A former Bath Spa University design student has used his creativity to solve an age-old problem by inventing the world’s first patented interactive prayer mat.
MA Design (Textiles) graduate Kamal Ali, pictured, was motivated to create the product, called My Salah Mat, by his son Hamza.
As an infant, Hamza struggled to understand where to place his hands, knees, forehead and nose while praying using a traditional mat to perform Salah – the daily prayer practised by Muslims five times a day.
Initially Kamal, who was working as a teacher at the time, thought of creating a high-quality product that could help children learn how to pray.
But following viral social media success with millions of views on TikTok, he also designed a mat for adults to help them develop their praying techniques too.
Using skills and an entrepreneurial flare gained while studying at Bath Spa for his degree, Kamal, together with his marketing manager Alex Fell and his wife Fatiha, have taken his germ of an idea and grown it into a fully-fledged company.
He has also travelled to China to develop the project and so he could understand the manufacturing processes.
My Salah Mat is now sold in more than 40 countries around the globe in 20 different languages.
Kamal, now based in Newport, South Wales, said: “I wanted to get Hamza something that would make it easier for him to learn – but when I looked online there was nothing available.
“So I got my laptop out and started designing this interactive prayer mat.
“I realised I could have different words around the prayer mat that they would recite within the prayer. Then, when I received the prototype, I realised that some of these words could become buttons and you could push them and actually hear the recitations.”
Reflecting on his journey as an entrepreneur, Kamal added: “I loved my time at Bath Spa. My course helped me visualise my idea from concept to final point of sale.
“It helped me develop my design skills but it also gave me new skills in marketing, branding and understanding of sales channels.
“Bath Spa as a platform that gave me the confidence to push boundaries, with the aid of some amazing tutors, to turn my business into what it is today.
“Ultimately, what makes our little company different is creativity. Creativity is implemented in everything we do.”
He said he regarded an entrepreneur not as someone who makes something to chase money, but who finds ways to solve problems through creativity.
“Why did I do it? I did it to help support my children and ultimately other families,” he added. “That’s the foundation of My Salah Mat – helping people to achieve their goals, just like when I was a teacher.”
Kamal is now looking to branch out into new markets including Australia and India with support from the Welsh Government.
