. Salat on Adorned Mat

16. Salat on Adorned Mat

is it required for a prayer mat to have a religious pictures like the pictures of Al-haramain Al-Sharefaen (Mosque of Al-Haram and mosque of the Prophet) or pictures any other mosques or Quranic verses ?

and what is the hukm regarding whether it is permitted or not to perform salat on the carpet with drawings of animals or birds or anything like it ?

The Prophet (pbuh) prayed on carpet Al-Khamira as narrated in Sahih Muslim as he said to Aisyah (may Allah be pleased with her)  : Get al-Khamira (kind of mat) for me from the mosque, and the prophet also performs shalat on the mat and the dust as narrated by Anas . and it’s not required to have a religious drawings like the picture of Al-Haramain, even he disliked praying on the decorated mat which may distract the person praying, as narrrated by Anas : The Qiram of Aishah used to cover the side of  her house and then the prophet (pbuh) said to her : “Remove it away from me ! Verily ! its drawing disturbs me in my salat”. (Bukhori 374).

Al-Qiram : a Thin Curtain which made of colourful wool

Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated : The Prophet (pbuh) stood on the khomisoh pictured by flags, while he finished his prayer he said : “Take this Khomisoh to Abi Jahm Ibn Hudzaifah and bring his Al-Anbijaniya to me, because it distracted me in my prayer” (Narrated by Bukhori and Muslim).

Al-anbijaniya : a Thick cloth not pictured nor lined as al-Khomisoh is.

Al-Az Ibn Abdul Salam : it’s disliked to pray on the decorated sparkled mat, and on a hightened place, as the prayer is time of humbleness and calmness, and the people still pray on the makkah and madinah mosque on the ground, sands and gravels in the state of humbleness to Allah.

Then he said : it is better to follow the prophets way in his smaller words and acts, whoever obeys him he will be guided and Allah will love him, and whoever disobeys him and does not follow his way, he will become far and far from the truth in proportion with his farness from following the prophet). Ended. While using a mat with picturs of animals for salat, it’s really disliked as it includes resemblance with the worshipping idols.

Shaikh Islam Ibn Taimiyah said : and the way of most companions : it’s very disliked to enter the church with drawings and to offer the prayer within, and also in every place with pictures. And this is the right act in which there is no doubt ( Al-Ikhtiyarot : 254).

And included in the mentioned above : refusal of the prophet (pbuh) to enter the Ka’bah until the pictures and idols were destroyed (as narrated by Jaber May Allah be Gracious with him). (reported by Abu Daud 4156 and Baihaqi 7/268).

As the prophet (pbuh) said : “Angels do not enter a house having picture within” (Muslim).