Is it permissible to pray on a prayer mat that has illustrations showing the steps of prayer?

Nowadays, prayer mats that display illustrations of the prayer steps have become widespread. Some of these mats also feature Qur’anic verses, the names of Allah, or supplications. A Muslim must show respect for the Qur’an and the symbols of the Sharia. Whoever honors the Qur’an honors Allah, and whoever belittles it belittles Allah. Allah says in the Qur’an:

ذَلِكَ وَمَنْ يُعَظِّمْ شَعَائِرَ اللَّهِ فَإِنَّهَا مِنْ تَقْوَى الْقُلُوبِ

“That [is so]. And whoever honors the symbols of Allah—indeed, it is from the piety of hearts.” (Surah al-Hajj, 32)

‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “Honor the Qur’an.” (Tafsir al-Qurtubi, 1/29).

Writing Qur’anic verses or supplications on a prayer mat is considered disrespectful to these sacred symbols and diminishes their honor and status.

There are sufficient reports from the Prophet (ﷺ) prohibiting the writing of the Qur’an on the ground, on clothing, on mats, pillows, and similar items. One such narration from ‘Amr ibn Shu‘ayb states: “The Prophet (ﷺ) forbade writing the Qur’an on the ground.” (Ibn Batta, al-Ibānah, 5/325; al-Mustaghfiri, Fadā’il al-Qur’an, 1/200).

The reason is that since everyone walks on the ground, the Qur’an written there could be stepped on, which is disrespectful to the Qur’an. This is considered a major sin (Abu ‘Ubayd Qasim ibn Sallam, Fadā’il al-Qur’an, 121).

Kamal ibn al-Humam said: “It is makruh to write the Qur’an or the names of Allah on coins, mihrabs, walls, or mats.” (Fath al-Qadir, 1/173).

The above prohibitions are due to the risk of the Qur’an or the symbols of Sharia being disrespected. Therefore, praying on a mat that displays the steps of prayer falls under this prohibition.

• Additionally, reciting surahs from the Qur’an by looking at them during prayer invalidates the prayer (Hashiyat al-Tahtawi, 336).

• Also, prostrating on an image is considered makruh (Nuru al-Idah, 112).

In conclusion, it is not permissible to pray on such a prayer mat.

Department of Sharia and Fatwa