Imran Khan
Introduction
The Human is the best creation of Allah ﷻ as described in the Holy Qur’an,
"Verily We created human in the best form” [Surah Al-Tin 95:4]
Hafiz Ibn Kathir wrote in his tafseer:
“This is the subject being sworn out and is that Allah ﷻ created human in the best image and form, standing up right with straight limbs that he beautified. It is a fact that you will find this “best form”
proportionately, from a bodily point of view and from a spiritual and rational point of view, because Allah ﷻ has established all abilities in the human to prepare him for the responsibilities which he needs to adhere to in his life.
The Status of a Believer
Human was created in the best image and form, standing upright with straight limbs, is an evidence of Allah’s ﷻ Special Care for the Creation of the human to assign him a special status amongst all His creations.
The human then is given a list of commands and prohibitions to practice in his life to maintain his upright position and if he deviates and turns away from these commands and prohibitions of Allah ﷻ then his status changes from the highest to the lowest of the low.
“Then We reduced him to the lowest of the low.” [Surah Al-Tin 95:4]
Today accepting Islam as a Deen and adopting the commands and advice given in the Holy Qur’an to every aspect of life, and the practice of the Sunnah is the only way to achieve the success in this world and the hereafter. Allah ﷻ tells us:
“Whosoever acts righteously - whether a man or a woman - and embraces belief, We will surely grant him a good life; and will surely grant such persons their reward according to the best of their deeds.” [Surah Al-Nahl 16:97]
All the prohibitions imposed like drinking, gambling, robbery etc, are protection for a believer and all the commands and Sunnah practices are beneficial for him. Scholars have written countless books on each topic of prohibition and the virtue of following the commands of Allah ﷻ and Sunnah of Prophet ﷺ.
Physical benefits of following The Holy Qur’an and Sunnah
Sleep is a kind of death because when a person sleeps his body and spirit part from each other. Allah ﷻ says in the Holy Qur’an.
“It is Allah Who calls back the souls of people upon their death as well as the souls of the living during their sleep. Then He keeps those for whom He has ordained death and releases the others until their appointed time. Surely in this are signs for people who reflect.” [Surat Al-Zumar 39:42]
When a person awakes from the "death" of sleep and regains his consciousness and powers like seeing, speaking, hearing, and feeling as he had before a sleep then the “Shukr” becomes compulsory on him which is achieved by the “Zikr” of Allah. “Zikr” literally means
“remembrance” and in Islamic practice “Zikr” is known as “Way of the Heart”. With “Zikr” we achieve contentment in our heart. Allah ﷻ says in the Holy Qur’an.
“Verily, in the remembrance of God do hearts find rest.” [Surah Al-Ra’d 13:28]
The Prophet ﷺ said اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي عَبْدُكَ وَابْنُ عَبْدِكَ وَابْنُ أَمَتِكَ نَاصِيَتِي بِيَدِكَ مَاضٍ فِي حُكْمُكَ عَدْلٌ فِي قَضَاؤُكَ أَسْأَلُكَ بكل اسم هولَكَ سَمَّيْتَ بِهِ نَفْسَكَ أَوْ أَنْزَلْتَهُ فِي كِتَابِكَ أَوْ عَلَّمْتَهُ أَحَدًا مِنْ خَلْقِكَ أَوْ اسْتَأْثَرْتَ بِهِ فِي عِلْمِ الْغَيْبِ عِنْدَكَ أَنْ تَجْعَلَ الْقُرْآنَ رَبِيعَ قَلْبِي وَنُورَ صَدْرِي وَجِلَاءَ حُزْنِي وَذَهَابَ هَمِّي إِلَّا أَذْهَبَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ لَّ هَمَّهُ وَأَبْدَلَهُ مَكَانَ حُزْنِهِ فَرَحًا،
"O Allah, I am Your slave, son of Your slave, son of Your handmaid, my forelock is in Your hand (i.e., You have total mastery over me), Your command over me is forever executed and Your decree over me is just."I ask You by every name belonging to You which You named Yourself with, or revealed in Your Book, or You taught to any of Your creation, or You have preserved in the knowledge of the unseen with You, that You make the Holy Qur’an the life of my heart and the light of my bosom, and a departure for my sorrow and a release for my anxiety.[Musnad Ahmad 3712; Sahih Ibn Hibban 972]
Allama Badruddin al-‘Ayni (d. 855 AH) in his explanation of this du’a commented on its unique emphasis on submission
“And in this [statement] is the perfection of submission, humility, and gnosis through [the expression of] servitude to God. This is because it was not simply stated ‘I am your servant,’ but it was further emphasized tnbhrough ‘son of your male servant and son of your female servant.’ This indicates a hyperbolic emphasis on submission and servitude to God. This is because the solitary servant is not the same as a servant, whose father is also a servant”
It was narrated by Suhaib (RA) that Allah's Messenger ﷺ said:
Strange are the ways of a believer for there is good in every affair of his and this is not the case with anyone else except in the case of a believer for if he has an occasion to feel delight, he thanks (God), thus there is a good for him in it, and if he gets into trouble and shows resignation (and endures it patiently), there is a good for him in it. [Sahih Muslim 2999]
Arthur Saniotis wrote in his article,
“Understanding Mind/Body Medicine from Muslim Religious Practices of Salah and Dhikr”:
“Islam divides medicine according to two types: physical medicine (Al-tibb al-jismani) and spiritual/psychological medicine (Al-Tibb al Ruhani). Unlike the bio-medical model, these two medical categories are symbiotically related since in Islam humankind is composed of body (jism) and spirit (ruh) (Deuraseh and Talib 2005). In addition, Islam recognises human mental health as being constituted by psyche (nafs), mind (aql), and heart (qalb). In western terminology, the nafs is cognate with the ego and is often referred to by Muslims as the ‘‘baser self’’ which needs vigilant control. Medieval Islamic physicians and philosophers compared the nafs with ether, which was believed to be ‘‘emitted from the heart’’ and transported via the blood throughout the body ‘‘giving it life.’’
He suggested:
“It is reasonable to suggest that mind/body medicine as offered in the practice of Salah and dhikr may assist in the prevention of chronic illness, as well as alleviating the symptoms of chronic disease.”
Benefits of Wudu
Every Muslim purifies himself before the act of worship. He performs physical cleansing which is called Wudu. We can define Wudu as a procedure of washing and wiping of certain parts of the body in a specific order.
As Allah ﷻ Said in the Holy Qur’an,
“O you who believe! when you rise up to prayer, wash your faces and your hands as far as the elbows, and wipe your heads and your feet to the ankles … Allah does not desire to put on you any difficulty, but He wishes to purify you and that He may complete His favour on you, so that you may be grateful.” [Surah Al-Ma’idah 5:6]
The spiritual benefit of Wudu described by the Holy Prophet is as follows:
Abu Huraira (RA) reported: The Messenger of Allah, ﷺ, said,
“Whoever retired for the night in a state of purity, an angel will reside with him in his bed. He will not awaken for an hour in the night but that the angel says: O Allah, forgive this servant of yours, for he retired in a state of purity.” [Al-Da’wāt al-Kabīr 358]
Wudu is a source of expiations as described in the following narration.
Abu Huraira (RA) reported: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
When a bondsman-a Muslim or a believer-washes his face (in ablution), every sin he contemplated with his eyes, will be washed away from his face along with water, or with the last drop of water; when he washes his hands, every sin they wrought will be effaced from his hands with the water, or with the last drop of water; and when he washes his feet, every sin towards which his feet have walked will be washed away with the water or with the last drop of water with the result that he comes out pure from all sins [Sahih Muslim 244]
Health Benefits of Wudu (Ablution)
Below mentioned are some medical benefits of ablution that we all should know about:
Ablution stimulates the biological rhythms of the body.
Washing hands, face and feet:
• Wudu removes all the dust that has accumulated on the skin. Refreshes the skin by removing fatigue.
• Keeps skin looking younger and stops skin aging.
• Opens skin pores.
• Disperses sweat and fats.
• Protects eyes by cleaning it.
Washing mouth:
• Removes food particles and bad odour • Prevents teeth problems.
• Gives strength to the muscles of the mouth.
Rinsing nostrils:
• Removes germs trapped in the hair follicles of the nose.
• Prevents the germs from entering the body.
Washing the ears (inside & behind)
• Removes extra wax from the ears.
• Prevents wax build-ups.
• Prevents mastoiditis from arising. Washing between the toes:
• Removes all the bacteria hidden between fingers and inside nails.
• Prevents athlete’s foot.
Washing the Arms:
• Prevents mental problems.
• There are 3 major veins in elbow
connected to the heart, liver and the brain.
Wiping the Head:
• Prevents spinal cord problems.
• There is a major vein between the back of the head and neck which connects the spinal cord.
• Spreads energy throughout the body.
Salah as a physical exercise is like tai chi and yoga as it also involves the movements of the whole body and promotes physical fitness. A study covering 17,000 Harvard alumni provides strong evidence that moderate aerobic exercise is equivalent to jogging about 3 miles a day. Ibrahim et al. suggest that subjects who perform Salah regularly, five times a day, would have a healthy body composition, increase the basal metabolic rate and reduced body fat mass. Studies on the benefits of Salah have revealed that when performed correctly with the right posture along with spiritual well-being; it is also improving mental and physical health, improving muscle strength, joint mobility, and blood circulation. A study reported that the different postures of Salaah provide concentric and eccentric muscle actions which play an important role in postural stability and balance. Salah is a haemodynamic exercise which overall improved circulation, coordination, good posture, balance, and wellbeing which burns off the calories and helps in losing and maintaining weight and body composition and increased aerobic capacity & reduces incidence of brain haemorrhage & stroke.
Conclusion
A sound body with a sound mind is essential for every person to achieve their goals. Muslim prayer coordinates the actions of the body & the mind of people. Different studies prove the medical and spiritual benefits. As proven by the research, Muslim prayer postures can be taken as a new form of exercise for treating different musculoskeletal and neurological conditions.
Imran Khan
Alimiyyah graduate, mechanical engineer and student of Shaykh Faizulhaq Abdulaziz حفظه الله
MasaAllah nice presentation.
Very well explained, may Allah taala reward you..aameen.
MashaAllah
Beneficial information
Masha ALLAH fantastic article. Couldn't have been explained better by anyone else in my view. ALLAH BLESS all for the efforts. Ameen summa ameen summa ameen
Masha Allah Beautiful Article.