ، ‏‏‏‏‏‏عَنْ أَبِي إِسْحَاق.

Narrated Al-Bara bin 'Azib: When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) arrived in Al-Madinah, he performed Salat facing the direction of Bait Al-Maqdis (Jerusalem) for sixteen or seventeen months. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) longed to face toward the Ka'bah, so Allah, Might and Sublime is He revealed: Verily, WE have seen the turning of your face towards the heave. Surely, We Shall turn your face in the direction of Al-Masjid Al-Haram (2:144). So he faced the direction of the Ka'bah and he longed for that. (One day) a man performed Salat Al-'Asr along with him. He said: Then he passed by some people of the Ansar performing Salat Al-'Asr, while they were bowing toward Bait Al-Maqdis. He told them that he testifies that he performed Salat with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), and he had faced the direction of the Ka'bah. He said: So they turned while they were bowing.