Turbah or Mohr

Shiites prostrate on a small block of earth, called a Turbah, which is usually made from clay from the grave of Hussein Ibn Ali in Karbala – Iraq.

Shiites claim that prostration must only be performed on pure earth or what grows on it, provided that it is not eaten or worn. This includes dust, stone, sand and grass, provided that it is not a mineral. Prostration on paper is permitted, because it is made of a material which grows on earth, but not cloth or carpets.

They present no evidence from Quran or hadeeth to backup this edict and none has the right to legalize or prohibit except with evidence.

The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) lived a simple and cheap life and praying on the earth and mat was certainly his tradition and those around him but he never prohibited praying on any other substances like rich carpets.

• Narrated Abu Sa’id al-Khudri: I saw Allah’s Apostle (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) prostrating in mud and water and saw the mark of mud on his forehead.
[Al-Bukhari, (Eng), vol. 1, book 12, no. 798; vol. 3, book 33, no. 244]

• Narrated Anas bin Malik: We used to pray with the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) in scorching heat, and if someone of us could not put his face on the earth then he would spread his clothes and prostrate over them.
[Al-Bukhari, (Engl), vol. 2, book 22, no. 299]

Shiites always present the above hadeeths to backup their innovated ideologies. But the hadeeths have nothing to do with turbah or mohr. Do the Shiites expect the prophet to pray on rich carpets which never existed in his lifetime.

If they really seek the customs of the prophet then the hadeeth is clear. Let them also pray on wide spread clothes or on bare land without carpets.
Another hadeeth they present to establish their misleading innovations

• Narrated Maymuna: Allah’s Apostle (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) used to pray on a Khumra.
[Al-Bukhari, (Eng), vol. 1, book 8, no. 378]

Al-Khumra is totally different from turbah.

Khumra is a small mat sufficient just for the face and the hands while prostrating during prayers. While turbah is a block basically made from the soil of Hussein’s (radhiyallahu anhu) grave at karbala sufficient for only the forehead.

Shiites claim that Ibn al-Athir a renowned famous sunni scholar in his Jamil al Usul legalized the use of turbah which is a total lie. The scholar legalized khumra mat not turbah.
[Ibn al-‘Athir, Jami’ al-Usul, (Cairo, 1969), vol. 5, p. 467]

If the Shiites really seek the revival of the prophet’s customs, let them use Alkhumra not turbah because they are two different things.

We’re obliged to adhere to the Prophet’s (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) customs not innovations.
Even Imaam Jaafar ( ﺭﺣﻤﻪ ﺍﻟﻠﻪ ) whom the Shiites claim to be the source of their fiqh school never at any moment in his lifetime did he use turbah during prayers.

The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam), his households (ahlul bayt) and the entire Muslim community of companions none ever used turbah for prostration in prayer.

I repeat; “The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam), Ali, Fatima, Hassan and Hussein (radhiyahhlahu alayhim ajma’een) none of them prostrated on Turbah blocks”