I am a little confused, because when I was in Madinah, I visited Masjid al-Qiblatayn. There was a brother who explained to us how the Sahaabah turned around when news reached them that the qiblah had been changed, and he showed us how the imam turned around, and said that he cut through the rows of worshippers, and they also turned around. My question is: after the imam changed his qiblah and turned around, what did the women at the back do? Did they also turn around, or did they interrupt their prayer, or did they stay as they were? Is there any proven, saheeh story in the first place about the way in which the qiblah was changed?

Praise
be to Allah.

Firstly: 

The
story of the change of the qiblah from Bayt al-Maqdis (Jerusalem) to al-Masjid
al-Haraam (Makkah) is proven in the Qur’an, and is also proven in some
detail in the Prophet’s Sunnah. 

Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):


“The
fools (pagans, hypocrites, and Jews) among the people will say, ‘What has
turned them (Muslims) from their Qiblah (prayer direction (towards
Jerusalem)) to which they were used to face in prayer?’ Say, (O Muhammad
SAW) ‘To Allah belong both, east and the west. He guides whom He wills to a
Straight Way.’


Thus
We have made you (true Muslims – real believers of Islamic Monotheism, true
followers of Prophet Muhammad SAW and his Sunnah (legal ways)), a Wasat
(just) (and the best) nation, that you be witnesses over mankind and the
Messenger (Muhammad SAW) be a witness over you. And We made the Qiblah
(prayer direction towards Jerusalem) which you used to face, only to test
those who followed the Messenger (Muhammad SAW) from those who would turn on
their heels (i.e., disobey the Messenger). Indeed it was great (heavy)
except for those whom Allah guided. And Allah would never make your faith
(prayers) to be lost (i.e., your prayers offered towards Jerusalem). Truly,
Allah is full of kindness, the Most Merciful towards mankind.

Verily! We have seen the turning of your (Muhammad’s SAW) face towards the
heaven. Surely, We shall turn you to a Qiblah (prayer direction) that shall
please you, so turn your face in the direction of Al-Masjid- al-Haram (at
Makkah). And wheresoever you people are, turn your faces (in prayer) in that
direction. Certainly, the people who were given the Scriptures (i.e., Jews
and the Christians) know well that, that (your turning towards the direction
of the Ka‘bah at Makkah in prayers) is the truth from their Lord. And Allah
is not unaware of what they do.”


[al-Baqarah
2:142-144]. 

Al-Bukhaari
(41) narrated from al-Bara’ ibn ‘Aazib that when the Prophet (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him) first came to Madinah, he stayed with his
grandfathers or his maternal uncles among the Ansaar, and he prayed facing
towards Bayt al-Maqdis for sixteen or seventeen months. But he wanted his
qiblah to be towards the Ka‘bah. The first prayer he offered (after the
qiblah was changed) was ‘Asr prayer, and some people prayed with him. Then
one of the men who had prayed with him went out and passed by some people
who were praying in a mosque, and they were bowing. He said: I bear witness
by Allah that I (just) prayed with the Messenger of Allah (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him) facing towards Makkah. And they turned around,
as they were, to face towards the Ka‘bah. The Jews and the People of the
Book used to like it when he prayed facing towards Bayt al-Maqdis, and when
he turned to face towards the Ka‘bah, they did not like that. 

Muslim (527) narrated from Anas that the Messenger of Allaah (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him) used to pray towards Bayt al-Maqdis, then it was
revealed: “Verily, We have seen the turning of your (Muhammad’s) face
towards the heaven. Surely, We shall turn you to a Qiblah (prayer direction)
that shall please you, so turn your face in the direction of Al-Masjid Al-Haraam
(at Makkah)” [al-Baqarah 2:144]. A man passed by Banu Salamah whilst
they were bowing in Fajr prayer, and they had prayed one rak’ah. He called
out: The qiblah has been changed, and they turned as they were towards the
qiblah. 

Muslim also narrated (526) that Ibn ‘Umar said: Whilst the people were
praying Fajr in Quba’, someone came to them and said: Revelation came to the
Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) last night and
he was commanded to face towards the Ka‘bah, so face towards it. They were
facing towards Syria, so they turned to face the Ka‘bah. 

Secondly: 

With
regard to the manner in which the Sahaabah (may Allah be pleased with them)
turned around whilst they were praying when news reached them that the
qiblah had been changed, it was as follows: 

The
imam turned around, and those who were with him shifted from their places in
a half circle, so that the imam shifted the back of the mosque, on the side
closest to the Ka‘bah, and the men ended up behind him, and the women ended
up where the men had been originally. 

The
word translated as turned around in the hadeeths quoted above does not mean
that the imam cut through the rows; rather it may be understood that what
happened was simply that he shifted. 

Al-Haafiz
Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) said: An explanation of how they
turned around is given in the hadeeth of Thuwaylah bint Aslam, which was
narrated by Ibn Abi Haatim, and I said something similar. She said: The
women moved to the men’s place, and the men moved to the women’s place, and
we prayed the last two rak‘ahs facing towards the Sacred House (the Ka‘bah). 

I
say: To give a vivid image of what happened, the imam shifted from his place
at the front of the mosque to the back of the mosque, because the one who
faces towards the Ka‘bah [in Madinah] will have Bayt al-Maqdis at his back.
If he had turned around on the spot, there would not have been enough room
behind him for the rows of worshippers. When the imam shifted, the men also
shifted until they were behind him, and the women shifted until they were
behind the men. This requires a great deal of movement in the prayer; it is
possible that this happened before the prohibition on moving a great deal in
the prayer, and it probably also happened before the prohibition on talking
during the prayer. Or it may be understood as meaning that the actions
mentioned were overlooked because of the great significance of the matter in
question. Or it may be that when they shifted, they did not move all in one
go; rather it was a gradual shifting. And Allah knows best.

End
quote from Fath al-Baari, 1/506-507 

See
also: Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 1/167, 470 

Thirdly: 

Visiting the “seven places” (or the “seven mosques”) in Madinah with the
intention of worship and attaining reward is not prescribed in Islam. 

Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him) said: With
regard to the seven mosques, Masjid al-Qiblatayn, and other places that are
mentioned by some writers as places to be visited as part of the rituals,
there is no basis or evidence for that. What is prescribed for the believer
at all times is to follow and not innovate.

End
quote from Majmoo‘ Fataawa Ibn Baaz, 6/321 

For
more information, please see the answer to question no.
11669. 

And
Allah knows best.