Allahu Akbar, or God is Great, we utter as we put our hands next to our head in a motion signifying all worldly matters and worries being pushed behind to enter an elevated state of mind and start our prayer with the remembrance of Allah’s greatness and glory.

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Allahu Akbar. He is greater than your tribulation and distress.

Allahu Akbar. He is greater than your capacity and prestige.

Allahu Akbar. He is greater than the greatest of humans.

Throughout the day we pray five times at fixed points. Not once per day, not once per week, but five times a day, and that we do for good reason. We commence our day with the fajr prayer and end it with ishaa’ at night. Fajr braces us spiritually for the coming hours, furnishes us with God’s assistance and reminds us of his eminence. In each prayer we seek His guidance to the right path repeatedly:

‘Guide us on the straight path, the path of those who have received your grace; not the path of those who have brought down wrath, nor of those who wander astray.’ (Qur’an 1:6–7)

At noon (dhuhr), afternoon (asr), and sunset (maghrib) we interrupt our hectic routine to reawaken the affinity to Allah and speak to Him again during what may be our only opportunity during those busy hours. This comes with underestimated psychological benefits that we may need more than ever now during late-stage capitalism, in which one’s spirituality and mental health are forsaken in quest for material profit and a confined notion of ‘success’ — a deceptive construct many fall victim to, believing that a neglected mind, if in disdain for the sake of productivity, is key to what has been defined in the capitalist West as success. If performed in the correct pace, the adjustment of one’s state of mind can instantly be felt during and after the prayer; scientists have attempted to look into and document the change in brain activity in numerous studies, in one if them, published by the Journal of Physiology— Paris, it has been concluded that:

‘[the] results from this case series have begun to assess the neurophysiological correlates of the complex neurocognitive task of intense Islamic prayer practices. The findings support our hypotheses that these intense prayer practices, especially when accompanied with an experience of surrender, are associated with decreased activity in the frontal regions. In addition, the decrease of activity in the parietal regions may be associated with the subjective experience of spacelessness and a feeling of being connected to, or one with, God.’

In ‘Six Lectures on the Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam’, Muhammad Iqbal makes a connection between the act of praying and intensely deep reflection in a form that is unimaginable to the human mind. When human beings think, the spirit observes and inspects the effects of reality; in the act of prayer however, it gives up its search for inert universality and escalates above mere ‘thinking’, in order to truly grasp the truth and become a part of its reality. This is not to be mistaken for autosuggestion, it instead comes from the deeply ingrained human need to open up the sources of life. The ‘modern soul’ cannot be satisfied with the search for a nameless nothing in the neoplatonic-mystical sense. Our mind is used to concrete thinking and thus requires a concrete and less abstract experience of drawing nearer to God in this life before the hereafter. The state of mind during the physical prayer in Islam proves itself to be a prerequisite for such an experience. Iqbal thus identifies prayer as a complementary necessity to the intellectual activities of the observer of nature and their surroundings. Observing nature is, in a sense, intertwined with prayer; this scientific act generates a deeper connection with and understanding of the behaviour of reality, hence our inner perception and a deeper vision of this reality strengthen. Based off this link and the significance of seeking knowledge in Islam, Iqbal further addresses the virtue of a believing Muslim’s search for knowledge, stressing that all search for knowledge is ‘prayer-like’ or an early stage of prayer, and that a scientific observer of nature is like a mystical seeker amidst his prayer.

The state of mind reached during Islamic prayer is enhanced by the physical state of being as well; this manifests itself in manifold forms. Throughout the day, the human being can be subjected to both humiliation and praise. The latter naturally brings about a sense of pride in people, but may be toxic to the soul in excess and when coupled with the egocentrism that has become close to the norm in western liberal society and a prerequisite for ‘success’ in many branches, the harm may extend to reach the communal level on top. As we begin to pray, we declare Allah’s glory, bow down and prostrate before our Creator in a sense of humiliation and loyalty to Him, reviving a humble nature in ourselves and recalling that we cannot exceed Allah’s grandeur.

At the other end of the spectrum however, nobody can escape humiliation, be it through a degrading comment, getting constantly looked down upon or living in poverty or a frowned upon state. But at the end of the day, we all prostrate equally and humbly praise the All-Mighty. The existence of a globally uniform direction of worship (qibla) secures the unity in group prayers, which are preferred to solitary prayers, and underpins and nourishes the shared sense of social equality while destroying every praying Muslim’s sentiment of socio-economic or racial superiority or supremacy; the high-handed aristocratic Brahmin of South India praying shoulder to shoulder with the untouchable day by day.

Out of the unity of the all-encompassing ego, which creates and preserves all small egos, arises the essential unity of all human beings. According to the Qur’an, classifications or divisions among humans into the different ethnicities, nations and tribes only serve identification purposes. The islamic notion of ‘community’ in prayer has — other than enhancing the mystically and psychologically distinguished state — this essential unity of humanity through the destruction of all barriers between a human being and their fellow human as an ultimate result.

‘And Allah is [the God] of the Orient and of the Occident. So wherever you [might] turn, there is the Face of Allah. Indeed, Allah is all-Encompassing and Knowing.’ (Qur’an, 2:115)

The 13th century Persian scholar, philosopher and sunni mystic Sheikh Mu’inuddin Chishti, who lived in the Indian subcontinent, examined those physical and psychological effects of the different positions during the act of prayer, starting with the beginning position: ‘Body feels relieved of weight owing to even distribution on both feet. Straightening back improves posture. Mind is brought under control of intellect. Vision is sharpened by focusing upon floor, where head will prostrate. Muscles of upper and lower back are loosened. Higher and lower centres of brain are united to form singleness of purpose.’

Qiyaam, a standing position during which one recites Al-Fatiha and additional surahs of the Qur’an: ‘Extends concentration, causing further relaxation of legs and back, generates feelings of humility, modesty, and piety. In the recital of the above verses, virtually all of the sounds that occur in Arabic are uttered, stimulating dispersal of all of the ninety-nine divine attributes in perfectly controlled degrees throughout the body, mind, and soul. The sound vibrations of the long vowels ā, ī, and ū stimulate the heart, thyroid, pineal gland, pituitary, adrenal glands, and lungs, purifying and uplifting them all.’

Rukuu’, bending at the waist: ‘Fully stretches the muscles of the lower back, thighs, and calves. Blood is pumped into upper torso. Tones muscles of stomach, abdomen, and kidneys. Over time, this posture improves the personality, generating sweet kindness and inner harmony.’

Qauma, rising from rukuu’: ‘The fresh blood moved up into torso in previous posture returns to its original state, carrying away toxins. Body regains relaxation and releases tension.’

Sajdah, or prostration: ‘Knees forming a right angle allow stomach muscles to develop and prevents growth of flabbiness in midsection. Increases flow of blood into upper regions of body, especially the head (including eyes, ears, and nose) and lungs; allows mental toxins to be cleansed by blood. Maintains proper position of foetus in pregnant women. Reduces high blood pressure. Increases elasticity of joints. Annihilates egotism and vanity. Increases patience and reliance upon God. Increases spiritual stations and produces high psychic energy throughout body. This posture of supreme submission and humility is the essence of worship.’

Qu’ud, assuming the sitting position after sajdah: ‘For men, the heel of the right foot is curled up and the weight of the leg and part of the body rests upon it. This aids detoxification of the liver and stimulates peristaltic action of the large intestine. Women keep both feet, soles up, underneath their bodies. The body returns to even greater relaxation, and the posture assists digestion by forcing the contents of the stomach downward.’

Repeated Sajdah: ‘Repetition of the deep prostration within a few seconds cleanses the respiratory, circulatory, and nervous systems. Gives experience of lightness of body and emotional happiness. Oxygenation of entire body is accomplished. Balances sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems.’