ISLAMICA: Jurnal Studi Keislaman
Vol. 21 No. 1 (2026): September

Reconsidering Qibla Orientation in Aceh’s Cultural Heritage Mosques: An Integrative Multi-Model Tolerance Framework

Putri, Hasna Tuddar (Unknown)
Ukhti, Laiyina (Unknown)
Ismail, Ismail (Unknown)
Ulfa, Mahfudzah (Unknown)



Article Info

Publish Date
08 Oct 2026

Abstract

Aceh is home to numerous historic mosques, many of which remain active places of worship and have been designated as cultural heritage sites. Their qibla (qiblah) orientations, however, may differ from modern astronomical calculations, while attempts at cor­rection often encounter concerns regarding historical ijtihād, religious legitima­cy, and heritage preservation. This study evaluates the qibla orientation of 13 cultural heritage mosques in Aceh using Google Earth-based ge­ospatial analysis interpreted through the perspectives of fiqh, science, and tradition. The results show that 53% of the mosques exhibit sub­stantial deviations of more than 5°, while 47% fall within the high- or moderate-precision categories. Based on these findings, the study de­velops a Multi-Model Framework for Qibla Di­rection Tolerance inte­grating five models: the Astronomical 3-Point Model, Symbolic Kaaba Radius Model, Actual Haram Boundary Model, Sociological Tolerance, and Fiqh Tolerance. The framework distinguishes geometric precision from normative legitimacy and ena­bles qibla orientation to be evaluat­ed contextually without neglecting astronomical accuracy, fiqh consid­erations, historical value, and com­munity acceptance.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

islamica

Publisher

Subject

Religion Education

Description

ISLAMICA: Journal of Islamic Studies is a biannually published journal in March and September. It covers various issues on the Islamic studies within such number of fields as Islamic education, Islamic thought, Islamic law, political Islam, and Islamic economics from social and cultural ...