Qibla · Johor
Qibla direction in Batu Pahat
To face the Kaaba in Batu Pahat, turn to 292.9° measured clockwise from true north, which is north-west (22.9° north of west). The Sacred Mosque in Mecca lies 7,157 km away along the shortest path over the globe, and this is the direction the mihrabs of the mosques in Batu Pahat should follow.
The compass rose shows the Qibla of Batu Pahat as a needle at 292.9°. With a phone app set to true north, simply turn until it reads 293°. A traditional magnetic compass also works, provided you allow for the local difference between magnetic and true north.
Find the Qibla with your phone
How to face the Qibla in Batu Pahat
Stand where you will pray and find north first. Then turn towards west and move a further 22.9° towards north: the result is the bearing of 292.9°. A small error of a few degrees is forgiven by most scholars, but aiming simply at west would leave you about 23° off.
The scholars distinguish two cases: the one who sees the Kaaba aims at the building itself, while the one who cannot see it, as anywhere in Batu Pahat, aims at its direction as well as he reasonably can. Comparing with the mihrab of one of the mosques of Batu Pahat is a quick way to confirm the result. If you travel or move house, check the angle again, since it changes from place to place.
Why a flat map shows a different direction
A straight line drawn on a flat (Mercator) map from Batu Pahat to Mecca points to 287.7° (west), 5.3° away from the correct 292.9°. That map line is a rhumb line: it keeps the same compass heading all the way, but it is 18 km longer than the true shortest route. The Qibla follows the great circle, the shortest path on the curved Earth, which is why the bearing differs.
The value of 292.9° is the direction in which the shortest route from 1.8548° N, 102.9325° E sets off towards the Kaaba at 21.4225° N, 39.8262° E. Every accurate Qibla calculator, and the plans of well-oriented mosques, arrive at the same angle for this point.
Distance from Batu Pahat to Mecca and Medina
Mecca is 7,157 km from Batu Pahat as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 7,233 km away. A direct flight would take roughly 8 h 55 min, although most pilgrims from Batu Pahat connect through Jeddah or Medina airport.
Clocks in Batu Pahat run 5 hours ahead of Mecca all year. Prayer times, however, depend on the sun at your own location, so always use the prayer times of Batu Pahat rather than those of Mecca.
Finding the Qibla with the sun in Batu Pahat
On 154 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of Batu Pahat while it is well above the horizon. At that moment, facing the sun means facing Mecca. The effect is most frequent in May (31 days); for example, on 1 April 2027 it happens at 13:37 local time.
On 163 days the sun stands exactly opposite the Qibla: then the shadow of any vertical object, a pole, a door frame or a plumb line, points straight towards Mecca. This is most frequent in October (31 days), for instance on 15 January 2027 at 08:36.
| Date | Sun in the Qibla direction (face the sun) | Sun opposite (shadows point to the Qibla) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 January 2027 | — | — |
| 15 January 2027 | — | 08:36 |
| 1 February 2027 | — | 09:57 |
| 15 February 2027 | — | 10:56 |
| 1 March 2027 | — | 11:49 |
| 15 March 2027 | — | 12:39 |
| 1 April 2027 | 13:37 | — |
| 15 April 2027 | 14:26 | — |
| 1 May 2027 | 15:25 | — |
| 15 May 2027 | 16:21 | — |
| 1 June 2027 | 17:38 | — |
| 15 June 2027 | — | — |
| 1 July 2027 | — | — |
| 15 July 2027 | 17:30 | — |
| 1 August 2027 | 16:17 | — |
| 15 August 2027 | 15:20 | — |
| 1 September 2027 | 14:12 | — |
| 15 September 2027 | 13:16 | — |
| 1 October 2027 | — | 12:11 |
| 15 October 2027 | — | 11:15 |
| 1 November 2027 | — | 10:07 |
| 15 November 2027 | — | 09:09 |
| 1 December 2027 | — | 08:01 |
| 15 December 2027 | — | — |
Twice a year the sun passes directly over the Kaaba, on 28 May 2027 and 16 July 2027. Both moments are in daylight in Batu Pahat: at 17:18 and 17:27 local time, face the sun and you face the Qibla exactly, anywhere in the city.
Batu Pahat compared with other cities
The Qibla here is practically the same as in Kuala Lumpur (292.5°), and Mecca is 183 km farther away. The nearest city with its own Qibla page, Muar town (46 km), prays towards 292.9°, the same bearing to the tenth of a degree.
Across the 40 cities in Malaysia on this site, the Qibla ranges from 290.6° in Kota Kinabalu to 293.0° in Iskandar Puteri, a spread of 2.4°. The difference is small, yet each city should still use its own bearing.
See all cities on the Qibla page for Malaysia.
Qibla in cities near Batu Pahat
- Muar town292.9° · 46 km
- Kluang292.8° · 47 km
- Malacca292.9° · 86 km
- Iskandar Puteri293.0° · 92 km
- Johor Bahru293.0° · 101 km
- Pasir Gudang293.0° · 117 km
Qibla in Batu Pahat: questions and answers
What is the Qibla direction in Batu Pahat?
It is 292.9° from true north, which is north-west: 22.9° north of west.
How far is Batu Pahat from Mecca?
7,157 km in a straight line over the globe, and 7,233 km to Medina.
When does the sun show the Qibla in Batu Pahat?
On 154 days of 2027 the sun stands in the Qibla direction; the table on this page gives the exact time for the 1st and 15th of each month.
Why is the Qibla in Batu Pahat not the direction shown on a map?
Flat maps distort directions. The line on a map points to 287.7°, but the shortest route on the globe leaves Batu Pahat at 292.9°, and that is the Qibla.
Does the Qibla change during the year?
No. The direction of 292.9° is fixed; only the times when the sun lines up with it change from day to day.
