A
prayer rug or
prayer mat ( pl. , or
musallah; or ; , ) is a piece of fabric, sometimes a pile carpet, used by Muslims, placed between the ground and the worshipper for cleanliness during the various positions of
Islamic prayer. These involve
prostration and
sitting on the ground. A
Muslim must perform
wudu (ablution) before prayer, and must pray in a clean place. Many new prayer mats are manufactured by
weavers in a factory. The design of a prayer mat is based on the village it came from and its weaver.