After the English class,I went to library to read a magazine, I came across an article discussion about good lifestyle. One malay girl gave a respond and tells about her experience after went for a yoga class. She discovered that yoga helped her in gaining peace in her life. I have been wondering whether can solat give the same effect?
Health is an important aspect to a human being. Without a healthy life, we will not enjoy this life. Well, yoga is one of the way to train health , just like prayer (solat). Do you know about the differences between Prayer(solat) and yoga ? Can solat replace yoga in the form of exercise?
Firstly , Islam is a complete religion. It has many methods of teaching and practice for human health and life including spiritual, physical, mental, intellectual and also emotion. One of practice that is really impressive in improving and maintaining human’s health is Solat (prayer). Interestingly, for the millions of people enrolled in yoga classes, the Islamic form of prayer has provided Muslims for fourteen centuries with some of yoga’s same (and even superior) benefits. This simple form of “yoga” offers physical, mental, and spiritual benefits five times a day as Muslims assume certain positions while reciting Qur’an and athkar (remembrances). In addition, Solat (prayer) not only can improve and maintains health, but it can also help in healing pain. Solat (prayer) can give peace to us. That is a fact!
However, there are some people said that Solat (pray) is one of Yoga’s moves. In fact, Solat is very different and be same like other type of exercise in this world. Solat (pray) is one of the most dignified zikr’. When we observed, there are some yoga’s element in Solat (prayer). But, Solat (prayer) is an action that includes the physical, the spiritual, and aspects. It has specified position and movement of the body that is known as the commandment of move. It also takes care about (spirit) that always needs to be candid for Allah. This is called the commandment of sincerity heart. Besides that, It also contain specified word to be uttered such as the zikr’ and this is called the commandment of uttering. This is one of the reasons why solat can definitely replace yoga as a form of exercise.
Not only that , one of the most important positions in Solat (pray) is when prostrating. At this position, someone will put his head to the earth. At this position, blood in our body will flow from the heart to the brain easily. Studies have shown that the act of sujud, or prostrating, in solat, encourages blood circulation to several nerves in the brain which do not receive regular blood flow in normal positions. The hearts and spines of pious Muslims are healthy as they receive constant stimulation. In my opinion, in the sujud position, it shows that we as a human being are humble and down to earth. In the Al-Quran ,the sujud position is mentioned about 92 times. For example , in the surah Al-Imran verses 43 , it states that :
“O Mary ! Worship your Lord devoutly : postrate yourself and bow down ( in prayer ) with those who bow down”.
In addition , the research about the acting of sujud have been approved at The Harvard University, United States. Moreover, there is one unknown American doctor becomes a muslim after secretly doing a research of development especially the movement of sujud. Besides that, the movements in solat looks like yoga or stretching. These movements will make our body to be flexible and our blood circulation will be quick. The superiority of solat than other movements is solat make our body move more including fingers, legs, and hands.
Besides that , many people said that Yoga teach people about the breathing training and telecommunicating with the subconscious mind in a way to solve nervous tension and curing pain. Regular breathing is really important in releasing nerves tension and also supplying oxygen to the human heart so that the blood can flow in the body clearer and can make the mind function with balance and perfect. In solat , when we breathe freely and fully , the amount of oxygen that enters our body will be more. With the huge amount of oxygen will make the blood carry a lot of oxygen throughout our body and to the brain. Brain with a full oxygenated blood will make a better performance in helping us to think brilliantly.That is the beautiful secret in solat that we may not be aware off. So why not choose solat?
Moreover , the fact is, Islam is very caring about the regular breathing aspect. Moreover, Al-Quran Al-Karim also teaches us to take care about discipline in every action to control the mind. For example, the Solat (pray).Every Muslim needs to care about all of the aspect when Solat (pray) such as the number of rakaat, movement of the body and the time for Solat (pray). Furthermore, Muslim is demanded to wake up at the night for Solat (pray) Tahajud. This is also one way to solve the nerves tension and finding peace and equanimity. In my opinion, performing solat Tahajud also can make our ‘iman’ stronger and accept as true the only God, which is Allah by give our full trustworthy. Therefore , solat can increase our ‘iman’ , whereas yoga does not.
I strongly believe that solat can replace yoga because every commandment and law in Solat (pray) contains many hikmah and advantage in the point of science that cannot be negated by anyone. It is a physical training for balancing the positive and negative charge in the human body. Opposite from solat , yoga does not train the body to balance both of the charges in homosapien.
Other than that , Solat (pray) also take care about cleanliness. Therefore, combination of cleanliness and movement can help in maintains health , fluents the flowing of blood and helps in giving energetic body. In practicing yoga , one person does not have to be clean. He or she can propagates yoga even when they are not clean. In my perspective , solat is more suitable because nothing is more important than our cleanliness that will actually help us to stay healthy.
Meanwhile , people always says that yoga could strengthen our muscle and solat could not. This is a lie. By saying our prayer , we can exersice our muslces and bones especially the backbones. Every movement we make in saying the prayer contribute something such as when we stand still , our backbones can be trained to be straight and this may avoid it from bending forward and creating a hump on our back. Although yoga can build the muscle , muslims are compulsory to pray 5 times a day. Whereas yoga is not compulsory and in average, people practise this only 3 times a week.
All in all , i support the idea that solat can replace yoga in the form of excersice. Not only solat is better than yoga , but solat is also easy and compulsory. Moreover , yoga is forbidden for muslims to perform. For muslims who judge this , there is a hadith (from Rasulullah ) says that :
“Anyone who resemble to any race, then they are among them”
Yoga comes from hindu , they practices yoga to connect with their god. So , if muslims practices the same movement , it is as though that they are hindu. The point is, there are many other exersices besides yoga , and one of them is solat (prayer).
Written by :
Arifah,Ayu,Asha,Atikah,Annur (Centre of Foundation Studies, International Islamic University Malaysia, Petaling Jaya 2010/2011)
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