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THE BENIFITS OF SALAAH

Salaah is one of the five fundamental requirements that a Muslim is obligated to perform. Salaah is given the highest priority in the Holy Quran. There are many benefits of Salaah described in the Book of Allah. It says, innassalata tanha anil fahsha'i, Surely Prayer restrains one from indecency. (29:46) In chapter Luqman, We read that when Hadhrat Luqman was giving advice to his son, the first and foremost on his mind was to remind his son, ya bunayya aqimissalat "O my dear son,! observe Prayer." (31:8)

According to a Hadith the Prophet of Islam (peace be upon him) is reported to have said, inna fissalati shifa'a " verily there is cure in salat ". According to a Muslim scholar, as reported in monthly Urdu magazine, Tahazibul Akhlaq, Aligarh, India, a Muslim who offers salaah regularly has very little chance of getting arthritis as we exercise our bones and joints while we offer salat.

1. In the light of this Hadith we shall endeavour to describe some orthopaedic benefits of salaah in this short note.

2. Regular exercise reduces cholesterol in the body. Cholesterol causes heart failures, strokes, diabetes and many other ailments. It is a known fact that people in professions where exercise is required have less amount of cholesterol in their bodies.

3. Salat is an excellent form of exercise to prevent indigestion. In the morning when stomach is empty, a Muslim is required to offer fewer number of Rak'aat whereas in the evening after the dinner we offer an extra number of Rak'aat.

4. By offering Takbir at the beginning of salat, we move hand and shoulder muscles thereby increasing the flow of blood towards torso. Akamat performs a similar function.

5. The most important function in salat is sajdah where we touch the ground with our forehead. This posture increases fresh supply of blood to our brain. Needless to say in certain forms of yoga some adherents stand on their heads for the same purpose.

6. In tashah'hud position, our hip, elbow, knee joints, backbone, wrist joints move in a way that it provides a form of relaxation to our entire body. Pressure is applied on the body parts as if it was a kind of massage which releases tension.

7. Heart in the most important organ in the body. It supplies fresh blood to all body tissues. These body movements performed during salat are an excellent source of exercise for our heart as well. According to a Hadith of the Holy Prophet," There is an organ

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in the body, when it is healthy, the whole body is healthy, and when this is sick, the entire body becomes sick". It is the heart.

8. A remarkable tissue in our body is cartilage. It is unique in being a living tissue with no direct blood supply. The only way it receives nutrients and oxygen is by movements of the joints. The pumping effect forces blood into the joint area which would otherwise be bypassed. Those who sit at the terminals are in greater danger of ending up with dead cartilage tissues that will subsequently wear away. This will leave us with arthritis, painful joints and paralysis. Bacteria and viruses find safe haven in joints for this reason as no blood cell can get at them and in most cases neither can antibodies. Salat therefore, has many orthopaedic benefits for all Muslims. Next time you offer salat, thank Almighty Allah that He made you a Muslim. Indeed, there is cure in salat.

22 Amazing Health Benefits of Namaz (Salat): Namaz-e-Tawbah

The customary prayers of Muslim (Namaz), where physical movements of prayers (Sala’at) have been beautifully conglomerated with spiritual exercise, result to many surprising health and medicinal benefits. Namaz is the prescription from Allah for better health and fitness who offers it regularly. Thus, it is the natural way to keep oneself healthy. One can get the benefits of Namaz only if it is offered as they have been ordered by Allah and our Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Namaz (Sala’at) should be offered coolly, calmly, religiously and spiritually to get maximum of its benefits.

Top surprising benefits of Namaz

Health benefits of Ablution/Wudu/Wuzzo

1. Wudu (Ablution) with water where one washes his hands, face, and feet region leads to preventing germs from the body thus promotes good health.

2. Ablution (Wuzzo) stimulates biological active spots similar to Chinese Reflexo-Therapy, which has beneficial therapeutic effects on the hands, face and feet region.

3. Ablution helps to relax the nervous system and eases tension, stress and anxiety.

4. Washing hands five times a day (excluding washing before dietary intake) before Namaz means an effective way to keep germs away from the body.

5. Hand washing is an efficient way to prevent spread of germs.

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6. Gargling during ablution (Wudu) is very important as it helps to remove germs, allergens and dust particles.

7. Gargling with plain water reduces the chances of common cold to a greater extent thereby contribute to health and hygiene. Gargling also reduces viral respiratory infections. Gargling ensures reduction in bad breath too.

8. Nose cleansing during Wuzzo removes dusts, allergens and contaminated matter. Nose cleaning with plain water helps to minimize the infections such as flu, sinusitis, cold and chest infections.

9. Nasal cleaning with water overcomes nasal congestion and clear sticky matter in the nose.

10. Nasal cleaning helps to treat allergic rhinitis, good for nasal dryness and improves breathing.

11. Face washing during ablution is very beneficial for refreshing as well as improving the facial complexion.

12. Face washing reduces the impact of oily skin and retarded the growth of acne, pimples, wrinkles, and other facial spots.

13. Ears cleaning during ablution are quite effective to prevent wax accumulation. Cleaning ear with wet fingers five times a day is also good to remove dust and germs from the outer region of the ears.

14. Washing the feet during Wuzo helps to cleaning dirts, fungus. It also acts like as acupressure while fingers are passing through the bottom area of the toes. Rubbing the toes with fingers is also good in case of diabetes and removing pain from the body. As lots of accu points are present in the upper and lower parts of toe regions and pressing these during ablution is helpful in curing of pain like back pain, arthritis, joints pain, etc.

15. Offering Namaz (Sala’at) has many benefits such as spiritual, religious, physical, mental, social, economical, social, etc.

16. Namaz is highly beneficial to activate all the seven Chakras as per the Yogic philosophy.

Namaz and Yoga

17. There is great correlation between Namaz and Yoga. Yoga rejuvenates the mechanism of body and mind. Yoga Therapy, a refreshing process as well as a cost-effective solution; try to find out the very root cause of diseases. It helps to restore harmony among various components of lifestyle- physical, social, emotional, spiritual, mental and

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psychological. The basic concept of Yoga is to relish and cherish the life with exhilarating excitement. The system provides psychological and emotional well-being. Being drugless therapies, it enhances sustainable and functional ability of the body. The same case is also with Namaz. Yoga and Namaz is certainly a substitute of stress and disease free personality.

Namaz is the finest form of meditation

18. Namaz is one of the best forms of meditation or Dhyan from Yogic point of view where the person unilaterally surrenders to Allah. Meditation is defined as the uninterrupted flow of mind towards a particular object. Namaz is one of the best stress buster and tension reliever modules. Namaz (Sala’at) is the perfect example of meditation where the performer thinks only and only about Allah. Thus, Namaz provides the ultimate satisfaction and peace to the mind thus save you from many diseases and disorders. It enhances your concentration and reduces the level of depression. Namaz helps to develop positive milieu around the Namazi.

Namaz and physical health benefits

19. Namaz has multiple many health and fitness benefits. Some of the important physical health benefits are as follow:

Namaz is one of the important means for health, happiness and harmony.

Offering regular Namaz keeps one fit and healthy by burning extra calories thereby losing weight. Namaz is one of the effective ways for weight loss as well as to control obesity.

Namaz stretches your muscles and helps to provide tone body. It is good to overcome arthritis as Namaz is good to enhance

flexibility of the body and reduces stiffness. Namaz is a good source to balance Anabolic and Catabolic bio-

chemical process of the body. Namaz is good for heart, brain, above all for the entire body. Standing posture in Namaz (Qiya’m) ensures proper blood flow the

lower portion of the body. It is also good in strengthening the leg muscles.

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Health benefits of Ruk’u

20. The forward bending position of Namaz (Ruk’u) is good for your

lower vertebral column. It helps to ease your back pain as per Yogic philosophy. Doing Ruku properly helps to control backache and vertebral column related diseases. Namaz Ruku is effective in developing flexibility to shoulder, elbowm wrist, knees and ankle regions. Ruku exerts abdominal pressure thereby eases constipation and peristaltic movements. During Ruku, the kidney experiences a sort of massage thus helpful to kidney problems.

Health benefits of Sajdah

21. During Sajdah, one sit in Vajrasana, a very important yoga pose from health point of view. Vajrasana strengthens the thigh and calf muscles. It is good for digestion and keeps your spine firm and erect. Sajdah is very beneficial in the proper functioning of brain, lungs, body muscles, joints and entire vertebral column. Sajdah helps to maintain smooth blood to the brain region, and also stimulates the master gland pituitary gland as well as the pineal gland. Sajdah reduces the chances of brain hemorrhage and headache due to smooth blood flow to the head region. While performing Sajdah, the toes are experiencing acupressure which is good for better health of the body, especially for body pains.

Health benefits of Sala’m (Neck Yoga)

22. Salam is the excellent form of neck and upper vertebra exercise. Namaz’s Salam is the Griva-sakti-vikasaka (Strengthening the Neck) of Yogic Sukshma Vyayama, which is helpful in loosening the neck joints and also helps to relax the shoulder and upper back muscles. Salam helps to refresh all the nerves passes through the neck, thus good in case of headache and contend migraine.

The Physical & Mental Benefits of the Islamic Prayer (Salaat)

Posted by AaminahShakur

Besides the spiritual benefits of salaat, there are actual physical and mental benefits to the form of the Islamic prayer. I was not surprised to discover that benefits would include such things as a higher level of concentration and mindfulness. But I had not thought about the fact that Allah may have given us even more, distinct benefits to us – our bodies

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and minds – that are derived from the physical act of making salaat in the prescribed manner.

Kabir Edmund Helminski, in Living Presence: A Sufi Way to Mindfulness

& the Essential Self, writes:

“The Islamic ritual prayer, practiced five times a day, is a sequence of standing, bowing, prostrating, and kneeling, accompanied by prescribed verbal affirmations and lines from the Qur’an selected and recited by the individual. The prayer is understood to be invalid without a mindful witnessing of the presence of God. Physically, it exercises the major joints (especially the spinal column), massages the intestinal tract, transmits a reflex to the liver, regulates the breath, and stimulates the frontal cortex of the brain as it is brought to the ground, while momentarily leaving the heart in a higher position than the brain. Salaat is a form that integrates mindfulness, mental precision, affirmation, devotion, and stretching. Done five times a day for a lifetime, it has profound effects on the body and soul.”

This is discussed in greater detail during the description of the salaat that is found in Chapter 9 – Salat: The Postures of the Prophets in The Book of Sufi Healing by Shaykh Hakim Moinuddin Chishti (of the Chishti Order of Sufis). Below is what Shaykh Chishti writes in describing the physical and mental benefits of the postures of salaat. (Please note that I am not here attempting to give description or instruction on the form and postures of the prayer. I am only giving the general description of certain postures for which Shaykh Chishti has written the benefits.)

Niyyat – when one begins by saying “Allahu akbar”

“Body feels relieved of weight owing to even distribution on both feet. Straightening back improves posture. Mind is brought under control of intellect. Vision is sharpened by focusing upon floor, where head will prostrate. Muscles of upper and lower back are loosened. Higher and lower centers of brain are united to form singleness of purpose.”

Qiyām – during which one recites Al-Fatiha and additional surahs of the Qur’an

“Extends concentration, causes further relaxation of legs and back, generates feelings of humility, modesty, and piety. In the recital of the above verses, virtually all of the sounds that occur in Arabic are uttered, stimulating dispersal of all of the ninety-nine divine attributes in perfectly controlled degrees throughout the body, mind, and soul. The sound

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vibrations of the long vowels ā, ī, and ū stimulate the heart, thyroid, pineal gland, pituitary, adrenal glands, and lungs, purifying and uplifting them all.”

Rukū – bending at the waist

“Fully stretches the muscles of the lower back, thighs, and calves. Blood is pumped into upper torso. Tones muscles of stomach, abdomen, and kidneys. Over time, this posture improves the personality, generating sweet kindness and inner harmony.”

Qauma – rising from rukū

“The fresh blood moved up into torso in previous posture returns to its original state, carrying away toxins. Body regains relaxation and releases tension.”

Sajdah – prostration

“Knees forming a right angle allow stomach muscles to develop and prevents growth of flabbiness in midsection. Increases flow of blood into upper regions of body, especially the head (including eyes, ears, and nose) and lungs; allows mental toxins to be cleansed by blood. Maintains proper position of fetus in pregnant women. Reduces high blood pressure. Increases elasticity of joints. Annihilates egotism and vanity. Increases patience and reliance upon God. Increases spiritual stations and produces high psychic energy throughout body. This posture of supreme submission and humility is the essence of worship.”

Quūd – assuming the sitting position after sajdah

“For men, the heel of the right foot is curled up and the weight of the leg and part of the body rests upon it. This aids detoxification of the liver and stimulates peristaltic action of the large intestine. Women keep both feet, soles up, underneath their bodies. The body returns to even greater relaxation, and the posture assists digestion by forcing the contents of the stomach downward.”

Repeat of Sajdah

“Repetition of the deep prostration within a few seconds cleanses the respiratory, circulatory, and nervous systems. Gives experience of lightness of body and emotional happiness. Oxygenation of entire body

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is accomplished. Balances sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems.”

There are several medical benefits of Salat (Namaz):- of offering Salah

and as every Muslim knows that the best part of Salah is the sujood, that

is the prostration.

No wonder the Quran has mentioned the word sujood, prostration no

less than 90 times in the glorious Quran. Where [do] you do sujood in

the Salah? Normally when you [stand] erect, blood does flow into the

brain but it is not sufficient for a healthy brain. During Salah when you

[go into] sujood extra blood flows into the brain, which is very important

for [a] healthy brain. When you do sujood, this extra blood supply to the

skin on the face [helps] prevent diseases such as chilblain etc.

When you do sujood there is drainage of sinuses and there are fewer

chances that a person will have sinusitis, that is inflammation of the

sinus, this drainage of module sinus, of the frontal sinus, and a person

has less chances of having inflammation of the sinus, that is sinusitis.

There are various benefits. [For example], when a person does sujood

even the bronchitis's, the secretion of the bronchitis, they get drained,

there are less chances of having bronchitis.

When a person breathes normally only two thirds of the capacity of the

lung is exhaled out, the remaining one third remain in the lung as a

residual air, now when you do sujood the abdominal visra, they press

against the diaphragm and the diaphragm presses against the lower part

of the lungs, the lower lobes, and when you breath during sujood even

this one third residual air is aired out and that's very important for a

healthy lung. There are less chances of having diseases of the lungs.

When you do sujood, there is increased venes return there is less

chance of having hernia, etc. Due to posture in sujood there is less

chances of having hemorrhoid, that is piles.

In a salah we stand up and we sit down, do qayam, rukuh, sujood and

when we stand up from same position the weight is localized on the

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bottom of the feet and the calve muscle and the thigh muscle are

activated and they increase the blood supply to the lower part of the

body, which is very important. Further we do various postures like

standing erect, bowing down, prostrating, the vertebra column takes

various postures and there are less chances of having disease of the

vertebrae, of the spine.

There are medical benefits [and] you can give a talk only on this topic.

But we Muslims, we offer Salah to thank Allah (SWT), to praise Him.

These are just side dishes. They are like dessert. You know it may

attract a person who is a non-Muslim, towards Salah but our main meal,

our main biryani, our main course is to thank Allah (SWT) and to obey

the commandments of Allah and the Prophet. That is the reason we offer

Salah.

Why 5 times daily salat:-

As I mentioned in the earlier episode that Salah is a sort of programming

towards righteousness, that we are programmed towards righteousness.

And the requirement [is] that it should be repeated [a] minimum [of] 5

times a day. For example for a very healthy body, a doctor will tell you,

you require [a] minimum [of] 3 meals a day. Similarly for a spiritual soul,

a person is required to offer Salah 5 times a day. And the requirement is,

[that] there are chances that because of the evil in the society around us,

we may get de-programmed. So if we are kept on being re-programmed,

there are more chances that you will remain [steadfast on the] Sirat al

mustaqeem, on the straight path. Therefore it is compulsory that every

Muslim should offer Salah [a] minimum [of] 5 times a day.

Doesn't Salat disturb my job productivity. If you know the rules of

management, [you will know] that a person cannot work continuously for

hours together. If a person comes to office at 9 o'clock in the morning

and sits till 6 o'clock in the evening, continuously for 9 hours, in fact he

will be less productive. That is the reason that there are some short

breaks given in between. So a person can get re-created, you know we

have recreation. Similarly Salah is a sort of recreation. It rejuvenates

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you. If someone tells me that I am losing time, I am less productive,

because I waste 15 minutes having lunch break, I would say that he is

not a logical person because only if he has meals regularly, can he do

more work. Similarly if a person offers Salah at intervals, I do agree he

may have to work for a few minutes but when he stops and he comes

back to work he works with a much better frame of mind and productivity

overall will be much better. So for a logical person and a modern person

he has to agree that there should be breaks so that a person can get

recreated and Salah is the best form of rejuvenating your mind.

By Dr Zakir Naik

Health benefits of Salat

Different postures of Salat. In every posture there are certain health benefits, for example, bowing position tones stomach muscles, abdomen and kidneys and the spine becomes supple and flexible, while the spinal nerves are nourished. In doing Sujud, there is less chance of getting headache, spasms, aches, etc. due to the fact that the electrostatic charges are dissipated and discharged.SALAT has been made compulsory on all believers in all situations. It is an activity which cannot be neglected under any circumstance. This obligation on us should not be regarded as a burden, but rather it should be cherished and appreciated. The Arabic word “Salah,” doesn’t only mean “prayer,” because “pray”

basically means to address a prayer to God or another deity, according to the Oxford dictionary. “Salah,” is a word with a broad meaning, which doesn’t only mean prayer, but also means goodness, righteousness and godliness. In Salah, we not only ask from Allah but we also thank Him, praise Him and at the same time receive guidance from Him. Salah in the true sense is programming or conditioning. The prayer conditions us to stay away from forbidden and shameful actions, and encourages us to do righteous and sensible deeds. Since we humans have limited free will, this conditioning will help us and enable us to stay away from forbidden things, and enjoin on what is not forbidden. A healthy body requires three meals a day. Similarly, the spiritual soul requires five times Salah a day.

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Besides attaining spiritual upliftment from performing one’s Salat, one may also gain many physical and psychological benefits. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is recorded in a Hadith (Ibn Majah) stating that prayer is a cure for many diseases. The wisdom in this claim can be understood when assessing the physical benefits of the act of prayer. The process of performing Salat expects certain movements and actions, these actions performed at least five times a day have been found to equate to jogging or walking at a rate of three miles an hour. This is a basic level of exercise strongly advocated by doctors and members of the medical fraternity on a whole. The importance of exercise is undeniable, with potential benefits to the cardiac, respiratory, skeletal and muscular system. The dynamics of Salat contribute to the improvement of all of these systems, with specific emphasis on the muscular and cardiac systems. Before we delve into a detailed discussion, it needs to be noted that the purpose of performing Salat should not be to obtain health benefits, but rather to fulfill a religious requirement. The fact that there are physical benefits associated with prayer comes as a blessing. In Salah, when we perform ruku that is bowing down, extra blood flows into the upper part of the body. The spine becomes supple and flexible, while the spinal nerves are nourished. This relieves backache and pain. This is a good posture for reducing flatulence. This action stretches the lower back, thighs, and calves while blood gets pumped into the upper torso. Bowing position tones stomach muscles, abdomen and kidneys. When we come back to the standing position (after ruku), the blood which has entered into the upper part of the body, comes back to normal and the body is relaxed. As a result, this blood carries away toxins and releases tension. When we do Sujud, which is basically the prostration to the ground with eight parts of the body touching the floor, the forehead on the ground which is the best position of Salat. It is the most relevant part of Salat. Daily, the human beings are propounded by electrostatic charges from the atmosphere, which exudes perspiration in the central nervous system which gets super-saturated. These extra electrostatic charges have to be dissipated and discharged, otherwise resulting in headache, neck ache, muscles spasms, etc. No wonder people regularly take tranquillizers and drugs to relieve the pain. These electrostatic charges are dissipated and discharged when the frontal lobe of the brain is put on the ground, in Sujud. There is dominance of the frontal lobe, and the thinking capacity of the brain is not on the top of the brain, but in the frontal lobe. In doing Sujud, there is less chance of getting headache, spasms, aches, etc. due to the fact that the electrostatic charges are dissipated and discharged. Moreover, the Sujud allow extra blood supply to enter the brain, which enables it to become healthier. It also has a

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positive effect on memory, vision, hearing, concentration and the psyche. In addition, extra blood flows into the skin, neck and face which increases circulation of blood of the skin, neck and face, which is very healthy especially in cold seasons. Also, it allows mental toxins to be cleaned by blood. This is also very good for the brain. This prevents diseases such as: Fibromyalgia (Fibrositis) and chilblains. During the Sujud, there is drainage of the paranasal sinuses, thus there are less chances of getting sinusitis which consists of inflammation of the linings of the sinuses that surround the nose. In certain forms of yoga, some adherents stand on their heads for the purpose of blood flowing to the brain, which we Muslims have been doing for centuries. – Saudi Gazette

Salat: The Highest Form of Yoga? by Hasan Awan

Hasan Awan is a physician of internal medicine in private practice in Baltimore, MD. He has professional interests in wellness medicine, traditional and alternative forms of healing which he strives to incorporate into his practice. He has personal interests in the Islamic intellectual/spiritual traditions as well as comparative religion. He is a student of Dr. Seyyed Hossein Nasr. He currently resides in the suburbs of Baltimore with his loving wife and children, living close to his beloved parents and extended family.

By Hasan Awan, MD.

In The Name of God, the All-Merciful, the Ever-Merciful.

Once upon a sacred time and space, an Eastern spiritual sage was asked by his disciples to demonstrate the postures of the "highest form of yoga", which he did for their benefit. He began by standing and facing a particular direction (the East), raising his arms and hands in awe of the Sacred space before him and within him. His eyes, humbled, looked down towards a particular position on the ground as if in reverence before this all-encompassing and transcendent Presence. Then, to some people's amazement, he began to hold postures for a certain period of time, while focusing on his breathing and meditating which started in a standing position, then a bowing position while keeping his spine straight and extended, and then ultimately in a yoga "child-pose" like position of prostration, realizing fully the form of the curvature of the spine—again

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aligning the posture to his breathing and meditating. Finally, after repeating this cycle over again, he ended the posture in a sitting meditative position with his arms on his thighs, this time whispering something upon his lips, and finally exiting this form of yoga with an extension and release of the neck to the right and then to the left. When finished, and after weeks of practicing this posture with his disciples every dawn, high noon, later afternoon, evening/sunset and night; and after appreciating that his disciples were physically, psychologically and spiritually transformed by this form of yoga under his guidance, the sage turned to them and congratulated them on performing the "yoga" of the Prophet Muhammad ملسو هيلع هللا ىلص and his followers!

Lest one doubt the veracity of this story, allow me to state that it is indeed a "true" rendition transmitted to me, albeit dramatized. Over a period of some time, the disciples of this spiritual sage eventually entered Islam and followed this beautiful "friend of God" in practicing the Shariah and Spiritual Way (Tariqa/Sunnah) of the Prophet ملسو هيلع هللا ىلص. The spiritual sage's name whom this story is attributed to was none other than Shaykh Bawa Muhaiyedeen (may God have Mercy on him and sanctify his secret), who is buried in Coatesville, PA, USA. He is arguably the first well-known Muslim "saint" to be buried in this beautiful "land of the free". He is succeeded by a beautiful Muslim community he single handedly produced, who continue to practice Traditional Islam as it was transmitted to them by Shaykh Bawa.

The truth of such a story should not seem so far-fetched as many parallels can be found between how certain "converts" to Islam may learn the salat and how children of Muslim families (or other Muslims new to salat) may learn the practice of the Muslim canonical prayer through mimicking the motions of their parents or someone who prays. Such a process involves imitating the outer form of the salat—a practice which many years later may lead to an inner spiritual opening, God-willing. The only difference of the transmission of the salat for others and the situation in this story here is that these seekers of spiritual truth learned the salat under the guidance of a man who was privy by the divine grace (tawfiq) to a profound spiritual attainment through Islamic praxis in the form of the rites of prayer and invocation of Allah's Names.

It has been about three years since I first heard this wonderful story. What intrigued me about the story was the idea that each position of the salat was being taken so seriously and performed with such devotion and presence of mind, body and heart by these "yogis-come-Muslims". I began to ask myself, how could it be that such "yogis" were

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transformed so profoundly by just practicing the outer motions of the salat for a couple of weeks while I was going "through the motions" five times daily for decades and apparently understood its meaning without any real or wholesome transformation? And then it hit me: perhaps there was a profound meaning to be found in each physical posture of the salat—a meaning intimately related to the very fundamental notions of being Muslim (that is, one who submits their very purpose to their Lord). Was there something that "yoga" could teach me about the salat that I had been lacking? My heart told me there was indeed. It was for this reason I started practicing yoga and still practice it regularly. Even to this day I am astonished at how such yoga practices heighten my awareness of a spiritual attitude and divine presence realized through every posture of the Muslim Prayer.

In any case, as a Muslim who now practices yoga regularly for health benefits, who attempts to pray his salat on time, and attempts to bring more presence (hudur) and concentration into salah through dhikr

(remembrance), it is important to ask myself (and others) the following questions:

How physically, psychologically and spiritually present are we in our salat?

And for those yoga practitioners out there who have experienced first-hand the many "healthy" effects of yoga (I have in mind forms of hatha-yoga and not other forms of yoga):

How come we cannot attain the suppleness, centeredness and even "relaxation" that we attain in yoga through the salat?

Does not the Qur'an state, "Spiritually successful are the believers. Those who maintain 'khushu' in their salah (prayer)" (23:2)? Now khushu is a Qur'anic term that can not sufficiently be translated by one word. However, after some years of practicing dhikr (and yoga) I appreciate more and more that Khushu is simultaneously a form of physical suppleness, psychological mindfulness and a spiritual reverence before the Divine Presence of God. In other words, khushu is a Qur'anic term which connotes the effects of being "fully present"—body, mind and spirit—before the Divine Presence in Prayer. Khushu in many ways can arguably be seen as one of the "goals" of yoga!

Now, if you are still with me, in this Qur'anic light, is it possible today to practice "yoga", attain its benefits, and apply the "insights" gained

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through its practice in order to fully realize "khushu" in salat, ultimately appreciating how salat may actually be "the highest form of yoga" for the followers of Muhammad ملسو هيلع هللا ىلص?

Let us first define "yoga" so as to appreciate how it is possible for the salat to even be described as a form of yoga.

According to wikipedia, yoga is a Sanskrit word and is defined as "the physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines which originated in ancient India, (dating back to the third millennia BC), with a view to attaining a state of permanent peace of mind in order to experience one's true self." Such practices have been integrated organically in their own way into many forms of traditional spirituality rooted in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. This to me, points to the possibility that the original form of "yoga" can arguably be viewed as a kind of inspired or "prophetic science" of the body and soul. Anyone who has truly tasted yoga and is Muslim would appreciate why I make this claim—which is just a claim to say the least. To be sure I wish also to stress the term "original" since yoga has taken on many forms and guises, especially in its New Age forms in the modern West, and is unfortunately associated with many scandals. This fact should not deter the perceptive and contemplative Muslim to appreciate its many health benefits—especially in its hatha-yoga forms.

In any case, the actual term "yoga" is derived from two Sanskrit words meaning "to yoke" and "to concentrate". This naturally leads to appreciating how the form of the body can be maneuvered, positioned, or "yoked" in such a way as to illicit a proper form of concentration or discipline upon the "mind" (soul). This process of using the body as a support or means of contemplation can fine-tune itself through various postures of the body, in order to find peace and realize one's true inner self. It can be argued that in Islam such a definition and spiritual goal of yoga ultimately translates into attaining khushu through salat which, as a revealed rite in Islam, involves and integrates the body, mind/soul and spirit in its own particular manner, the ultimate objective being the attaining of spiritual nearness (qurb) to God. Through such a process of inwardness and attaining qurb, it can be said that finding peace (itmi'nan) through a penetration of the spiritual consciousness from the body to the heart (qalb) through dhikr (remembrance of God) (see Qur'an 13:28)1, is most prominently realized in that "form of yoga" Muslims identify with as the canonical prayer of Islam, that is the salat (see Qur'an 29:45). Thus, one may appreciate how for Muslims "the highest form of Yoga" can be viewed as the salat.

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In regards to appreciating the form of the salat in general and the physical positions of the salat in particular, it is intriguing that Dr. Seyyed Hossein Nasr notes the following in his article, "The Interior Life in Islam":

"The form of these prayers is derived directly from the sunnah of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and the daily prayers are considered as the most important of religious deeds for as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) has said, “The first of his deeds for which a man will be taken into account on the day of resurrection will be his prayer. If it is sound he will be saved and successful, but if it is unsound he will be unfortunate and miserable. If any deficiency is found in his obligatory prayer the Lord who is blessed and exalted will issue instructions to consider whether His servant has said any voluntary prayers so that what is lacking in the obligatory prayer may be made up by it. Then the rest of his actions will be treated in the same fashion.”2

The salat punctuates man's daily existence, determines its rhythm, provides a refuge in the storm of life and protects man from sin. Its performance is obligatory and its imprint upon Islamic society and the soul of the individual Muslim fundamental beyond description.

Yet, the meaning of the prayers is not to be understood solely through the study of their external form or their impact upon Islamic society, as fundamental as those may be. By virtue of the degree of man's ihsan, and also by virtue of the grace (barakah) contained within the sacred forms of the prayers, man is able to attain inwardness through the very external forms of the prayers [emphasis added].

He is able to return, thanks to the words and movements which are themselves the echoes of the inner states of the Holy Prophet, back to the state of perfect servitude (ubudiyyah) and nearness to the Divine (qurb) which characterize the inner journey of the Holy Prophet as the Universal Man (al-insan al-kamil) to the Divine Presence on that nocturnal ascent (al-miraj), which is at once the inner reality of the prayers and the prototype of spiritual realization in Islam."

In a footnote to this excerpt, Dr. Nasr more specifically relates the miraj (ascension) of the Prophet ملسو هيلع هللا ىلص to the outer and inner reality of the prayer (salat) in the following manner:

"The external movements of the prayers are said by traditional Islamic authorities to be reflections in the world of form, movement, time and

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space of the states experienced by the Holy Prophet during his nocturnal ascension."

All this is a profound commentary upon the hadith that "the salat is the [spiritual] ascension of the believer", and allows us to further appreciate how salat is a form of "yoga" in the most profound and highest sense of the term—aligned as it is to our inner, spiritual ascension to the divine presence. It is significant to note the connection between the outer physical form, postures and movements (in short, "the yoga") of the salat and the inner, spiritual essence attained through performing salat through khushu. Practicing yoga has allowed me to become much more sensitive to this connection between the outer form of the salat and its inner, spiritual reality (ma'na). Although one need not practice yoga to appreciate the profound spiritual meanings contained in the salat, for this writer the practice of yoga has heightened the awareness of those same realities. As such, the salat can be viewed, from an Eastern and spiritual point of view, as a form of yoga whose roots are found in the Islamic Revelation and Prophecy, which strives to attain khushu and itmi'nan as a "wasila" (means) from and to Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala), engaging the body, mind/soul and spirit of the believer.

So can it actually be said that the salat is the "highest form of Yoga"? Shaykh Bawa believed so. And I believe those who have experienced yoga and who strive to perform their salat with khushu would say the same. Perhaps one day when your children return home from school and try to teach you the new yoga posture they learned in gym class, you can retort: "Allow me to teach you the best kind of yoga."

And God Knows Best.

1. Qur'anic verses cited: "Spiritually Successful are the believers. Those who maintain 'khushu" in their salah (prayer)" [23:2] "You shall recite what is revealed to you of the Scripture, and observe the Salat, for the Salat prohibits evil and vice. And the remembrance of God is greater. God is aware of all that you do." [29:45] "Those who believe and whose hearts find rest in the remembrance of Allah, Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest. [13:28] 2. Footnoted hadith found in Mishkat al Masabih.

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Surah Rahman: And Which of The Favours of Thy Lord Will Ye Deny?

Posted in Islamic Knowledge By admin On August 13, 2015

Surah Rahman is one of the imperative and reverend Surah of Quran that enumerates dive blessings of Allah Almighty that He has bestowed upon the human kind. The Surah entails the innumerable favors of sole worshiping Lord encompassing favors, wrath of Allah in the form of Resurrection Day and His eternal omnipotence.

The verse “denial to the bounties of Lord” is an explicit crux of Surah Rahman reiterated approximately thirty times in order to emphasis the majestic wonders of Allah Almighty.

Humans are fragile and susceptible to turbulence and fall easily to the waves of ordeals hence surrender to the worldly despair. Allah wants humans to remember the entire blessings, powers, and feasts He has enlightened humans with to complicate with the purpose of creation i.e. to worship Him and be thankful.

“And whatever you have of favor – it is from Allah. Then when adversity touches you, to Him you cry for help.” [Quran 16:53]

Allah Being Rahman o Raheem

Allah Almighty is the beseeching deity for mercy and refuge from the pernicious evils of Satan, which is an open enemy of humankind. The Surah starts with the praise worthy name of Allah i.e. “Rahman” and to its explanation is the entire Surah encapsulated in His bounties and favors. Rahman is one of the attributes of Allah the Exalted one that entails Him being exclusive, unique, unparallel, unprecedented, and equivalent meaning Merciful and Most Gracious.

Denial to all the sublime and subtle favors of Allah Almighty trapped a man in the devilish customs eventually a defeat in life and hereafter.

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1. Existence and purpose of existence

The vitality of Surah lies in the benevolence of merciful Lord who creates a human from a clot of blood from tiny sperm and then blessed in him a life to worship Allah. The word “insaan” that Allah has described in the starting verses designated “humankind” rather Muslims. The creation of humans is a wonder whose microcosm and macrocosm is itself an unequal blessing to be thankful for the rest of one’s entire life.

“Travel through the land and observe how He began creation. Then

Allah will produce the final creation. Indeed Allah, over all things, is competent.” [Quran 29:20]

The blessing of Allah does not stop here but along creation, He has imparted the human race with the sense of speech and comprehension towards the teachings of Quran. Allah clearly has stated in sacred revelation that “this is He who has sent the book of Mercy and teach

humans how to read Quran to be on righteous path.”

“The Most Merciful Taught the Qur’an, Created man, and taught him eloquence.” [55: 1-4]

2. Scientific Revelations to Ponder on Eternal Wonders of Allah

Apart from the “Ala” connotation in the reiterated verses, referring to the widespread bounties of Allah Almighty the Surah discloses the scientific implications of various eternal wonders of Rab ul Aalameen. The solar system and purpose of moon and sun has been unfolded since ages ago but the advent of technology has cemented the sacramental purpose behind their existence. Imagining life without sun and moon is meaningless with no warmth and zest.

Moon and sun are the symbols for schedule for Islamic rituals like Hajj and festivity of Eid along the timetable for Salah, their gone-away trajectories shed light on the ultimate reality that there exist death and every living soul ought to taste for accountability purpose in the realm of God.

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“And the sun runs [on course] toward its stopping point. That is the determination of the Exalted in Might, the Knowing. And a sign for them is the night. We remove from it [the light of] day, so they are [left] in darkness. And the sun runs [on course] toward its stopping point. That is the determination of the Exalted in Might, the Knowing.” [Quran 36: 38 – 40]

The miracle of fresh and salty water in separate state is let alone sufficient to legitimize the Grandeur and Exaltation of Allah Almighty. He has created a sea of two different color of distinct taste and has ordered them not to mix as narrated in Quran:

“And it is He who has released [simultaneously] the two seas, one fresh

and sweet and one salty and bitter, and He placed between them a barrier and prohibiting partition.” [Quran 25:53]

This exemplifies the purpose of human creation to refrain from prohibited deeds and follow the path of Lord hence not to fall astray.

3. Everything will Perish

Along blessings, Allah has instilled the Khawf of Dooms day in the hearts of those who worship Him. The fear of Resurrection is the scale that makes a man “Mutaqi” so that He with an open and piety heart worship lord by relinquishing the things He has asked to stay away from. At the day of Resurrection every one will be presented in front of Allah for accountability of deeds including all those who are in state of constant denial that how they will reborn from ashes.

“And he presents for Us an example and forgets his [own] creation. He says, “Who will give life to bones while they are disintegrated?” Say, “He will give them life who produced them the first time; and He is, of all creation, Knowing.” [Quran 36: 78 – 79]

4. No Diminution to The Dignity of God

The core inscription of Surah Rahman is “Dignity of God that has no diminution.” The day of Qyamah will come and the mountains will turned

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into ashes, people will be presented in the realm of Glorious one but the grandeur and magnanimity of Allah Almighty will remain the same.

Allah though has created human and Jins to worship Him but in fact He does not need it as He has the echelons of Angels who are in continuous prostrating state emphasizing that He is the one and will be the one till end hence fear Thy lord and seek His forgiveness.

In nutshell, Surah Ar Rahman comprehends the manifestation of Allah Almighty explaining the fruits and bounties of Lord that is evident from start of the verse until the very end of Surah that is the reason that it has entitled with the adornment of Quran as narrated in Hadith:

“Abdullah ibn Mas’ud reported that the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) said, “Everything has an adornment, and the adornment of the Qur’an is Surah Ar Rahman.” [Bayhaqi]

NON-MUSLIM PERSPECTIVE ON PRAYER

THE HEALING POWER OF PRAYER

By: Larry Dossey

Scientists are discovering what believers have always known, namely

the healing powers of prayers. It was during registrarship at a hospital in

Dallas, Texas that I had my first patient with terminal cancer in both

lungs. i advised him on the available therapy, and what little I thought it

would do. Rightly, he opted for no treatment. Yet, whenever stopped at

his hospital bedside, he was surrounded by visitors from his church,

singing and praying. Good thing, I thought, because soon they'll be

singing and praying at his funeral. A year later, when was working

elsewhere, a former colleague phoned to as whether I wanted to see my

old patient. See him? I couldn't believe he was still alive. I studied his x-

rays and was stunned, his lungs were completely clear, there was no

sign of cancer. "His therapy has been remarkable," the radiologist said,

looking over my shoulder. Therapy? I thought. There wasn't any, unless

you consider prayer.

I told two of my medical-school professors what had happened. Neither

was willing to acknowledge that the man's healing was miraculous. "That

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was the natural course of the disease," one said. The other shrugged his

shoulders. "We see this," he said. I had long ago given up the faith of my

childhood. Now I believed in the power of modern medicine. Prayer

seemed arbitrary. So put the incident out of my mind. Years passed,

and became chief of staff at a large urban hospital. I was aware that

many of the patients I saw used prayer, but still put little trust in it. Then

in the late 80s, I began to come across studies, many of them conducted

under strict laboratory conditions that showed that prayer brings about

significant changes in a variety of physical conditions.

Perhaps the most convincing study, published in 1988, was by

cardiologist Dr Randolph Byrd. A computer assigned 393 patients at the

coronary-care unit of a San Francisco hospital either to a group that was

prayed for by prayer groups or to a group that was not remembered in

prayer. No one knew which group the patients were in. The prayer

groups were simply given the patients' first names, with a brief

description of their problems. They were asked to pray each day until the

patient was discharged, but were given no instructions on how to do it or

what to say. When the study was completed ten months later, the

prayed-for benefited in several significant areas. They were five times

less likely to require antibiotics and they were two and a half times less

likely to suffer congestive heart failure or cardiac arrest. If the medical

technique being studied had been a new drug or surgical procedure,

instead of prayer, it would probably have been heralded as a

breakthrough. Even hard-boiled sceptics such as Dr William Nolen, who

wrote a book questioning the validity of faith healing, acknowledged, "if

this is a valid study, we doctors ought to be writing on the prescription

charts, 'Pray three times a day.' If it works"

Scientists, including doctors, can have blind spots. The power of prayer

seems to be one of them. I have since given up practicing medicine o

devote myself to researching and writing about prayer and how it affects

our health. here are studies that suggest that prayer can have a

beneficial effect on high blood pressure, wounds, headaches and

anxiety. Here are some of the things I've found. In the studies I've seen,

results occurred not only when people prayed for explicit outcomes but

also when they prayed for nothing specific. Some studies showed that a

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simple "Thy will be done" was quantitatively more powerful than specific

results held in mind. In many experiments a simple attitude of

prayerfulness, an all-pervading sense of holiness and a feeling of

empathy, caring and compassion, seemed to set the stage for healing.

The power of love is legendary. It's built into folklore, common sense and

everyday experience. Love moves the flesh, as the blushing palpitations

experienced by lover attest. And throughout history, tender loving care

has been recognized as a valuable element in healing. In fact, a survey

of 10000 men with heart disease published in 'The American Journal of

Medicine', found a reduction of close to 50 per cent in frequency of

angina in those who perceived their wives as supportive and loving.

Virtually all healers who used faith and prayer agree: love is the power

making it possible for them to reach out and heal, even at a distance.

The feeling of care and warmth is so pronounced that they usually

describe "becoming one" with the person prayed for. In the healer Agnes

Sanford's words, "Only love can light the healing fire."

When I was a child, one of the most puzzling pieces of advice I ever

heard from the pulpit was the exhortation to "pray unceasingly". I was old

enough to realize that unceasingly means non-stop. Yet try as I might, I

was not capable of non-stop prayer, and in bed at night, I'd always

succumb to sleep's tug. I had no idea that "subconscious prayer was

possible. Today we equate prayer almost exclusively with waking

awareness and rationality. That prayer may occur in the depths of the

unconscious, even during dreams, may seem preposterous. And the

possibility that our unconscious may know how to pray better than our

conscious mind is not entertained. Dr Herbert Benson of Harvard

Medical School was one of the first medical researchers to study the

health benefits of prayer and meditation. He found that among Christians

and Jews who prayed regularly, Catholics used phrases such as "Lord

Jesus Christ, have mercy upon me," Jews used the peace greeting

"Shalom" and Protestants frequently chose the first line of the Lord's

Prayer or the opening of Psalm 23. All these, Benson found, were

equally effective in stimulating healthy physiological changes in the

body, what he called "the relaxation response."

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Benson also discovered a connection between exercise and prayer. He

taught runners to meditate as they ran and found that their bodies

became more efficient. His research showed not only that prayer is good

for the body, but also that our methods of prayer vary widely. Prescribing

one specific way to pray can disenfranchise people from the prayer

process and result in prayer dropouts. Most people who pray are

convinced that prayer can be used in a purposeful, goal-specific mer.

But research shows that open-ended entreaties seem to work too.

Invocations such as "let it be" or "may the best thing happen" do not

"use" prayer for specific outcomes no do they involve complicated

messages. Perhaps this is what some mean when they advocate "Let go

and let God." Many recognize in their prayers a spontaneous,

uncontrollable quality that brings results.

My patient was dying. A day before, I sat at his bedside with his wife

and children. He knew he had little time left, and he chose his words

carefully, speaking in a hoarse whisper. Although he was not a religious

person, he revealed to us that he had recently begun to pray. "What do

you pray for?" I asked. "It isn't 'for' anything," he said thoughtfully. "It

simply reminds me that I am not alone." Prayer is like that. It is a

reminder of our unbounded nature, of the part of us that is infinite in

space and time. It is the universe's affirmation that we are not alone.