Christians interpreted Islamic worship through Christian models, not direct observation.

Evidence

There was little curiosity on the Christian side, in spite of a general taste for the fantastic or the scandalous. Much that was known of the details was discoloured by the interpretation of Islam in the light of Christian practices. On subjects like the Friday prayer and the qiblah the real facts were not established, probably because it was taken for granted that there was no significant point by which they might be distinguished from Christian models. — Norman Daniel, Islam and the West, 1204

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Christians lacked a concept of ritual impurity outside actual sin