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Prayer Rugs 101

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Wherever a devout Muslim travels, his/her prayer rug is always close at hand. These prayer rugs come in an assortment of colors, from dark red to green to blue, with intricate designs. But what are prayer rugs? For a non-Muslim, the prayer rug may be an exotic souvenir from a trip to Muslim lands, but for the practicing Muslim, the rug has become an essential part of the Islamic faith.

In Islam, practicing Muslims are required to perform the five compulsory prayers daily. Therefore, in times when a Muslim is unable to attend a mosque, a prayer rug, called Sajjada in Arabic, is a necessity. When a Muslim prays, the prayer should be performed on a clean surface and not on a surface that has been dirtied by shoes and other contaminants. For this reason, Muslims are also not permitted to wear shoes in mosques and shoes must be removed before entering a mosque. The surface in which a Muslim prays must be impeccable. However, if one is traveling and the prayer rug is accidentally left behind, a clean towel will do. Once a prayer is completed, the prayer rug is then neatly folded and put away so that the rug is not left out to be soiled.

Prayer rugs are produced in central and western Asia. The design of most prayer rugs includes an arch at one end, called the rug's mihrab or “gateway to paradise”. This arch distinguishes the rug as a “prayer rug” because of this specific design. The arch symbolizes the prayer niche (mihrab) in the wall of every mosque, the apex that can be pointed toward the direction of the Holy City of Mecca, where all Muslims face in worship. Some prayer rugs have arches which appear at both sides of the rug or next to each other. Prayer rug designs vary from rug to rug. However, prayer rugs are consistent in one major aspect; they do not contain representational images in their designs. These images are forbidden in Islam for the reason that only Allah can give life to creation.

Some prayer rugs include a lamp hanging from the arch, of whose light symbolizes the presence of Allah. Water jugs and combs can also be depicted on prayer rugs, reminding the worshipper of washing before prayer, called wudu. Prayer rugs may also include handprints or a pair of feet shown on the rug to mark the place of the worshipper as a sort of guide in prayer. Some rugs contain a minibar, from which the Qur'an is read. Prayer rugs, which are small in size (3' x 5') for easy carry by Muslims, always contain some imperfection to remind the faithful that only Allah is perfect.

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