The Spirit of Prayer for Healthier Elderly!
The Spirit of Prayer for Healthier Elderly
Physically and mentally will experience the aging process even though it looks slow and can not be avoided. There are special physical characteristics of the elderly related to movement function, such as: endurance (durability), muscle strength (muscle strength), gait speed (walking speed) and range of motion (LGS).1 For elderly Muslims, they usually feel that they are physically unable to stand, so they pray sitting or even with gestures. Prayer is a pillar of Islam with orderly and repetitive movements. Physical fitness and body health can be maintained through the movements contained in prayer. Every movement in prayer involves the normal limits of the joints, muscle tone and can minimize the problem of flexibility in the joints. This can support the independent daily activities of the elderly because it is influenced by the flexibility of the joints and the ability of these muscles. Exercise routines can support joint performance, so if the movements in prayer are done correctly it will have a good impact on muscle and joint strength in the elderly.2
Research related to the effect of correct prayer movements on joint flexibility was carried out by Jamaluddin. The research was conducted by doing pretest the ability of the elderly to perform prayer movements. Pre-test This became Jamaluddin's initial record to correlate the abilities of the elderly in terms of joint and muscle strength. Pre-test This was followed by the provision of correct prayer movement education for 2 weeks. The mean value of the elderly's own flexibility shows 26,27 when the prayer is performed before there is prayer training with the correct movements (pretest). The mean value of joint flexibility increased to 26,47 after being given prayer training with the correct movements within two weeks. Providing prayer training with the correct movements is an effort to provide health services from a spiritual perspective. Health services for the elderly in the spiritual field are urgently needed because reduced physical strength, different economic conditions and changing social conditions have an impact on the psychological condition of the elderly. This scientific writing is proof that the prayer movement supports the improvement of the health of the elderly.2
Along with that, the argument that naqli prayer is medicine has been written in the hadith of Ibn Majah No 3449. The hadith reads:
حَدَّثَنَا جَعْفَرُ بْنُ مُسَافِرٍ حَدَّثَنَا السَّرِيُّ بْنُ مِسْكِينٍ حَدَّثَنَا ذَوَّادُ بْن ُ عُلْبَةَ عَنْ لَيْثٍ عَنْ مُجَاهِدٍ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ هَجَّرَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ ع َلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَهَجَّرْتُ فَصَلَّيْتُ ثُمَّ جَلَسْتُ فَالْتَفَتَ إِلَيَّ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّه ُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقَالَ اشِكَمَتْ دَرْدْ قُلْتُ نَعَمْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ قُمْ فَصَلِّ فَإِنَّ فِي Peace be with you ثَنَا أَبُو سَلَمَةَ حَدَّثَنَا ذَوَّادُ بْنُ عُلْبَةَ فَذَكَرَ نَحْوَهُ وَقَالَ فِيهِ اشِكَمَتْ دَرْد ْ يَعْنِي تَشْتَكِي بَطْنَكَ بِالْفَارِسِيَّةِ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْد اللَّهِ حَدَّثَ بِهِ رَجُلٌ لِأَهْ لِهِ فَاسْتَعْدَوْا عَلَيْهِ
Meaning: Has told us Ja'far bin Musafir has told us As Sari bin Miskin has told us Dzawwad bin 'Ulbah from Laits from Mujahid from Abu Hurairah he said, “The Prophet shallallahu 'alaihi wasallam came out when the sun was hot, then I come and pray. After that I sat down and turned to the Prophet sallallaahu 'alaihi wasallam, he also said: "Do you have a stomach ache." I replied, "Yes, O Messenger of Allah." He said: "Pray, because in prayer there is healing." Having told us Abu Al Hasan Al Qatthan had told us Ibrahim bin Nasr had told us Abu Salamah had told us Dzawwad bin 'Ulbah then he mentioned a hadith like that. And in his hadith he mentions, “Isykamat dard means 'Does your stomach hurt? ', that is, in Persian." Abu Abdullah said, "A man narrated a hadith to his family, then they prepared for it." 3
Based on some of the references above, it can be obtained that the prayer movement has a positive impact on human health, especially in the elderly, provided that it is carried out with the right movements.
1. Easton K. Gerontology Rehabilitation Nursing. 1999.
2. Jamluddin M. The Effect of the Five Daily Prayer Movement on Joint Flexibility in the Elderly at the Pucang Gading Wreda Home, Semarang. Husada's Health Journal. 2019;5(1):1–14.
3. Hadith.id. Hadith Sunan Ibnu Majah, No. 3449 [Internet]. Hadith. Id. 2023.
Muhammad Zainudin Al Amin
177102501