Just like there is a tasbih for doing dhikr, there is a prayer mat for praying the daily salah. This mat is a staple in every Muslim household and has a special place in every home. The prayer mat isn’t only something the Muslims pray on. Rather, it is a part of the routine where every Muslim stands before their lord five times a day. This blog will delve deeper into the history of the prayer mat, its use, and whether the Prophet PBUH used one in his life.
Significance & Use Of Prayer Mats
Before Muslims stand for salah, whether it is the five daily prayers or any voluntary salah, it is imperative to ensure that the place in which they are praying and the body of the Muslim are clean and devoid of any impurities. When one uses the prayer mat, it fulfills both of the requirements. Moreover, the act of standing on a prayer mat in itself is an indicator for the mind to let go of all things worldly and enter a state of calm, knowing that Allah SWT will take care of all affairs.
It also protects the body of a Muslim from touching any kind of dust or impurities that may be harmful to the skin if contact occurs. It provides a smooth surface for prostration and protects against sharp objects if one is praying in such an environment, and protects from the heat or coldness of the ground in certain weather. It also protects one’s gaze from wandering.
Origin Of Prayer Mats
The first recorded use of a prayer mat is stated in a hadith of the Prophet PBUH.
`Abdullah bin Shaddad narrated: Maimuna said, “The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) was praying while I was in my menstrual period, sitting beside him. At times, his clothes would touch me when he went into prostration. He was praying on a Khumra—a small mat just large enough for the face and hands during prostration.”
This indicates that the first kind of prayer mat was a Khumra. This practice then spread onto the ummah and is still followed to this day.
Design Of a Prayer Mat
Since early Islam, the rectangular shape of the prayer mat has been the typical form. Characterized by a prayer niche, also known as a mihrab, it represents the archway present in the wall of every Mosque which denotes the direction of the Kaaba. The placement of the archway is in the upper center of the prayer mat and indicates the space where the Muslim is supposed to keep their forehead during prostration.
Along with the mihrab design, other Islamic architectures, such as the Kaaba, Masjid e Nabwi, and cities of Makkah and Madina, are also embroidered into the prayer mat. Geometric designs, which are a hallmark of Islamic art, are also widely found woven into intricate patterns.
Is It Permissible To Pray Without A Prayer Mat?
Islam gives permission to pray without a prayer mat. It is narrated in a hadith that the Prophet PBUH used to pray on a khumrah, a small mat made from palm fibers or palm leaves.
Al-Khattabi preferred the view of the khumrah being bigger than described in the hadith. He quoted as evidence the hadith narrated by Ibn ‘Abbas, who stated:
A mouse once dragged a wick and dropped it in front of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) onto the mat he was sitting on, burning a hole in it about the size of a dirham. The Prophet (PBUH) then said, “When you go to sleep, put out your lamps, for the devil may direct a creature like this to cause a fire.”
Al-Shawkani stated:
“This hadith indicates that if one prays on a prayer mat, whether it is made of rags, palm leaves, or anything else, there is nothing wrong in that. Whether it is big or small, like a carpet or mat, there is nothing wrong about it, because the Prophet PBUH prayed on carpets, mats, and animal pelts. ”
Which Prayer Mats Are Not Allowed?
If the prayer mat consists of images of living things, it is haram to keep them, and the images should be cut, removed, or blotted out. Those prayer mats that consist of decorations and patterns that attract the attention of the worshipper and distract them from salah are considered makruh.
Some prominent scholars state:
“With regard to the pictures of inanimate objects such as lakes, rivers, plants, mountains, trees, etc., they are permissible as long as there are no pictures of living beings in these pictures or around them. Praying on them is considered to be makruh because they distract the worshipper from proper focus and humility (khushu’) in prayer, but the prayer is still valid.”
(Fatawa al-Lajnah al-Daimah, 6/180)
When Are Prayer Mats Not Allowed?
Just like everything in Islam has certain conditions where an action is impermissible, the same is the case with using prayer mats. There are certain instances where the Shariah doesn’t give permission for the usage of a prayer mat.
When One Thinks It Is Necessary
If a person prays on a prayer mat because they think it is essential to have a mat for prayer and that they have to pray on the prayer mat or something else, such as a rug or a carpet, whether they are at home or outside, then it is not allowed.
Shaykh al-Islam RA said:
“Praying on rugs, in the sense of making it a habit or insisting upon it, was not the practice of the Salaf—the Muhajirun, the Ansar, or those who truly followed them during the time of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH). They would pray directly on the ground in his mosque, and none of them possessed a rug designated solely for prayer. It is reported that when ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Mahdi came to Madinah and spread out a rug, Malik ordered that it be removed. When people said, ‘But he is ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Mahdi,’ Malik replied, ‘Do you not know that spreading a rug in our mosque is an innovation (bid‘ah)?”
(Majmu‘ al-Fatawa, 22/163)
If One Uses Them To Avoid The Ground
If one prays on the rug to avoid praying on the ground, then it is not permissible.
“Whoever has been in i‘tikaf with me should continue it during the last ten days. I was informed (of the date) of the Night of Qadr, but I was made to forget it. In my dream, I saw myself prostrating in mud and water on the morning after that night. So seek it during the last ten nights, and especially in the odd nights among them.” Abu Sa‘id Al-Khudri, the narrator of this hadith, also stated, “That night, it rained, and the roof of the mosque, which was made of palm-leaf stalks, began to leak.” I saw with my own eyes the trace of mud and water on the forehead of the Prophet (PBUH) (on the morning of the twenty-first).
This hadith clearly states the humility of the Prophet PBUH as he prostrated on the water and mud, and he didn’t order something to be brought to him for his prostration during prayer.