What is the ruling on using large rivers (Anhār) for determining the Qibla?
Chapter on Facing the Qiblah
Al-Mughni
Book of Prayer
Primary text
Our companions mentioned using water sources for indication, stating that major rivers generally flow from the right side of the worshipper to the left, with a slight deviation. Examples include the Tigris, Euphrates, and Nahrawan. This method is unreliable for modern, arbitrarily created rivers or small canals and streams, as they lack fixed standards and are subject to change based on needs and varying directions.
Supporting text
There is no reliability in two rivers flowing from the left of the worshipper to the right, such as the Orontes in Sham and the Sayḥūn in the East. Furthermore, this principle is not universally applicable; many rivers in Sham do not follow the described flow—for instance, the Jordan flows towards the Qibla, and many others flow towards the sea where they are located. If this rule is exclusively applied, only the Orontes and the Euphrates (which borders Sham from the East) fit the description in the Levant.