Praying on a Patterned Prayer Mat

Question

Mufti ‘Aziz al-Rahman Bijnori has written a research article in which he stated regarding the Italian prayer mats that prayers should not be performed on them. Since this article, people have split into two groups. One holds that prayer should not be performed on such mats at all, for the following reasons: (1) On such patterned mats the mind becomes scattered and khushu‘ (humble concentration) is impaired. (2)

Answer

Prayer performed on this mat will be valid. If khushu‘ is impaired because of its patterns, then, for protection, a plain cloth should be spread over it. Nowadays prayer mats made in places other than Italy are, as a rule, not free of patterns either. Sometimes there are patterns even on a large floor rug. Most people’s attention does not even go to these patterns.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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