[Q 417] Customized Prayer Mat with Allah’s Names, Avoiding Name-Printed Prayer Mats, Respecting Allah’s Names on Items

QUESTION:

Dear respected Ulema, what is the ruling of praying on a prayer mat that has your name customized and that which is also a name for Allah Almighty i.e. Rasheed, Raheem, Haseeb etc?

ANSWER:

It is necessary to avoid using such a prayer mat, because any inscription, words, and even single letters deserve respect and reverence. And if the Sifati Asma (صفاتى اسماء — attributive names) of Allah Almighty are written, then their respect is even more emphasized. Therefore, names or writings should not be inscribed on prayer mats, and if they are, they should either be removed or, if possible, separated and respectfully preserved in an appropriate place.

It is written in Radd al-Muhtar regarding the use of rugs and prayer mats that have writing or inscriptions:

“وفی الخانیة: بساط أو مصلى كتب عليه في النسج الملك لله يكره استعماله وبسطه، والقعود عليه، ولو قطع الحرف من الحرف أو خيط على بعض الحروف: حتى لم تبق الكلمة متصلة لا تزول الكراهة لأن للحروف المفردة حرمة وكذا لو كان عليها الملك أو الألف وحدها أو اللام اهـ.”

(Radd al-Muhtar, Kitab al-Hazr wa al-Ibahah, Fasl fi al-Libs, Vol 9, p. 600, Matbua: Quetta)

Answered by: Qazi Muteeb Attari (AskMufti Scholar)
Translated Answer
Date: 29th June 2025.