We often speak about the simplicity of life during the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) time. His own life was a model of simplicity. He did not feel the need for anything elaborate or complicated. He preferred things to be made easy. He used whatever was available, without insisting on anything for the performance of any activity. We nowadays keep special mats for prayer, so that they will always be clean and soft. The Prophet did not have these. He prayed on anything available. Maymoonah reports: “The Prophet used to pray on a mat made of straw.” (Related by Al-Bukhari and Ibn Majah.)
Indeed we have several Hadiths mentioning that the Prophet prayed on such rugs, which were naturally rough. Aishah reports that the Prophet asked her to hand a straw mat to him. She said that she was in her period. He told her: “Your period is not in your hand.” (Related by Muslim.) Whether he needed the mat to sit or pray on is immaterial. The fact that a woman is in her period does not prevent her from doing any activity, and does not prevent taking thing from her or giving them to her. The impurity is in the discharge, which does not affect the rest of her body. People may think that because a woman needs to have a grand ablution, i.e. ghusl, at the end of her period before she can offer her prayer, she may not be touched. This is wrong. We mentioned on several occasions that what is prohibited during a woman’s period is sexual intercourse, but not kissing, cuddling or foreplay, as long as the woman’s private parts are avoided.
Any type of rug, carpet, mat, or floor covering is acceptable for prayer, even though it might have been used long. Al-Mugheerah ibn Shu’bah reports: “The Prophet used to pray on a straw mat and on dyed animal hide.” (Related by Ahmad and Abu Dawood.) Anas ibn Malik reports that his grandmother, Mulaykah, invited the Prophet to a meal of her own cooking. “When he finished eating, he said: ‘Well, let us pray together.’ I spread an old straw mat which had turned black by long use and I sprayed it with water. The Prophet stood on it, and I stood with the orphan in a row behind him, while the old woman was behind us. He prayed two rak’ahs and then left.” (Related by Malik, Al-Bukhari and Al-Nassaie.)
The first thing that we note in this Hadith is that the Prophet accepts the invitation of a poor old woman. That she was poor is evident from the fact that when they wanted to pray they put on the floor a very old straw mat that had turned black. Had she had anything better or cleaner, she would have used it. The food she must have served was inevitably very simple. The only people present were her grandson, Anas, who served the Prophet throughout the ten years he lived in Madinah, starting at the age of 10 and another boy, an orphan whom we do not know by name. Needless to say, the old lady wanted the Prophet to come to her home, as the Prophet brought God’s blessings wherever he went. He in fact did what was sure to bring such blessings when he led them all in a prayer, and no doubt prayed for the woman and her people.
A similar report, also given by Anas, shows that what the Prophet did in this case was his normal practice: “God’s messenger was the person with the best manners. On occasions it was time for prayer when he was at our home. He would then tell us to sweep the mat he was sitting on, and it would then be sprayed with water. He would then lead us in prayer. I may add that the mat was made of palm branches.” (Related by Al-Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawood and Al-Nassaie.)
Here Anas is reporting on the Prophet’s action when he visited his family. His mother, known as Umm Sulaym, was close to the Prophet and he frequently visited her, as he also visited her sister Umm Haram. She was married to Abu Talhah who was extremely devoted to the Prophet. Abu Talahah was one of the few of the Prophet’s companions who stood firm defending the Prophet when the unbelievers launched a determined attempt to kill him in the Battle of Uhud.
Again we note the simplicity of their life. The mat the Prophet sat on was made of palm branches, and it also served as a prayer mat, after it was cleaned and sprayed. This was in his host’s home, but life in his own home was similarly simple. Umar reports: “I went into the Prophet’s home and found him reclining on a straw mat. He had only his lower garment and nothing on top. I saw the marks of the mat clear on his side. I looked around me and I saw his cupboard with some barley, no more than four times the fill of a man’s cupped hands, and I saw a similar quantity of dye (for hide) at one side in the room and a hanged animal hide. My eyes were tearful. The Prophet asked my why I was crying. I said: ‘Prophet, how can I not cry when I see how this straw mat has made its mark on your body, and I see almost nothing in your cupboard, while kings and emperors are surrounded by rivers and fruits of all types? Yet you are God’s Messenger whom He has chosen from among all His creation.’ He said to me: ‘Ibn Al-Khattab, will you not be happy that we shall be the happier ones in the life to come while they take their enjoyment in this life?’ I said that I am.” (Related by Ahmad, Al-Bukhari and Ibn Majah.)
We must remember that the Prophet could have had all the comforts and luxuries this life can offer, if only he wished to have them. He preferred this simple life, in which he would receive a guest when he was wearing only his lower garment which covered him from his waist line to well below his knees. Perhaps his top garment was being cleaned or washed. He had no comfortable chair or couch, but sat on a straw mat, making marks on his body. The food he had for his family was very little. Nothing was in his room apart from that dye and an animal hide. The hide was useful as it could serve as floor covering. It would give warmth if it had wool, such as sheepskin. The main point was what he said to Umar: our comfort comes in heaven; let others have all the comfort they wish in this life.
This simple life is confirmed in many Hadiths, which suggest that it was consistent throughout the Prophet’s life. The same mat served for sitting and prayer. Aishah reports: “At night the Prophet used to put aside a straw mat for his voluntary night prayer. He would put it on the floor during the day to sit on. Some people came to join him in his night worship, and their numbers gradually increased. He turned to them and said: ‘You people should do only what you can comfortably do, for God will not tire until you have tired. The actions God loves best are the longer lasting, even though they may be modest.’” (Related by Ahmad, Al-Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawood and Al-Nassaie.)