Can I Use My Non-Muslim Mother’s Gifted Prayer Mat with My Name, Which Has a Roman God Origin?
Answered by Mawlana Ilyas Patel
Question
I have a short question and would like to seek your answer. My non-Muslim mother wanted to be nice and gifted me a beautiful prayer mat written on it is my birth name, Marco. Now, this name has Kufr origin (Roman god Mars). Can I pray on this rug?
Note: My parents are Christians and didn’t choose this name based on its pagan origin, nor do they or nearly anyone know of that origin. It’s simply a name. Is it permissible to use this prayer mat with this name on it?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate.
I pray you are in good faith and health. Thank you for your question.
Yes, you can use your mother’s gifted prayer mat with your name even though it has a Roman god origin.
The reason is that you will be performing your prayer on the mat, and you are aware of it as just being a name and not as an object of worship or anything like that.
Actions Are But By Intentions
‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said: “Deeds are (a result) only of the intentions (of the actor), and an individual is (rewarded) only according to that which he intends. Therefore, whosoever has emigrated for the sake of Allah and His messenger, then his emigration was for Allah and His messenger. Whosoever emigrated for the sake of worldly gain, or a woman (whom he desires) to marry, then his emigration is for the sake of that which (moved him) to emigrate.” [Bukhari; Muslim]
I would like you to go through the valuable answers and links below. You will receive guidance and direction, in sha’ Allah.
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I pray this helps with your question.
Wassalam,
[Mawlana] Ilyas Patel
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Mawlana Ilyas Patel is a traditionally-trained scholar who has studied in the UK, India, Pakistan, Syria, Jordan, and Turkey. He started his early education in the UK. He went on to complete the hifz of the Quran in India, then enrolled in an Islamic seminary in the UK, where he studied the secular and ‘Aalimiyya sciences. He then traveled to Karachi, Pakistan. He has been an Imam in Rep of Ireland for several years. He has taught hifz of the Quran, Tajwid, Fiqh, and many other Islamic sciences to children and adults onsite and online extensively in the UK and Ireland. He taught at a local Islamic seminary for 12 years in the UK, where he was a librarian and a teacher of Islamic sciences. He currently resides in the UK with his wife. His interest is a love of books and gardening.
