Abdul Rasool Syed
SALAT is one of the most important pillars of Islam. It is the bedrock of Islam on which the whole edifice of religion (Deen) is erected. The importance of Islam can be realized from the fact that in the Holy Quran, Allah has repeatedly commanded Muslims to observe Salat. Allah Almighty says in the Holy Quran: “This is the Book in which there is no doubt, guidance for those who have Taqwa: who believe in the unseen, and who establish Salah, and spend out of what we have provided for them.” (2:2-3).Therefore, in addition to giving charity and believing in the unseen, a Muslim must also establish Salah in order to move towards Taqwa.
At another place, Allah, the sublime says: “Indeed, those who believe and do righteous deeds and establish prayers and give zakah will have their reward with their Lord, and there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve.” (2:277). It is also mentioned in the Holy Book that who believe in the unseen, observe the Prayers (Salat), and from our provisions to them, they give to charity. And they believe in what was revealed to you, and in what was revealed before you, and with regard to the Hereafter, they are absolutely certain. These are guided by their Lord; these are the winners. [2:3-5] Besides many spiritual benefits and rewards, there are numerous physical benefits attached to Salat. This piece is exclusively aimed at highlighting such benefits.
Wudu is the pre-requisite of performing Salat. It is performed before each prayer which involves washing the face, mouth, nostrils, ears and arms before praying, has great health advantages. This helps clean the outer surface of the body which is the best thing that can happen for the skin and preventing tooth decay, and reducing bacterial infections etc. Therefore, the general state of cleanliness in all the areas of the body leads to the skin staying healthy and a person feeling light and lively. Additionally, the different postures of body during the salah help in improving the overall blood flow in the body. People have a lot of issues when it comes to flow of high blood pressure or low blood pressure in a certain region in the body. In these cases, the Salah movements help in regulating the blood flow to all parts of the human body. During the Ruku position, for example, blood flow is regulated in the upper body and during Tashahhud, the blood flow in the lower body is regulated.
According to scientific studies, the Salah also helps in digestion of the body. For example, during the Quud state, which is basically when the men are sitting down with one foot curled underneath them and the women sit with both their feet under them, the posture is such that it enables and facilitates digestion. It improves liver functions and relaxes the intestines, which in turn facilitates bowel movement in the body. Salah can also help alleviate cases of constipation and overeating. Furthermore, the position of the body during prostration and bowing helps open up and ease the joints. Regular use of the joints keeps them healthy and functioning. Moreover, the position of the Ruku helps in alleviating pain in the lower back by relaxing the ligaments and muscles (similar to yoga). It also helps ease the pain in the spinal cord and the hip joints. Through the vertebral relaxation, backache and vertebral illnesses can also be avoided. The Salah overall relaxes the shoulder joints, elbows, knees, ankles and the hip.
According to modern science, one of the healthiest forms of exercise is yoga and it has been found that the movements during Salah resemble the movements found in form of exercise called yoga. Yoga, like Salah, rejuvenates the overall bodily mechanisms. It not only aims to keep a person physically fit but also works towards improving a person’s mental well-being. Yoga therapy aims to bring harmony in a person’s life by bringing together all aspects of his/her life including physical, social, spiritual, psychological etc and creating a full circle of harmony. This is precisely what the Salah aims to do; bring about utter and complete harmony and peace within an individual. In essence, Salah is also a form of exercise that increases a person’s metabolism, which basically improves a person’s overall cardiovascular health.
Every Salah that you offer is similar to exercising on a daily basis which improves the overall functioning of all the organs in the body and regulate the secretion of glands and blood flow in the body. Inter alia, obesity is one of the problems that people of the world is facing nowadays. People are searching and preaching different kinds of abs exercises to control their belly fat and turn slim. In this regard, the Sajadah posture of Salat can help a great deal in controlling the belly from expanding and accumulating fats. The knees and both the feet are on the ground while the head goes to the ground in such a way that a refined pressure is put on the abdominal muscle making them strong. This type of exercise is recommended for women who want to hold the fetus in the proper position. In the light of preceding discussion, it can be concluded that if we observe Salat religiously, we can ward off many physical and psychological diseases and also get the proximity of Allah as well as matchless rewards in hereafter.
— The writer, an Advcate, based in Quetta Balochistan.
