Author: Usraat Fahmidah
When you think about praying Salah, you are intrinsically aware of the spiritual benefits it involves. It offers a sense of healing, spirituality, hope and guidance. The spiritual aspect is more or less known to everyone. In fact, Salah is considered to be a spiritual practice. But one major aspect that remains unexplored and overlooked is the physical benefits of it. What do I mean by the physical benefits? Let’s take a look.
This act of prayer requires the worshiper to take certain postures while reciting Surahs. Salah is performed five times a day and it involves bowing, standing, prostrating and sitting which are expressed in Arabic as Ruku, Takbir and Sajdah. This regular movement of limbs through Salah- five times a day, must have some significant benefits. But it is rarely given as much importance. It often gets overlooked in regards to Salah’s spiritual side. But it is still an integral part of a Muslim’s life.
According to a study, Prayers are comprised of several movements and postures. They include a certain number of Rakʿah, each Rakʿah consisting of a series of 7-9 postures. Now, if we do the calculation, each Muslim is under obligation to perform 119 postures per day. That is 3750 postures per month and a total of 42,840 postures per year. If a person lives up to an average of 50 years, Salah being obligatory from the age of 10 years, they would have performed approx. 1,713,600 compulsory postures in their lifetime. This tiny amount of physical effort that each Muslim puts in to perform their prayers five times a day proves beneficial in the long run. For example, a study found that Salah has a positive effect on metabolic function. Since it involves continuous gentle muscle contraction and relaxation with perfect harmony and balance, it helps to stretch the muscles. It involves isometric contraction exercises which is suitable for all all ages & conditions. University of Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) Cardiology Consultant Specialist Prof Dr Wan Azman Wan Ahmad stated that “12 ‘Rakʿah’ (unit for a set of actions in a prayer) equaled 30 minutes of light exercises daily as recommended by health experts.” Other than that, daily walk to the mosques can also be a type of physical exercise. These physical activities are not too strenuous but still have positive benefits.
A study found that Salah has a positive effect on metabolic function. Since it involves continuous gentle muscle contraction and relaxation with perfect harmony and balance, it helps to stretch the muscles.
Many studies have concluded that there are myriads of benefits to performing Salah. Over the years, it has been observed that people who perform Salah daily are less likely to have muscle and health issues compared to those who don’t perform it. The physical and physiological advantages are seen in the long run. These Salah postures lead to better fitness among the individuals’ muscle flexibility, muscle strength, core strength and muscle endurance. It has been observed among the Muslim population that people who perform Salah on a regular basis are less likely to have health complications. The spiritual aspects of Salah aid in building a strong mindset for the performer and also helps keep the physical health in check. The physical benefits of Salah should be known to everyone because it gives us a better understanding of the kind of religion Islam is.
Furthermore, Islam is considered to be a way of life. And Salah is an indispensable trait to being a Muslim. Now, the question arises -why should the physical and spiritual benefits of Salah be held together? Owing to the fact that Islam is multi faceted with not only a spiritual side but a practical side as well. It is imperative that people are aware of the physical benefits Salah in order to understand the functionality of Islam in our day to day lives. Thus, knowing the physical benefits of Salah allows a better understanding of Islam as a religion.
Usraat Fahmidah is a high school junior from Dhaka, Bangladesh. She likes to quote Arundhati Roy every now and then. “The only thing worth globalising is dissent” is her favourite quote by Roy.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official views or positions of Converge Interfaith.