Tahajud and Immune System
Tahajud and Immune System
Author: Fathiyatul Mudzkiroh – 19711201
Muslims are certainly familiar with the term qiyamullail / evening prayer / midnight. Night prayer is a sunnah worship that is highly recommended by Rasulullah SAW. Apart from being rewarded, praying in the last third of the night is also a prayer that mustajabah. In addition to the advantages from a religious perspective, night prayers also provide excellent health benefits.
The human immune system can be influenced by religious factors. A study conducted on a group of high school students showed that the immune system could increase in those who regularly perform midnight prayers (Asiyah, Putra and Kuntoro, 2011). This proves a hadith of the prophet narrated by Salman Alfarisi.
Salman Alfarisi said, Rasulullah SAW said "you should pray at night because night prayer is a habit of the pious people before that can bring you closer to your god, can erase sins and mistakes, and can keep disease away from your bodies." (Sabiq, 2013 )
A study recorded brain waves in people who were praying. In this study, it was found that there was an increase in the amplitude of alpha waves when someone was praying. This increase indicates the presence of parasympathetic nerve activity as well as an inhibition of the sympathetic nerves. This reflects that prayer can increase relaxation, lower blood pressure, increase focus, and stabilize the mind (Doufesh et al..
From a psychoneuroimmunological point of view, psychological stress can affect the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus then influences the pituitary to secrete adrenocorticotropic hormone , which is a hormone that affects the adrenal cortex to produce the hormone cortisol. The hormone cortisol can suppress the immune system. That's why stress can suppress the immune system. Meanwhile, tahajud can prevent the body from psychological stress so that the immune system is not hampered. (Matin, 2018)
When humans sleep at night, normally, the secretion of the hormone cortisol is low. A study has proven that tahajud can effectively reduce cortisol secretion as well as increase the body's immune response. However, it should be noted, if tahajud is done insincerely, it will only become pressure or stress (Matin, 2018).
Aisyah narrated that the Prophet SAW said, "If one of you wakes up at night (to pray), then reading the Koran feels foreign to his tongue and he doesn't know what he is saying, then he should just sleep." (Sabiq, 2013) This hadith is proven by research that cortisol secretion will remain high in people who are forced to pray midnight. This is due to the body's failure to maintain homeostasis and failure to adapt to changes in circadian rhythms. (Matin, 2018)
In conclusion, tahajud done sincerely will have a positive impact from various aspects. Spiritually, tahajud can cleanse the soul and bring human relationship closer to God. Psychologically, tahajjud can provide peace and avoid stress which indirectly affects physiological health, especially the immune system.
Fathiyatul Mudzkiroh – 19711201
Bibliography
Asiyah, S., Putra, S. and Kuntoro (2011) "The Increase of eHSP 72 in Members of Dzikir Group," Folia Medica Indonesiana, 47(3), p. 147–153. Available at: http://journal.unair.ac.id/download-fullpapers-02 10026 AsiyahE _format FMI_.pdf.
Douffesh, H. et al. (2014) "Effect of Muslim Prayer (Salat) on α Electroencephalography and Its Relationship with Autonomic Nervous System Activity," Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 20(7), p. 558–562. doi: 10.1089/acm.2013.0426.
Matin, NS (2018) “Tahajjud Therapy for Stress Coping: Psychoneuroimmunological Perspective,” in 2018 3rd International Conference on Education, Sports, Arts and Management Engineering (ICESAME 2018). AtlantisPress.
Sabiq, S. (2013) Fiqh Sunnah 1. Edited by A. Syauqina and AA Rahma. Cairo: Resplendent Immortal Ink.