Young children or those new to Islam can now have extra assistance in learning how to pray thanks to a new smart prayer rug. Called Sajdah, the innovation comes from Qatari inventor Abdulrahman Saleh Khamis, who was recently awarded a gold medal at the 48th International Exhibition of Inventions in Geneva for the creation. Using advanced technology, the smart prayer rug provides comprehensive guidance on the proper techniques and steps involved in prayer. “Sajdah acts as your personal trainer, guiding you through the five daily mandatory prayers, as well as 20 others,” Sajdah's website says. “Learn with Sajdah without worrying whether you’re forgetting something or if you’re reciting the Quran properly. Use the app to learn postures and the order of every prayer.” According to Khamis’s website, Sajdah uses a discreet LED screen and built-in speakers to offer step-by-step guidance for more than 25 prayers in English and Arabic. The rug has a non-slip layer as well as memory foam and also has a screen that can display words to help with prayers. The smart rug is connected to a mobile app and users can choose a specific prayer and follow instructions on the screen about how to complete it. Other features of Sajdah include step-by-step guides for daily and non-daily prayers. The LED screen also helps with memorising the Quran while the multilingual feature offers Quranic verses in Arabic, English and Latin script transliteration, with future updates set to include more languages. There is also an option to control the pace of prayer guides for those just starting out. As of writing, the smart prayer rugs were sold out. They were selling for $499 and available for shipping worldwide.
