Prayer Rug Etiquette?

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   Having been a Muslim for only a short time (since September of last year) I've run across a number of questions on odd subjects- one of these being the use of prayer rugs (sajajid).

Is there any 'standard way' of positioning oneself when using a prayer rug? Should one stand completely on the rug itself, or just on the fringe, allowing enough room to prostrate and sit? Or should one stand completely off the rug, touching it only when kneeling or sitting? If one is using a prayer rug to create a 'clean space' to pray, does one take the shoes off and pray in bare feet or socks and not step off of it at all during the prayers? Or does it make any difference at all in any of these things?

I have been given two prayer rugs as gifts, and to date when I have used them I have to stand on the fringe to allow room for prostration- should I be looking for a larger size to allow me to be on it completely? Or is it an issue that I should even be concerned with? I know the rugs are simply a tool to aid in prayers, and I'm certainly not thinking they are a 'required piece of equipment' for offering prayers. I just want to use it correctly- if there is such a way- if I'm going to use it at all.

Things like this I know are common everyday knowledge to those born into a Muslim household, but for us newcomers it's all new and unexplored territory. Thank you in advance for your helpful comments ~

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John S Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Starter Joined: 16 February 2011 Status: Offline Points: 8	Post Options Post Reply Quote John S Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: Prayer Rug Etiquette? Posted: 24 February 2011 at 7:18pm
	Having been a Muslim for only a short time (since September of last year) I've run across a number of questions on odd subjects- one of these being the use of prayer rugs (sajajid). Is there any 'standard way' of positioning oneself when using a prayer rug? Should one stand completely on the rug itself, or just on the fringe, allowing enough room to prostrate and sit? Or should one stand completely off the rug, touching it only when kneeling or sitting? If one is using a prayer rug to create a 'clean space' to pray, does one take the shoes off and pray in bare feet or socks and not step off of it at all during the prayers? Or does it make any difference at all in any of these things? I have been given two prayer rugs as gifts, and to date when I have used them I have to stand on the fringe to allow room for prostration- should I be looking for a larger size to allow me to be on it completely? Or is it an issue that I should even be concerned with? I know the rugs are simply a tool to aid in prayers, and I'm certainly not thinking they are a 'required piece of equipment' for offering prayers. I just want to use it correctly- if there is such a way- if I'm going to use it at all. Things like this I know are common everyday knowledge to those born into a Muslim household, but for us newcomers it's all new and unexplored territory. Thank you in advance for your helpful comments ~

semar Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Male Islam Joined: 11 March 2005 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 1830	Post Options Post Reply Quote semar Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 24 February 2011 at 11:54pm
	Salam, Welcome to the forum and also welcome to Islam. Like you said that prayer rug is just a tool to help you have cleaner place when you pray special when you bow down and sit. So Islamically there is no specific etiquette in using prayer rug, may be some culture have though. So if the prayer rug big (long enough) you can stand on the prayer rug, if the prayer rug is small (short) you can stand behind prayer rug. Regarding prayer wearing shoe there is an Islamic ruling on it. If you've already performed wudhu (ablution) perfectly including washing your foot (let say at home), then you go to work and then somehow your wudhu is invalid. So when you perform wudhu, you don't have to take your shoes off and wash your foot, it's enough you swipe your shoes. However if you do so when you pray you have to wear the shoes. (Some scholar say that you can swipe the shock when you perform wudhu, so you can pray with the shock). Edited by semar - 24 February 2011 at 11:56pm
	Salam/Peace, Semar "We are people who do not eat until we are hungry and do not eat to our fill." (Prophet Muhammad PBUH) "1/3 of your stomach for food, 1/3 for water, 1/3 for air"

quranreading Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Starter Male Joined: 12 May 2011 Location: Virgin Islands Status: Offline Points: 5	Post Options Post Reply Quote quranreading Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 26 May 2011 at 12:30am
	As-Salamu `alaykum. Payer rug should be clean it is compulsory to perform Namaz in a place which is clean from dirt or �Najasat� and it is not compulsory that you can only perform Namaz on prayer rug, you can use a clean cloth to perform Namaz.