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Praying on a rug with a picture of Masjid Al-Haraam

Question

I asked you several questions and received answers from you. Now I have another question about praying Rukoo' (Sajadah). On of our Muslim brothers read an Islaamic book recently and learnt it is prohibited to pray on a Sajadah which pattern on it is like Masjid Al-Haraam. After reading that brother suspicious of that and let me ask you about that.

Answer

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) is His slave and Messenger.

A praying person should not perform the prayer on a prayer mat on which there is a picture of Al-Haram mosque or any other picture for many reasons.

Firstly, praying on a mat on which there is a picture could distract the praying person and prevent him from submissiveness and humbleness in his prayer because of the pictures and colours. Al-Bukhari and Muslim  may  Allaah  have  mercy  upon  them reported that the Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) prayed while being dressed in a garment which had decorations, and he looked at the decorations once. When he finished the prayer, he said: "Take this garment away from me and give it to Abu Jahm; it distracted me during my prayer."

Imaam An-Nawawi  may  Allaah  have  mercy  upon  him said: "This is an evidence urging the Muslim to have his heart attentive, and removing what could distract it (from concentrating during the prayer)."

There is no doubt that praying on a mat that has pictures distracts the heart more than praying in a garment that has decorations, because the prayer mat is the place where the eyes are focused during the prayer.

Secondly, using a prayer mat without any reason was not the practice of our righteous predecessors of Muhaajireen and Ansaar, and those who followed them exactly in faith  may  Allaah  be  pleased  with  them all; rather they used to pray in the mosque on the ground.

It is reported that when Abdur-Rahmaan Ibn Al-Mahdi  may  Allaah  have  mercy  upon  him came to Al-Madeenah, he brought a prayer mat to pray on; Imaam Maalik  may  Allaah  have  mercy  upon  him ordered him to be taken to prison, so people told him: "This is Abdur-Rahmaan Ibn Al-Mahdi' ". Then Imaam Maalik  may  Allaah  have  mercy  upon  him told him: "Did you not know that putting a prayer mat in our mosque is an innovation?"

Allaah Knows best.

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