Health Benefits of Namaz or Salah.

Namaz The Best Exercise (STD: V, VI, VII, and VIII) What is Namaz? Namaz is the Urdu word for Prayer. The Arabic word for Prayer is Salah. Namaz is the form of Worship of Allah S. W. T performed by Muslims. Namaz is one of the most important of the 5 pillars of Islam. Allah S. W. T has mentioned the benefits and the importance of Namaz as many as 500 times in the Holy Qur’an. Apart from the spiritual benefits that Namaz offers to Muslim worshippers, it is also one of the best forms of exercise that one can do on a regular basis.

Namaz has been made compulsory for Muslims 5 times daily the five times are: Fajr: Early morning just before sunrise. It consists of 4 Rakats. Zuhar:: Afternoon paryers post the period of Zawaal (when sun is perpendicular to earth). It consists of 12 Rakats. Asar:: Post afternoon and before Sunset. It consists of 8 Rakats. Maghrib: Just after Sunset. It consists of 7 Rakats. Isha: Late evening after the Sunset is complete and darkness of the night is complete and the cooling effect of the atmosphere begins.

It consists of 17 Rakats A Rakat is one complete cycle of Standing, Bending, Prostrations and subsequent Sitting or Standing up again in the Namaz. Each posture of the Namaz has a standard defined procedure and recitations that are observed by every Muslim irrespective of where he lives or what race he belongs to. Muslims follow the methods as taught to us by Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu-Alaihi-Wasallam). Praying Namaz requires one to be clean in all respects, be it’s the physical self, the surroundings or the intent.

No matter how hard a person prays or for how long he lies in prostration (Sajda), unless his intention are clean and motives selfless, the Namaz will not be accepted by Allah. It is required that a person ensures the surrounding is clean and free from sins where he intends to offer Namaz. The Prophet (Sallallahu-Alaihi-Wasallam) advised that except for the washroom or where one relieves himself and the graveyard, Allah has made the whole world as a place of worship for his believers.

Namaz makes us disciplined and brings feeling of regularity and gives a direction to our daily life, 5 times a day, if we make it a routine to get up on hearing the Azaan, do the Wuzu (ablutions) and head for prayers, either in a congregation or alone, we feel a sense of Time Management in our daily chores. Interestingly there are various similarities between some of the postures of Namaz and Yoga! Now let us see some beneficial effects of different Namaz postures. Different Namaz Postures And Their Benefits: Posture 1 Name: Niyyat (Takbeer-e-Tahreema) First Takbeer in standing position to begin prayer Instructions:

Bring hands, palms open, up to ears, and place thumbs behind earlobes, as “Allahu Akbar” (God is Great) is uttered. Beneficial Effects: It relaxes our body, straightening back improves posture and improves concentration. It also sharpens our vision by focusing on the floor. Posture 2 Name: Quayam Instructions: After you have touched your earlobes and said Takbeer bring down your hands and place your hands below the navel In this posture your sight should be fixed where you are going to perform Sajdah (Prostration), Place right wrist over the left, Wrap your left wrist with the thumb and the little finger.

Rest the remaining fingers on the left forearm; Make sure your hands are tied below the navel, Beneficial Effects: It relaxes legs and back and extends concentration. It stimulates heart, thyroid and other important function of our body. Posture 3 Name: Ruku’ (pronounced Rukoo) Instructions: Bend down at waist, placing palms of hands with fingers spread over knees. Back is parallel to ground, such that if a glass of water were on the back, it would not spill. Eyes looking down, directly ahead. Beneficial Effects: Blood is pumped down into upper torso as our muscles are stretched it also tones our muscles.

This posture improves personality, generating sweet kindness and inner harmony. Posture 4 Name: Qauma Instructions: Stand straight again with you hands by your sides Beneficial Effects: It relaxes body and releases tension. Posture 5 Name: Sajdah Instructions: Go down to a kneeling position by placing both hands on knees, lowering oneself slowly and easily onto knees, then touch the head upon the ground so that the following seven body parts are in contact: forehead, two palms, two knees, toes of both feet. The end position of this posture is given below. Beneficial Effects:

It prevents growth of flabbiness in the mid section and increase flow of blood in the head, including eyes, ears, nose and lungs; allows mental toxins to be cleansed by blood. It increases elasticity of joints. Posture 6 Name: Jalsa Instructions: Sit on your left foot which should be flat the ground, keep your right foot upright with toes faceing the Qiblah and place your hands near the knees in a manner that the fingers face the Qiblah Beneficial Effects: It cleanses respiratory, circulatory and nervous system and brings lightness in body and emotional happiness. Posture 7 Name: Second Sajdah

Instructions: Go down to a kneeling position by placing both hands on knees, lowering oneself slowly and easily onto knees, then touch the head upon the ground so that the following seven body parts are in contact: forehead, two palms, two knees, toes of both feet. The end position of this posture is given below. Beneficial Effects: It prevents growth of flabbiness in the mid section and increase flow of blood in the head which allows mental toxin to be cleansed by the blood. It increases elasticity of joints. Posture 8 Name: Quood (Qa’dah-e-Akhira) Last sitting Completing the Salat:

Beneficial Effects: It detoxifies liver and stimulates action of large intestine. It improves digestion. Posture 9 Name:Salaam Saying peace to end the Namaz Instructions: Turn your head to the right shoulder and say Salam, then turn your head to the left and say Salaam Beneficial Effects: It is one of the best neck exercises. http://www. janathimessage. co. uk/kids/learning/namaz. html www. chishti. org Namaz The Best Exercise (STD: I, II, III, and IV) Muslims pray five times a day, which each prayer made of a series of postures and movements, each set of which is called a rak’ah.

For praying Namaz we should not only keep ourselves clean but our surroundings and the place of worship should also be clean. Namaz teaches us to be disciplined and understand the importance of Time Management. It is the perfect combination of Ablution (Wudu) and Namaz that keeps our soul and body clean and healthy. Interestingly there are various similarities between some of the postures of Namaz and Yoga! Now let us see some beneficial effects of different Namaz postures. Posture 1 Name: Niyyat (Takbeer-e-Tahreema) Beneficial Effects: It relaxes our body, straightening back.

It also sharpens our vision by focusing on the floor. Posture 2 Name: Quayam Beneficial Effects: It relaxes legs and back and extends concentration. Posture 3 Name: Ruku’ (pronounced Rukoo) Beneficial Effects: Blood is pumped down into upper torso as our muscles are stretched it also tones our muscles. This posture improves personality, generating sweet kindness and inner harmony. Posture 4 Name: Qauma Beneficial Effects: It relaxes body and releases tension. Posture 5 Name: Sajdah Beneficial Effects: It increase flow of blood in the head, including eyes, ears, nose and lungs; allows mental toxins to be cleansed by blood.

It increases elasticity of joints. Posture 6 Name: Jalsa Beneficial Effects: It cleanses respiratory, circulatory and nervous system and brings lightness in body and emotional happiness. Posture 7 Name: Second Sajdah Beneficial Effects: Knees forming a right angle allow stomach muscles to be developed. Posture 8 Name: Quood (Qa’dah-e-Akhira) Beneficial Effects: It improves digestion. Posture 9 Name:Salaam Saying peace to end the Namaz Beneficial Effects: It is one of the best neck exercises. http://www. janathimessage. co. uk/kids/learning/namaz. html www. chishti. org