About Turbah: saying it is necessary for salat is a bidah

As I have said often (we may agree to disagree) I believe some Shia sisters add something to salat when they use a turbah (stating something or natural fibre ect like dirty, clay, or reeds, must be used for salat during prostration, ie you know that time when your head is on the ground????).

Adding something to salat that the Prophet Mohamed sallalahu alahi wa salaam did not is called a bidah. Honestly I don't think praying with your arms at your sides is a bida my shia & ibhadhi sisters. I think it is mustahaab (beneficial) to fold them across your chest in the manner most often done by the Prophet Mohamed salalahu alahi wa salaam but I don't think it is a bidah to keep them at your sides. Just better the other way, as that IS more OFTEN the sunnah. Anyyyyyyyways, I have gone off topic as I tend to do....

I often feel that some shia sisters (and brothers) are missing the whole point of the hadith they quote to claim as proof that we are to use turbah. We can pray on anything clean is what the Prophet Mohamed salalahu alahi wa salaam was saying, and he simply told us that earth, ie dirt and clay is clean. For example, dirt, clay, tile, ect are ALL clean. Praying on a surface of dirt or clay itself is not the bidah!!!!! Yes, my Sunni sisters with less than perfect adab, that is true! That the earth and the materials it contains EXCEPT FOR THOSE WE WERE EXPRESSLY TOLD WERE HARAAM are for us to pray on: In the Quran, Allah (SWT) has said "We have created for you the earth to prostrate on". So we know we are to pray on every corner of the globe, from the mountains, the snow, to deserts, and in our homes. Unless we were named something of the earth that was no halal to do so upon.

WHAT IS A BIDA is saying the clay or dirt are necessary for salat or make the salat more the sunnah. That's the bidah. *****Bringing a piece of clay in from somewhere so pray on? This is adding extra material to one's salat, an object, something the Prophet Salalahu alahi wa salaam NEVER DID.************ warnings, flashing lights, around this one. As if driving, use caution on this.

Those that do so from Karbala usually hold a narrative of hadiths (innovated and fabricated sources alas, and I am sorry to say this because so many of my shia sisters who I believe have been given falsified accounts) that "CLAIM" that Umm Salamah heard the Prophet say that clay from this place would turn red when his grandson Hussayn was killed. This is a false hadith of a chain of narration THAT DOES not date to the time period of the Prophet Mohamed salalahu alahi wa salaam, or even four generations AFTER. It dates to a time period of the Persian Empire. So that is not evidence.

Looking at sahih evidence that sister Zaenab provided from her blog "Stylish Muslimah" [she is of the opinion in support of turbah---and has great fashion sense mashaAllah] I still say... you are misreading the point of the ahadith (in my opinion). Which is as I have stated numerous times on the same issue. Clean is halal.

I asked (and sister Zaenab tried, and Zaenab jazzakallah kheir for real and am sincere in this) someone to provide me a solid chain of narration stating the Prophet brought a piece of dirt with him inside on top of another clean surface to pray on. I said if one could, I would change my mind.

So here goes what I have been given so far [though I myself STILL have not read the hadiths in their full narration in the original Arabic and would like to]:

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

As I've said before, the Prophet Mohamed salalahu alahi wa salaam told us that praying on dirt was clean and halal, not that it was a requirement of salat. This hadith does not prove a requirement of turbah, only of the Prophet Mohamed salalahu alahi wa salaam praying OUTSIDE, and that obviously, mud may be dirty, but it is 100% clean and halal to use as a surface for salat.

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

Some will twist this hadith to say that the only time YOU ARE ALLOWED to use a mat ect and not dirt is if it too hot. Did the Prophet Mohamed salalahu alahi salaam say that? No. Does this hadith prove that. No. It says they prayed on the ground unless it was too hot. You know why? He did not wish to put his clothes on the ground. Clothing back then was a wealth and more of an expense than it is nowadays due to the time it took to make things. This hadith does not show use of a turbah or a requirement of earth. IN FACT IT SAYS HE USED HIS CLOTHING!

Narrated Maymuna: Allah's Apostle used to pray on a Khumra.
[Al-Bukhari, Sahih (English translation), vol. 1, book 8, no. 378]
According to al-Shawkani, a famous Sunni scholar, more than ten Companions of the Prophet (s) have narrated traditions mentioning his prostration on a Khumrah. And he lists all the Sunni sources recording these traditions which include Sahih Muslim, Sahih al-Tirmidhi, Sunan Abu Dawud, Sunan al-Nasa'i and many others.
[Al-Shawkani, Nayl al-Awtar , Chapter of Prostration on the Khumrah, vol. 2, p. 128]

So what is a khumrah?A khumra IS A PRAYER MAT!!!!!!!!! It is not dirt brought into the home, or CLAY!!!! This hadith DISPROVES to me any claim that a turbah required, and yet is used as proof for a turbah? Yes, a khumra ie prayer mat is made out of natural materials like palm fibers in the Prophet's day, they didn't HAVE IKEA back then!!!!!!!!!! LOL. Synthetics weren't invented until the last 100 years or so. I am sorry but I am still looking for a hadith that says the Prophet Mohamed salalahu alahi wa salaam brought a piece of dirt or clay into his home and stuck his head on it for salat. I have been made more certain of my stance, not less so, by the evidence provided.

AMMENDMENT AND ADDITIONAL DIGRESS (BY MOI):

And for the anon, I took out the Santa Caluse comment because it could be misconstrued as judgemental ect.... and I am not. [if you would like to edit my wording please help me to do so because my aim is not to judge or alienate anyone but to share opinions and facts and beliefs ect].

I love ALL my sisters in Islam, and alot of Sunnis do bidahs too, which I want to write more about soon, and WILL. For example, when a Shia sis is using a khumra made from palm leave and you have got your cotton sajadah, if you try and tell her what she is using is not of the Sunnah, and that she is out of the fold of Islam for what she's done, YOU MAY be, for simply being WRONG, and stating something Allah subhanhu wa ta'ala NEVER DID.

Which is why I was upset hearing about one of my shia sis kicked in the head during her Hajj. IF I WAS MUTTAWA I would simply say, "teach me why you are doing what you are doing, and then I will show you why I think that is not right, and we may both learn from eachother." WHICH IS THE SUNNAH of the Prophet Mohamed salalahu alahi wa salaam. People are often afraid of what they do not understand or what they cannot control. If I do not agree with your understanding after I showed you all that I knew, I may be upset, but I know that is for Allah to judge then, and all that is left is to pray for your guidance, and indeed guidance for me that I am on the correct path (go Surah Al Fatiha!!!!).

As Muslims our aim is to teach and to warn eachother. Not kick eachother in the head or belittle others.

If I honestly think I am right, I should be able to teach you or lead by example. I shouldn't have to drive you from places where I like to pray. AAaaaaaaaaaand that is my last thought for the day:). Love you all for the sake of Allah.