❖ Avoiding Distracting Prayer Mats and Curtains in Salah ❖
By: Imran Ayyub Lahori
✿ Ruling on Using Decorated Prayer Mats or Praying Before Patterned Curtains
Praying on heavily decorated prayer mats or in front of patterned curtains or walls that may disrupt concentration is discouraged (makrūh) in Islamic teachings. This is based on authentic evidences from the life of the Prophet ﷺ.
◈ Evidences from the Sunnah:
➊ Distraction by Decorative Curtain in ʿĀʾishah's Home
Anas (RA) narrates that ʿĀʾishah (RA) had a beautiful curtain hung on one side of her chamber. The Prophet ﷺ said:
«أميطي عنا قرامك هذا فإنه لا تزال تصاويره تعرض لي في صلاتي»
(Bukhārī 5959, 4374; Aḥmad 3/151)
"Remove this curtain from before us, for its images keep appearing in front of me during my prayer and distract me."
➋ Gifted Sheet with Patterns from Abū Jahm (RA)
Abū Jahm (RA) gifted a sheet that had patterns and was thin in nature. The Prophet ﷺ prayed with it once and afterward remarked:
«اذهبوا بخميصتي هذه إلى أبي جهم وائتوني بأنبجانية أبي جهم فإنها ألهتني عن الصلاة»
(Bukhārī 373; Muslim 863)
"Take this sheet back to Abū Jahm and bring me his plain anbijāniyyah instead, for this one distracted me during my prayer."
➌ No Distracting Items in the Qiblah Direction
ʿUthmān ibn Abī Ṭalḥah (RA) narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said:
«فإنه لا ينبغي أن يكون في قبلة البيت شيء يلهي المصلي»
(Saḥīḥ Abū Dāwūd 1786; Aḥmad 5/380; Ḥumaydī 565; Ibn Abī Shaybah 1/399)
"Indeed, it is not appropriate to have anything in the Qiblah direction of the house that distracts the praying person."
✿ Additional Caution Regarding Pictorial Images
Having images of living beings in the house is strictly prohibited, particularly in the context of prayer. The Prophet ﷺ said:
«إن الذين يصنعون هذه الصور يعذبون يوم القيامة، يقال لهم: أحيوا ما خلقتم»
(Bukhārī 5951; Muslim 2108; Nasā’ī 8/215; Aḥmad 4/2; Bayhaqī 7/268)
"Those who make these images will be punished on the Day of Judgment. It will be said to them: Give life to what you created."
✔ Exception: Non-Living Objects (e.g., Trees, Mountains)
The Prophet ﷺ allowed drawing or displaying images of inanimate objects:
«فإن كنت لا بد فاعلا فاجعل الشجر وما لا نفس له»
(Bukhārī 5963; Muslim 2110; Nasā’ī 8/215; Aḥmad 1/241; Bayhaqī 7/269)
"If you must do it, then depict trees and things that have no soul."
❖ Conclusion
Praying in front of patterned or image-bearing objects, including decorated mats, curtains, or walls with imagery, is discouraged due to its impact on focus (khushūʿ) during Salah. Maintaining a simple, distraction-free environment enhances the spiritual quality of prayer and aligns with the practice of the Prophet ﷺ.
