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My Salah Mat did not begin with a business plan, an investor meeting or a strategy to enter the Islamic education market. Rather, it began in a family home, during Salah, with a father noticing that his young son was struggling with sujood.
Before that moment, Kamal Ali’s journey had already carried many lessons. He grew up in Pill, Newport, in a family that taught him strength, patience and inclusion. His sister, who was born with additional needs, shaped the way he saw people who are often overlooked. His own dyslexia made school difficult, but it also pushed him to find a different path through creativity, design and determination.
After struggling through parts of education, Kamal found his place in art and design. He went from nearly failing his A-levels to achieving first-class honours, then continued into product design, community work, teaching and business. Hajj Safe became the bridge between his design background and the Muslim product world, showing him that practical products could serve the Ummah with quality and purpose.
But the idea that would change everything came later, at home.
The Drawing That Started My Salah Mat
One day, while praying with his young son, Kamal noticed that his son was not performing sujood correctly. After prayer, he tried to explain what to do, but the explanation did not fully land. His son did not need more words. What he needed was to see it.
That evening, Kamal searched online for a product that could help children learn how to pray. He could not find what he had in mind. He imagined a prayer mat that showed children exactly where to place their feet, hands, head and nose. Something simple. Something visual. Something that could guide a child without making Salah feel intimidating.
He began drawing the idea that same night while his wife sat beside him. At the time, it was just a solution for his own child. Nobody could have known that this drawing would become a product used by families around the world.
The Interactive Prayer Mat took around two years to develop. There were prototypes, changes, tests, decisions and challenges. Eventually, the product launched just before the COVID-19 pandemic. When Hajj and Umrah travel stopped and Hajj Safe slowed almost completely, My Salah Mat began to grow.
Families were at home and parents were looking for ways to teach Islam to their children. The Interactive Prayer Mat sold out, videos went viral and, at one point, thousands of mats were sold within 24 hours.
What began as one father trying to help his son became a global Muslim brand. Today, My Salah Mat products have reached more than 40 countries, with videos seen by hundreds of millions of people. More importantly, the brand believes it has supported more than 200,000 people in learning or continuing their Salah.
A Product That Outgrew the Original Idea
The growth of My Salah Mat brought success, but it also brought pressure. Fake versions began appearing online soon after the product went viral. Kamal, the Founder, has since spent significant time and money protecting the brand, reporting counterfeit listings and taking legal action where needed. Behind the viral videos and international sales were difficult days, frustration, legal battles and the pain of seeing years of work copied.
Still, the purpose remained bigger than the struggle.
In 2022, My Salah Mat launched the Adult Interactive Prayer Mat, mainly to support reverts who wanted to learn Salah privately and step by step. Kamal did not expect it to become a major commercial success, but the response showed a deeper need. It was not only reverts who needed support. Many born Muslims also wanted to learn or return to prayer without shame or judgement.
The journey also came back to something deeply personal: inclusion. Because of his sister, supporting children with additional needs carried special meaning for Kamal. Some children may not be required to pray in the same way as others, but many still want to copy their parents, hear Qur’an, perform sujood and feel connected to Allah. For some of them, the Interactive Prayer Mat offered a visual and interactive way to feel included.
My Salah Mat has also supported revert organisations, charities and community projects, while helping raise money for people in Gaza, Yemen and Bangladesh. The belief behind it is simple: a business can grow and still do good. Profit and purpose do not have to be separate.
The Bigger Purpose Behind the Brand
For Kamal, My Salah Mat was never only about selling a product. A business has to make money to survive, pay salaries, manufacture stock and protect what has been created. But the bigger purpose has always been benefits for the ummah.
He wants the work to continue long after him. Children who learn to pray, reverts who find confidence, adults who return to Salah and families that bring prayer into the home becomes part of that wider purpose.
That is why My Salah Mat continues to develop products for children, adults, reverts and children with additional needs. It is not only about growth, but about building something that can become Sadaqah Jariyah, insha’Allah.
Eight years into the journey, My Salah Mat has grown through Brexit, COVID-19, manufacturing issues, shipping challenges, counterfeit battles and rising costs. Yet the vision continues. Kamal wants the brand to become truly global, not only in sales, but in benefit.
At its heart, My Salah Mat is about Sadaqah Jariyah. 20% of the Watermelon Plushies are donated to Children Not Numbers as our commitment to give back to the community and to support the people in Palestine. Every child who learns to pray, every adult who gains confidence in Salah and every family that brings prayer into the home becomes part of that wider purpose.
The story began in Pill, Newport, Wales. It passed through family, dyslexia, design, teaching and business. But in many ways, the My Salah Mat story is still only beginning.
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