From Wikipedia:
Qibla - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
According to the traditional Muslim view, the Qiblah originally faced the
Noble Sanctuary in
Jerusalem. This Qiblah was used for over 13 years, from 610 CE until 623 CE. Seventeen months after the
Islamic prophet Muhammad's
622 CE arrival in
Medina – the date is given as 11 February 624 – the Qiblah became oriented towards the
Kaaba in
Mecca.According to traditional accounts from Muhammad's
companions, the change happened very suddenly during the noon prayer in Medina, in a mosque now known as
Masjid al-Qiblatain (Mosque of the Two Qiblahs). Muhammad was leading the prayer when he received revelations from
God instructing him to take the Kaaba as the Qiblah (literally, "Turn then Thy face in the direction of the sacred Mosque:"). According to the traditional accounts contained in the
hadith and
sira,
Muhammad, who had been facing Jerusalem, upon receiving this revelation, immediately turned around to face Mecca, and those praying behind him also did so.
I think you should have stopped there...explains all...rest at the bottom is speculations...some think, some claim, some said...
We have certainly seen the turning of your face, [O Muhammad], toward the heaven, and
We will surely turn you to a qiblah with which you will be pleased.
So turn your face toward al-Masjid al-Haram. And wherever you [believers] are, turn your faces toward it [in prayer]. Indeed, those who have been given the Scripture well know that it is the truth from their Lord. And Allah is not unaware of what they do.
(2:144)..now this was an "order" not just a statement...
As for everyone else Allah answered you before:
The fools among the people will say: "What hath turned them from the
Qibla to which they were used?" Say: To Allah belong both east and West: He guideth whom He will to a
Way that is straight. (2:142)
And thus we have made you a just community that you will be witnesses over the people and the Messenger will be a witness over you. And
We did not make the qiblah which you used to face except that We might
make evident who would follow the Messenger from who would turn back on his heels. And indeed, it is
difficult except for those whom Allah has guided. And never would Allah have caused you to lose your faith. Indeed Allah is, to the people, Kind and Merciful. (2:143)
We have certainly seen the turning of your face, [O Muhammad], toward the heaven, and
We will surely turn you to a qiblah with which you will be pleased.
So turn your face toward al-Masjid al-Haram. And wherever you [believers] are, turn your faces toward it [in prayer]. Indeed, those who have been given the Scripture well know that it is the truth from their Lord. And Allah is not unaware of what they do.
(2:144)
And if you brought to those who were given the Scripture every sign,
they would not follow your qiblah. Nor will you be a follower of their qiblah. Nor would they be followers of one another's qiblah.
So if you were to follow their desires after what has come to you of knowledge, indeed, you would then be among the wrongdoers. (2:145)
When you have already been given an order and reject it (in Arabic the word for rejecting in such a manner is kufr) so you will be among the wrongdoers (those who reject = kafir)
We were warned people will question us about it...
