Turbah or not?

We’ve all been faced with the situation. You’ve
finished praying and are just about to leave, when
someone innocently asks what you were prostrating
on. Of course, praying on a piece of dust may
seem to some like a form of Shirk, stone worshipping,
or just the classic Bid’ah. I mean, what’s wrong
with carpet? Isn’t Allah everywhere? This article
hopes to clear up all these misconceptions.

WHAT DID THE PROPHET (SAW) PRAY ON?
Our aim in life is to follow the Qur’an and the Sunnah.
The Prophet always prayed on earth, even
having a special mat, a “Khumra”, to prostrate on.

Sahih Bukhari Vol 1, Bk 7, No 331 (part):
Narrated Jabir bin 'Abdullah: The Prophet said…
“The earth has been made for me (and for my followers)
a place for praying and a thing to perform
Tayammum."

Sahih Bukhari Vol 1, Bk 12, No 798:
Narrated Abu Said Al-Khudri: I saw Allah's Apostle
prostrating in mud and water and saw the mark of
mud on his forehead.

Sahih Bukhari Vol 1, Bk 8, No. 376:
Narrates 'Abdullah bin Shaddad: Maimuna said,
"Allah's Apostle was praying while I was in my menses,
sitting beside him and sometimes his clothes
would touch me during his prostration." Maimuna
added, "He prayed on a Khumra (a small mat sufficient
just for the face and the hands while prostrating
during prayers).”

Sahih Bukhari Vol 1, Bk 8, No. 378:
Narrated Maimuna: Allah's Apostle used to pray on
Khumra.

WHAT IS A KHUMRA?
Ibn al Athir describes a Khumra as “a small mat
made from palm fibres or other material” and describes
it further as “like that which the Shi'ah use
for prostration.” [Talkhis al-Sihah, p. 81]

WHY THE SOIL FROM KARBALA?
Today, many of us carry Turbahs made of dust
from the land of Karbala. This is not obligatory
(you can pray on anything originating from earth
that is not edible or wearable), but this dust has a
special reverence described by the Prophet.

Umm Salma says: ‘I saw Husayn sitting in the lap
of his grandfather, the Prophet, who had a red
block of soil in his hand. The Prophet was kissing
the dust and weeping. I asked him what that soil
was. The Prophet said: "Gabriel has informed me
that my son, this Husayn, will be murdered in Iraq.
He has brought this earth for me from that land. I
am weeping for the suffering that will befall my
Husayn."’ Then the Prophet handed the dust to
Umm Salama and said to her: "When you see this
soil turn into blood, you will know that my Husayn
has been slaughtered." Umm Salama kept the soil in
a bottle and kept watch over it until she saw on
Ashura day, 10 Muharram 61AH, that it turned to
blood. Then she knew Husayn had been martyred.

[al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, v4, p398]
[al-Dhahabi, Siyar alam al-nubala, v3, p194]
[Ibn Kathir, al-Bidayah wal-nihayah, v6, p230]
[al-Suyuti, Khasais al-kubra, v2, p450
[al-Suyuti, Jamal-Jawami, v1, p26]
[IbnHajr Asqalani, tahdhib altahdhib v2p346]

RESPECT TO THE TURBAH
As the hadith above shows, the land of Karbala is
more than just a piece of dust, rather a sign of Allah
(swt). And as the Qur’an says, “That (shall be so);
and whoever respects the signs of Allah, this surely is
(the outcome) of the piety of hearts.” (22:32)
Such is the importance of this sign of Allah (swt),
that Ayatollah Dastaghaib Shirazi includes disrespecting
the soil from Karbala in his book Greater
Sins. One might question how a piece of dust can
be a sign of Allah (swt). However, the Qur’an says:
“Surely the Safa and the Marwa are among the signs
appointed by Allah” (2:158) Hence if Safa and Marwah,
which are pieces of rock, are signs of Allah
(swt), why not the dust where the greatest sacrifice
took place?

In conclusion, as for kissing the turbah, this is again
seen by many as Shirk. However, this is analogous
to kissing Hajr al Aswad, which everyone agrees
was a Sunnah of the Prophet, as this hadith shows:

Sahih Bukhari Vol 2, Bk 26, No. 667:
Narrated 'Abis bin Rabia: 'Umar came near the
Black Stone and kissed it and said "No doubt, I
know that you are a stone and can neither benefit
anyone nor harm anyone. Had I not seen Allah's
Apostle kissing you I would not have kissed you."