My Salah Mat Joins Muslim Hackathon at Imperial College

Earlier this month, our founder Kamal Ali had the honour of being invited as a guest speaker at the Muslim Hackathon hosted at Imperial College London. What began as a speaking engagement turned into something far more inspiring — a weekend that brought together innovation, inclusion, and the spirit of serving the Ummah.

A Problem Worth Solving

Kamal’s talk began with a challenge drawn from the heart of his work at My Salah Mat:
"Design a physical product for children with disabilities."

The inspiration? Eisa — a young boy with Down Syndrome who uses the Interactive Prayer Mat to connect with his faith. Kamal wanted students to explore what it means to build something not just functional, but meaningful — a product that is fun, inclusive, and rooted in Islamic values.

A Room Full of Purpose

The students didn’t disappoint.

They came from across the UK — London, Manchester, Birmingham, Wales, even Scotland. Young Muslim minds buzzing with purpose, creativity, and the sincere desire to give back. Kamal saw something special in them. They weren’t just there to win. They were there to serve.

Kamal shared his journey as a product designer, educator, and entrepreneur. He opened up about the ups and downs of building My Salah Mat, the world’s first interactive prayer mat, and how faith and function came together to create something that’s now reached children in over 40 countries.

His talk? Meant to last 30 minutes.

It lasted 100.

Not because he lost track of time — but because the students stayed behind, eager to ask questions, share their own ideas, and dive deeper into the process of creating something that could benefit the Ummah.

Designing for the Ummah

On Day 2, the energy was electric. Students took Kamal’s design brief and brought it to life. Within just 24 hours, they had brainstormed, sketched, built, validated, and pitched their ideas. And the ideas? Incredible. Some so strong, Kamal believes they could be prototyped into real products in the near future, in shā’ Allāh.

Choosing a winner was tough. But in the end, the team Kamal selected created a solution that stood out for its impact, thoughtfulness, and real-world potential. True to his word, Kamal plans to try and bring the winning concept to life.

A Weekend to Remember

As he left the hackathon, Kamal described feeling “energised, hopeful, and a little sad” to be leaving such a creative space. The weekend reminded him why he started My Salah Mat in the first place: to serve the Ummah through purposeful design, and to nurture the next generation of Muslim innovators.

“The Prophet ﷺ said:
‘Allah will continue to help His servant as long as he is helping his brother.’”
(Muslim)

Kamal saw that hadith come alive in every moment of the weekend — in the volunteers who worked tirelessly, the organisers who made it happen, and the students who poured their hearts into every sketch, code, and pitch.

To the team behind the Muslim Hackathon — especially Mohamed Sharif, Anica Tahsin, Hasnat Chowdhury, and everyone involved — thank you for creating a space where young Muslims could shine.

And to the students who took part: you are the future. The Ummah is in good hands.