PHYSIOLOGICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL BENEFITS OF SALAT: EXPLANATION ACCORDING TO SCIENCE

 

PHYSIOLOGICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL BENEFITS OF SALAT: EXPLANATION ACCORDING TO SCIENCE

A healthy lifestyle can be achieved by frequent physical activity. Physical activity is an important part of who we are. Performing regular physical activity can help reduce the risk of various cardiovascular, neurological, metabolic, musculoskeletal and other organ system diseases. Regular physical activity is considered as one of the markers of health, fitness, and whether or not a person's lifestyle is good.

A Muslim has an obligation to perform regular acts of worship known as salat. Salat literally comes from Arabic which means prayer or expression. Further understanding of prayer, namely the obligatory worship of a Muslim is the second pillar of Islam. A Muslim prays five times in one day when he is praying. The movements performed during prayer are takbiratul ihram (standing straight and raising both hands at the level of the ears and then folding them in front of the stomach or chest), bowing (bowing 2 degrees with the head straight with the back and hands resting on the knees), i' tidal (getting up from bowing), prostration (standing up by placing both hands, knees, toes, and forehead on the floor), sitting between two prostrations (getting up from prostration), and greeting.

Not a few experts in the medical and scientific fields are interested in the relationship between faith or religion and health. There are many studies showing that people with strong religious beliefs have a longer life span and a better quality of life than those with weak religious beliefs.

The important thing in Islam is a Muslim's belief in Allah SWT which is then followed by worship. One of the obligatory worship for Muslims is prayer which is considered the pillar of religion. Prayers are performed in a clean, comfortable, and quiet atmosphere away from disturbing sounds. People who pray must also be solemn in the sense that they only focus on their prayers and Allah SWT and do not need to think about other things as stated in the Koran, which means:

"Take care of all prayers and wusta prayers. and establish (prayer) solely for the sake of Allah with humility." (QS An-Nisa: 43)

This comfortable and solemn condition can have a physiological effect in the form of calm and relaxation of the mind and soul (Rogers, 2020). The various prayer movements mentioned earlier involve many joints such as the shoulder joints, wrists, elbows, metatarsophalangeal joints, proximal and distal iInterphalangeal joints, temporomandibular joints, jaw joints, hip joints, knee joints, ankles, and many other joints. Movement in prayer has an effect that is almost the same as light exercise which makes the muscles contract isometrically and isotonic (Nazish and Karla, 2018). These prayer movements are said to reduce the risk of muscle and bone problems, such as reducing the risk of shoulder injuries (Chamsi-Pasha, 2021). In a study it was also stated that prayer can increase the range of motion of the joints. Because of the above, salat is often said to have similarities with yoga and other meditations, even though salat is something much more special (Nazish and Karla, 2018).

By:

Mutia Kintan Utami (19711106)

Reference

[1] Nazish, N., Karla, N., 2018, Muslim Prayer- A New Form of Physical Activity: A Narrative Review, International Journal of Health Sciences & Research, 8(7)

[2] Rogers, K. (2020). The psychological benefits of prayer: What science says about the mind-soul connection. CNN. Retrieved May 14, 2023 from https://edition.cnn.com

[3] Chamsi-Pasha, M., & Chamsi-Pasha, H. (2021). A review of the literature on the health benefits of Salat (Islamic prayer). The Medical journal of Malaysia, 76(1), 93-97.