The Prayer Mat, Explained
It is the one piece of furniture most of us use five times a day, and the one we think about least. Here is where the prayer mat comes from, what to look for, and how to choose the right one for you or someone you love.
Strictly speaking, you do not need one. "The earth has been made for me (and for my followers) a place for praying," the Prophet ﷺ said, "therefore anyone of my followers can pray wherever the time of a prayer is due" (Sahih al-Bukhari 335). Any clean patch of ground will do.
And yet, for fourteen centuries, Muslims have chosen to pray on something beautiful. Here is why, and how to choose well.
What is a prayer mat?
At its simplest, a prayer mat marks out a clean space for one person's prayer. The Prophet ﷺ himself had one: his wife Maymuna (RA) reported that he "used to pray on a khumra" (Sahih al-Bukhari 381), a small mat, just big enough for the face and hands in sujood.
Over the centuries the khumra grew into the sajjada, from the same root as sujood: the place of prostration.
Why the arch?
Look closely at most traditional prayer mats and you will see an arch at one end. It is a small mihrab, the niche in a mosque wall that shows the direction of the qibla. Describing a 19th-century rug from central Anatolia in its collection, the Metropolitan Museum of Art notes the "characteristic niche design evoking the mihrab or prayer niche," with a stepped arch recalling "the design of muqarnas prayer niches that were so popular in Seljuq and Ottoman mosques." Every time you lay out a mat, you are unrolling a small piece of a mosque.
What to look for
Size. Ours run from about 44 to 47 inches (112–120 cm) long. Taller people should check that forehead and toes both fit comfortably in sujood.
Padding. For long prayers, or for parents and grandparents with tired knees, cushioning matters more than pattern.
Backing. A non-slip back keeps the mat still on tiles and wooden floors, which matters in most Dhaka flats.
Weight. A light mat that folds small is the one that goes to the office, to university and on Umrah.
Design. Busy patterns can pull the eye; many people prefer something calm. Choose a design that helps you look down and settle.
The edit
Turkish Standard Prayer Mat
Traditional Turkish motifs on a velvet-soft surface, with cushioned padding and a non-slip back that holds steady in sujood. At about 47 × 28.5 inches it is generous without being bulky, and light enough to fold for travel. This is the mat for the person who prays everywhere: office, airport, a friend's spare room.
Solid Color Prayer Mat
For those who find pattern distracting, a single deep colour does the opposite: it quietens the eye. It comes in rich shades such as bottle green and ruby red, about 45 × 28 inches, soft and foldable. A good first mat for a new Muslim, or for a child moving up to the family prayer line.
Velvet Standard Prayer Mat
[TEAM: add size, pile and backing.] The everyday velvet mat: the one that lives by the bed and is unrolled before Fajr.
Velvet Premium Prayer Mat
[TEAM: add what makes it premium: pile depth, padding, finish.] The one to give. It suits a wedding, a housewarming, or parents returning from Hajj.
Calligraphy Customised Prayer Mat
Made in Turkey and personalised with a name in calligraphy, in your choice of the colours in stock. Allow 8 to 10 days for it to be made. It is the gift a child will keep long after they have outgrown everything else.
How to care for it
Spot clean, or wash gently by hand, and dry in the air. Fold it rather than leaving it on the floor, and never let it sit where shoes walk. A mat treated with care lasts for years, and it reminds everyone in the house that this corner is different.
A last word
The earth is already a place of prayer. A prayer mat is simply our way of saying that this meeting matters.
Words by Rashid Shahriar, Founder & Head of Designs
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Read next: 15 Ways to Become a Fajr Person · 15 Ways to Bring Barakah Into Your Home · What Is Kiswah? The Story Behind the Cloth of the Kaaba
