Alhamdulillah, recently our local mosque decided to upgrade their carpets to a new one. When we spoke to the Imam we showed our concern about the intricate patterns on the older carpets which at times could be construed as drawings of animate objects. On the first view they do not seem problemetic, but the more one stands and prays on them, the more visible these patterns become.
After few weeks of announcement from the management and building an eager anticipation, finally the new carpets are installed. I present two items below. First, I present a small excerpt from a work-in-progress research regarding “beautification of masajid”:
…“Allāma Shurumbulālī rahimahullah also mentioned Imām Zayla‘ī rahimahullah indicating to yet another delicate matter. He says that Imān Zayla‘ī rahimahullah has made the permissibility of beautification of mosque with the exception of intricate engravings and designs over the niche (Mihrāb) since it distracts a musallī (person praying there). Allāma Shurumbulālī rahimahullah says that there is no need to restrict this condition to mihrāb alone since the same problem arises in other parts of the mosques as well.[1]
I (Abuhajira) have deliberated on Allāma Shurumbulālī rahimahullah’s above statement and feel that this dislikeness applies to all the carpets in our mosques which have intricate patterns on them. It is something we notice all the time and fail address every time a new mosque is built.”
After a brief review of the issue from fiqh perspective, I present the "before" and "after" snippet of the carpet at our local mosque for the readers to wander into finding all the hidden and intricate animals and mythical creatures in the place of our prostration. May Allah make our matters of deen easy for us, Ameen.
Before:
After:
There is a rather uncanny resemblence in the two. The design on the top of green carpet which looks like a trail of dinosaurs walking was termed as "elephants" by the Imam. And he assured us that in the new carpets there will be no elephants. Its an upgrade in the carpet, they said. But after we received the upgrade, it rather seems as though the elephants have been deproved of food and have shrunken down. Hence, my pun at one of the musallee that perhaps its not an upgrade rather a downgrade since the elephants are skinnier in this one.
My friend's comment sort of summed up the whole change rather aptly. The change of carpets is like the government change in Pakistan. Everything seem to have changed, yet there is no real change. What is bothersome in these cases is that the older carpet is now being wrappet to be shipped to all the smaller musallahs around the town. When will we revert to simplicity of masajid and excellence of the salah therein. This is the real purport and du'a. May Allah help us all, Ameen
Finally, here are some rather decent mosque carpets I searched over the net. I hope our masajid choose something along these lines.
درر الحكام شرح غرر الأحكام (1/ 111) (قول لا يكره تزيينه) قال في الهداية ولا بأس بأن ينقش المسجد قال في النهاية قال شمس الأئمة السرخسي – رحمه الله – في قوله لا بأس إشارة إلى أنه لا يؤجر بذلك فيكفيه أن ينجو رأسا برأس. اهـ.؛ لأن في لفظ لا بأس دليلا على أن المستحب غيره، وإنما كان كذلك؛ لأن البأس الشدة اهـ قلت وفيه نفي لقول من جعله قربة لما فيه من تعظيم المسجد وإجلال الدين وبه صرح الزيلعي ثم قال وعندنا لا بأس به ولا يستحب وصرفه إلى المساكين أحب اهـ. وأفعل التفضيل ليس على بابه؛ لأنه نفي استحباب صرفه بما تقدم. (قوله بماله أي بمال الباني) قال تاج الشريعة وهذا إذا كان من طيب ماله أما إذا أنفق في ذلك مالا خبيثا أو مالا مسببه الخبيث والطيب فيكره؛ لأن الله تعالى لا يقبل إلا الطيب فيكره تلويث بيته بما لا يقبله اهـ. وقيد الزيلعي أيضا الإباحة بأن لا يتكلف لدقائق النقش في المحراب فإنه مكروه؛ لأنه يلهي المصلي. اهـ. قلت فعلى هذا لا يختص بالمحراب بل في أي محل يكون أمام من يصلي بل أعم منه وبه صرح الكمال فقال بكراهة التكلف بدقائق النقوش ونحوها خصوصا في المحراب.