ISLAMIC WAY OF PRACTICING YOGA
Assignment Submitted to
Annamalai University, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the
Post Graduate Diploma in Yoga
By
Dr. curesure, B.A.M.S., M.Sc., (Psy)
Annamalai University
Directorate of Distance Education
Centre for Yoga-Studies,
Annamalai Nagar
Certificate
Certified that Dr. CURESURE4U, B.A.M.S., has submitted the Assignment on Islamic Way of Practicing Yoga in partial fulfillment of Post Graduate Diploma in Yoga
Yoga Instructor Examiner Director
(External)
Date :
Place : Annamalai Nagar
Acknowledgement
I wish to express my unending gratitude to Dr. S. Viswanathan, Director, Centre for Yoga Studies, Annamalai University, who lead me to select the research work. He gave me the valuable suggestions and guidance to the maximum extent in each and every step, I exhibit my heart full of times and his master mind.
I would like to thanks to the there to Dr. S.B. Nageswara Rao, Director DDE, Annamalai University, I am grateful to for the profession moral and metal support. I am grateful to E. Sunilkumar Yoga Therapist & Instructor centre of yoga studies Annamalai University who gave the Valuble support to select the assignment topic and encouraged in step of the assignment .
Thinking of Muslims who are having so many misconception, belief towards system of the yoga I did my assignment as the maximum level best to give the answer to all the questions.
Content
Sl. No. Particulars Page No.
1. Introduction 1
2. Similarity between YOGA and ISLAM 3
3. Yoga 4
4. Islam 5
5. A comparative study of congruence between two traditions 6
6. The “Yoga” of Islamic Prayer 20
7. The effectiveness of Islam Prayer 23
8. Prayer (Salat) – A Medical Viewpoint: 24
9. Quranic Verses Encouraging Meditation 25
10. Yogic insights into Islam 29
11. Dissimilarities between Yoga and is Islam 34
12. Islamic way of practicing yoga. 34
13. Conclusion 35
14. Bibliography 36
Introduction
Islam is a heavenly system (or regime) for all the dwellers of the earth, and it is mightily treasure if only mankind realizes its authenticity and truth. And in what a great need in whole world is today for ready understanding and through studying of its rules and regulation – ie., the Noble Quran and the pious sunna (legal ways etc.) of prophet Mohammed accede to the demand of the people to know the creator organize and regulate the relation between them on the foundation of (Godly) Divine Justice and equality and respond to the human nature equally to that, which makes sure for them their welfare (happiness) is this world and in the Hereafter (after the deaths).
And how many disasters, calamites and wars, the mankind of the whole world is suffering because of the difference in their faith, and organization which have broken them in to the worst type of breaking, so their remains no way out for any security or any peace except with Islam.
The religion of Islam teach and preach every step of human life with acceptance, obedience to the great source of Allah. If any human beings strictly follower of Law of Islam he will become great yogi, that much principles embedded in the system Islam. Even though more similarities between science of yoga and systematic life as per Islam way, people especially Muslim fear to follow the yogic principles & yoga. These are common question arising in the mind of muslims.
Is it yoga is Hinduism? Is it yoga is against is Islam?
While Practicing yoga is it compulsory to prounsing Mantra’s like ‘Om’?
If I am Practicing yoga is it Haram (the principles and praticise against Islam)?
If I am non-vegetarian how I can practices Yoga?
If I do soorya Namaskara . It is salutation to sun. It is defiantly shirk ( Keeping the equalsing to Allah to sun- as per Islam un for givable sin) then how I can do the yoga. It is any alternative?
The Islamic prayes itself more than Yogasanas? Is it any ness city to do separatively do the yogasanas.
What are the similarities Dis similarities between yoga & Islam?
What is earliest way of practicing yoga in Islamic way or what are the Islamic way of practicing yoga?
If I leave certain principles of yoga which I know it is haram, can I fulfill the yoga?
As the Ayurvedic physician I know the language of sanskrit which is the basic language Hinduism I am clearly say every religion teach the God & the way salvation and incomparable good manners for the positive, social, personal, Psychological well being as the whole. As the muslim I am Proudly says religion on Islam is 100% peace, Not to do haram not to do Terrorism. The systematic way of Islam and each step of sunnah (The principles and practice as per the prophet Mohammed ) is similar to principle of varies schools of yoga. In this project work I am trying to justify that what is principle of yoga & Islam, similarities, dissimilarities and practicing of yoga in the Islamic way.
Similarity between YOGA and ISLAM
Astnga
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Yoga
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Islam
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1
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Yama (“restraint”), which denotes abstinence from injury (ahimsa), falsehood, stealing, lust, and avarice;
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1.The five duties incumbent on every Muslim:
Kalmia shahādah , the Muslim profession of faith of only one god & Mohammed is prophet, salat or ritual prayer, performed in a prescribed manner five times each day; zakat the alms tax levied to benefit the poor and the needy; fasting during the month of Ramadan; hajj the major pilgrimage to Mecca.
2.strict to follow what the holy Qurran says and the prophet Mohamed says. and good iman(belief)
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2
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Niyama (“observance”), which denotes cleanliness of body, contentment, austerity, study, and devotion to God.
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Not to join anything worship along with Allah, Not to steal, Not to commit illegal sexual intercourse, Not to accuse innocent person Not to be disobedient, Not to consume alcohol, Not to do haram(which is wrong as per Qurran and Mohamed), Not to kill the children
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3
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Asana (“seat”), a series of exercises in physical posture, is intended to condition the aspirant's body and make it supple, flexible, and healthy. Mastery of the asana is reckoned by one's ability to hold one of the prescribed postures for an extended period of time without involuntary movement or physical distractions
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Prayer positions are resembling the yogasanas and yoga mudras.like tadaasana, half sirasasanam, vajrasana, sarvangasana, arda matsyendrasana and several yoga postures.
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4
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Prā nāyāma (“breath control”) is a series of exercises intended to stabilize the rhythm of breathing in order to encourage complete respiratory relaxation
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Respiratory exercise-breathing control is advised in Islamic way of life Uttering(thasbeeh) the name of Allah like alhamdulliilah, subhanallah, allahu akbar..
A-stimulate mooladara,manipura chakra
LL-stimulate visuddah charka
AH-stimulates agneya and sahasra charka. proununcing AAMEEN is itself the resemble the OM of pranava mantra
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5
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Pratyāhāra (“withdrawal”), involves control of the senses, or the ability to withdraw the attention of the senses from outward objects to the mind.
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Haram,Halal discrimination in each step of life towards the path of salvation and good manners. self control. Islam never permits the anti social activities and always permits the PRATHYAHARA measures in all activities.
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6
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Dharana (“holding on”) is the ability to hold and confine awareness of externals to one object for a long period of time (a common exercise is fixing the mind on an object of meditation, such as the tip of the nose or an image of the deity).
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Awareness of external activities develop the inner perceptive value. Islam promotes peace, brotherhood, intellectual power and dharana by iman and Islamic ways as the 100% musalman not only in the name.
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7
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Dhyana (“concentrated meditation”) is the uninterrupted contemplation of the object of meditation, beyond any memory of ego
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Qurran encourage meditation in following texts. [3:17] They are steadfast, truthful, submitting, charitable, and mediators at dawn. [9:112] They are the repenters, the worshipers, the praisers, the meditators, the bowing and prostrating, the advocators of righteousness and forbidders of evil, and the keepers of God’s laws. Give good news to such believers. Prophet did his meditation in mount hira for several years before he got the holy qurran’s first vahi from the great Allah.
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8
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Samadhi (“self-collectedness”) is the final stage and is a precondition of attaining release from the cycle of rebirth. In this stage the mediator perceives or experiences the object of his meditation and himself as one.
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Samadhi state is mentioned in islam..
Prophet said that.” die before your death” denoting state of non belongingness and full surrender to god and achieve the moksha and the heaven of ahirath.
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Yoga
(Sanskrit: “Yoking,” or “Union”), one of the six orthodox systems (darshans) of Indian philosophy. Its influence has been widespread among many other schools of Indian thought. Its basic text is the Yoga-sūtras by Patañjali
The practical aspects of Yoga play a more important part than does its intellectual content, which is largely based on the philosophy of Sankhyā , with the exception that Yoga assumes the existence of God, who is the model for the aspirant to spiritual release. Yoga holds with Sankhyā that the achievement of spiritual liberation occurs when the self (purusha) is freed from the bondages of matter (prakriti) that have resulted because of ignorance and illusion. The Sankhyā view of the evolution of the world through identifiable stages leads Yoga to an attempt to reverse this order, as it were, so that a person can increasingly dephenomenalize himself until the self reenters its original state of purity and consciousness. Once the aspirant has learned to control and suppress the obscuring mental activities of his mind and has succeeded in ending his attachment to material objects, he will be able to enter samadhi—i.e., a state of deep concentration that results in a blissful, ecstatic union with the ultimate reality.
Generally the Yoga process is described in eight stages (astanga-yoga, “eight-membered Yoga”). The first two stages are ethical preparations. They are yama (“restraint”), which denotes abstinence from injury (ahimsa), falsehood, stealing, lust, and avarice; and niyama (“observance”), which denotes cleanliness of body, contentment, austerity, study, and devotion to God.
The next two stages are physical preparations. Asana (“seat”), a series of exercises in physical posture, is intended to condition the aspirant's body and make it supple, flexible, and healthy. Mastery of the asana is reckoned by one's ability to hold one of the prescribed postures for an extended period of time without involuntary movement or physical distractions. Prā nāyāma (“breath control”) is a series of exercises intended to stabilize the rhythm of breathing in order to encourage complete respiratory relaxation.
The fifth stage, pratyāhāra (“withdrawal”), involves control of the senses, or the ability to withdraw the attention of the sensesfrom outward objects to the mind.
The first five stages are called external aids to Yoga; the remaining
three are purely mental or internal aids. Dharana (“holding on”) is the ability
to hold and confine awareness of externals to one object for a long
period of time (a common exercise is fixing the mind on an object of meditation, such
as the tip of the nose or an image of the deity). Dhyana (“concentrated meditation”) is the uninterrupted contemplation of the object of meditation, beyond any memory of ego. Samadhi (“self-collectedness”) is the final stage and is a precondition of attaining release from the cycle of rebirth. In this stage the mediator perceives or experiences the object of his meditation and himself as one.
The prehistory of Yoga is not clear. The early Vedic texts speak of ecstatic, who may well have been predecessors of the later yogis (followers of Yoga). Although Yoga has been made into a separate school (darśana), its influence and many of its practices have been felt in other schools.
In the course of time, certain stages of Yoga became ends in themselves, notably, the breathing exercises and sitting postures, as in the Yoga school of Hatha Yoga .Patañjali'sYoga is sometimes known as Rāja (“Royal”) Yoga, to distinguish it from the other schools.Yoga, in a less technical sense of achieving union with God, is also used, as in the epic poem the Bhagavadgītā, to distinguish the alternate paths (margas) to such a union.
Islam
Major world religion belonging to the Semitic family; it was promulgated by the Prophet Muhammad in Arabia in the 7th century AD. The Arabic term Islam, literally “surrender,” illuminates the fundamental religious idea of Islam—that the believer (called a Muslim, from the active particle of Islam) accepts “surrender to the will of Allah (Arabic: God).” Allah is viewed as the sole God—creator, sustainer, and restorer of the world. The will of Allah, to which man must submit, is made known through the sacred scriptures, the Qurrān (Koran), which Allah revealed to his messenger, Muhammad. In Islam Muhammad is considered the last of a series of prophets (including Adam, Noah, Jesus, and others), and his message simultaneously consummates and abrogates the “revelations” attributed to earlier prophets.
A comparative study of congruence between two traditions
"We always find some form of Yoga whenever the goal is experience of the sacred or the attainment of a perfect self-mastery, which is itself the first step toward magical mastery of the world. It is a fact of considerable significance that the noblest mystical experiences, as well as the most daring magical desires, are realized through yogic technique, or, more precisely, that Yoga can equally well adapt itself to either path." — Mircea Eliade, Yoga: Immortality and Freedom
The practice of yoga, we found that it is easily integrated with the Islamic life; in fact the two assist one another. Not only is there no conflict, but Islam and yoga together make a mutually beneficial synergy. Both are agreed that, while the body is important as a vehicle on the way to spiritual realization and salvation, the human being's primary identity is not with the body but with the eternal Spirit.
This is not a case of syncretism between two religions (which would be spiritually invalid). Yoga is not a religion. Rather, it is a set of techniques and skills that enhance the practice of any religion. A French author named Jean Déchanet discovered this in regard to his Catholic faith and wrote the book Christian Yoga (New York: Harper, 1960). Islamic yoga is a reality. It is possible to employ the skills of yoga to worship Allah better and to be a better Muslim.
Yoga arose from the matrix of the Hindu world, although according to Mircea Eliade it is of pre-Hindu origin and can be traced back to prehistoric shamanism. Like India's other gifts to world civilization, for example the system of place notation on which all mathematics depends, yoga is not tied to the Hindu religion but has a universal applicability. It helps one to follow one's own religion better whatever that may be. It has certain specific affinities with Islam that make for an interesting study.
1. Metaphysical Doctrine. Since the metaphysic of Advaita Vedanta is in agreement with the tawhîd (doctrine of oneness) of Islam, there is perfect compatibility between Islam and yoga on the highest level. All traditional esoterisms agree that everything in manifestation has its origin in the Supernal. The manifestations on the material plane are derived from the ideational realm of archetypes (known as al-a‘yân al-thâbitah in the metaphysics of Ibn al-‘Arabî). This world, limited as it is, is just an expression of the ultimate Reality, and will ultimately be reabsorbed in its supernal Origin. Advaita Vedanta and Islamic esoteric metaphysics are agreed that God is the only absolutely real, eternal Reality; all else is contingent and therefore transitory. The unitary view of reality in Advaita Vedanta accords well with the tawhîd (divine oneness) of Islam, and the Oneness of Being in the Sufi doctrine of Ibn al-‘Arabî. It is interesting to compare the symbolism of Prophet Muhammad's nighttime ascent to Heaven, al-Mi‘râj, with the corresponding symbolism in yoga. The Prophet ascended on al-Burâq, a riding beast with the head of a woman, through the seven heavens to the Throne of God. In yoga, the kundalinî is a feminine power (shakti) that dwells at the base of the spine and ascends through seven levels (represented by the seven chakras) to the summit of liberation (brahmarandhra).
2. Salât and Âsanas. (how to Perform Salaat, the Islamic Ritual Prayer)
One of the most obvious correspondences between Islam and hatha yoga is the resemblance of salât to the physical exercises of yoga âsanas. The root meaning of the word salât is 'to bend the lower back', as in hatha yoga; the Persians translated this concept with the word namâz, from a verbal root meaning 'to bow', etymologically related to the Sanskrit word namaste. The thousands of postures and variations known to hatha yoga can be classified into a few basic types, including standing postures, spinal stretches, inverted postures, seated postures, and spinal twists. The genius of Islamic salât is to incorporate all of these in rudimentary form into a compact, flowing sequence, ensuring a thorough, all-round course of exercises for good health that is easy
a) Before Salaat
1. Body, clothes and place of prayer must be clean.
4. Face the Qibla, the direction of Mecca.
5. Stand erect, head down, hands at sides, feet evenly spaced. 
6. Recite Iqama (private call to prayer):
Allaahu Akbar (4x)
Ashhadu Allah ilaaha illa-Lah (2x)
Ash Hadu anna Muhamadar rasuulullah (2x)
Hayya' alas Salaah (2x)
Hayya' ala Falaah (2x)
[Fajr only] A-Salaatu Khayrun Mina-Naum (2x)
Qad qaamitis Salaah (2x) [Iqama only - not recited in Athan]
Allaahu Akbar (2x)
Laa ilaaha illa-Lah
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God is great. (x4)
I bear witness that there none worthy of worship except God. (x2)
I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of God. (x2)
Come to prayer. (x2)
Come to felicity. (x2)
[Fajr only] Prayer is better than sleep. (x2)
[Iqama only] Our prayers are now ready. Our prayers are now ready. (x2)
God is great. (x2)
There is none worthy of worship except God.
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7. Express intent to perform Salaat (niyyat):
I intend to offer _____ rakats of the ____ prayer, and face the Qibla for the sake of Allah and Allah alone. (For example: "I intend to offer the 4 rakats of the Isha prayer and face the Qibla for the sake of Allah and Allah alone.")
b) Begin Salaat
Allahu Akbar
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God is great.
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1. Niyyat: Stand with respect and attention; put the world behind you.
Bring hands to ears, palms forward, thumbs behind earlobes and say (The entire prayer must be recited in Arabic, but for your information we give the English translation next to the Arabic transliteration) :
2. Qiyam: Place right hand over left, men below navel, women at chest level;
look at the ground in front of you and recite Opening Supplication (optional):
Subhaana ala humma wa bihamdika
wa tabaara kasmuka wa ta'aalaa jadduka
wa laa ilaaha ghairuk
A'uudhu billaahi minash shaitaan ar-Rajeem
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Glory to You, O Allah, and Yours is the praise.
And blessed is Your Name, and exalted is Your Majesty.
And there is no deity to be worshipped but You
I seek refuge in Allah from Satan, the accursed.
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3. Fatiha: Recite aloud the Fatiha, the first surah of the Qur'an.
Bismillaah ar-Rahman ar-Raheem
Al hamdu lillaahi rabbil 'alameen
Ar-Rahman ar-Raheem
Maaliki yaumid Deen
Iyyaaka na'abudu wa iy yaaka nasta'een
Ihdinas siraatal mustaqeem
Siraatal ladheena an 'amta' alaihim
Ghairil maghduubi' alaihim waladaaleen
Aameen
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In the name of God, the infinitely Compassionate and Merciful.
Praise be to God, Lord of all the worlds.
The Compassionate, the Merciful.
Ruler on the Day of Reckoning.
You alone do we worship, and You alone do we ask for help.
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.
Amen.
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a) Standing.
The Mountain Pose (Tâdâsana) is the foundation for all standing âsanas. One always begins from this and returns to it at the completion of the standing sequence. In this it very closely resembles not only the standing posture of qiyâm in salât, but also the "Return to Mountain" of T‘ai Chi Ch‘uan. Standing in Mountain Pose or qiyâm is a quiescent exercise for the whole body: feet, legs, and spine working together. With one's feet planted squarely on Earth and one's head reaching toward Heaven, this pose is of the finest metaphysical significance to the sacredness of the human state, for verticality is the essence of religion.
b) Spinal stretching.
As the yogis say, one is as young as one's spine. Hatha yoga concentrates much careful attention on deep, thorough stretches of the spine, bringing the head forward to rest on the knees. Since all the nerves of the body are channeled from the spinal cord out between the vertebrae, a healthy spine is of central importance for the well-being of the whole human body and mind.
It takes much patient, persistent practice to make and keep the spine ideally flexible, and only the most dedicated yogis succeed in this. Since Islam is a path for everyone, the Islamic spinal stretch is kept easy and within everyone's reach: the bowing position called rukû‘ only requires that you bend forward enough to place your hands on your knees. Nonetheless, even this minimal stretch helps keep the spine in good condition. When I returned to yoga after praying salât for several years, I found that making rukû‘ seventeen times a day had beautifully prepared my spine for deeper forward stretches.
4. Ruk'u: Hands drop to sides; bend from waist, palms on knees, back parallel to ground; look at feet.
(While bending:) Allahu Akbar
(While bent:) Subhanna rabbiyal 'Azeem (3x)
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God is great.
Holy is my Lord, the Magnificent.
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c) Inverted poses.
The heart does its best to circulate blood all through the veins and arteries, but it's a demanding job, and exercise is needed to help the circulation go at maximum efficiency. In particular, raising fresh blood to the brain through the carotid artery, and lifting it from the feet back up to the heart, is always going against the pull of gravity. This is why two of the most important and beneficial âsanas are the Shoulderstand (sarvangâsana, the 'whole body pose') and the Headstand (sirsâsana). Islamic prayer has taken the most essential aspect of these inverted poses: lowering the head below the heart. The position called sujûd is easy for everyone to accomplish and helps to bathe the brain in fresh oxygenated blood to keep it healthy and alert. "This may be termed similar to … HALF SIRSHASANA. It helps full-fledged pumping of blood into the brain and upper half of the body including eyes, ears, nose and lungs."
5. Qauma: Rise from bending to standing, arms at sides.
(While rising:) Sami' allaahu liman hamidah
(Response from congregation:) Rabbanaa wa lakal hamd (Standing straight, pause:) Allahu Akbar
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Allah listens to him who praises Him.
Our Lord, to You is due all praise.
God is great.
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6. Sudjood: Prostrate—hands on knees, lower slowly to kneeling position;
touch forehead, nose and palms to ground (but not elbows); bend toes so tops of feet face the Qibla.
Subhaana rabbiyal 'Alaa (3x)
(Pause:) Allahu Akbar
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Glory to my Lord, the Most High.
God is great.
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d) seated postures.
The word âsana means 'seat' and the basic postures for meditation are seated ones, especially the Lotus. The Diamond Pose (vajrâsana) is practically identical with the seated position of salât called jalsah. This has, of course, not escaped the notice of both yogis and Muslims in India. Nizami writes: "This is a HARDY POSE or is like VAJRASANA." Swami Sivananda in his book Yoga Asanas writes: "This Asana resembles more or less the Nimaz pose in which the Muslims sit for prayer." Furthermore, both vajrâsana and jalsah are the same as the zazen posture of Japan. Having practiced a little yoga when young, it became easier for me to sit on the floor in mosques for long stretches of time. In turn, accustomed to this in Islam over the years, it was then much easier to learn seated yoga postures like the Lotus, since my leg and hip joints were accustomed to the floor.
When sitting in the Lotus, a yoga mudra that accompanies meditation is made by forming the index finger and thumb into a circle. The Islamic mudra, made while sitting in jalsah, is to extend the index finger in a straight line (to attest to the Oneness of God), while forming the thumb and middle finger into a circle. The figure 1 and the figure 0 can convey a Tantric symbolism, and also are curiously similar to the binary 1 and 0 of computer science.
7. Qu'ud: Rise to sitting position, looking at lap. Men turn up heel of right foot,
right toes bent; women keep both feet, soles up, under body.
(Pause:) Allahu Akbar
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God is great.
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8. Sudjood: Prostrate again.
e) Spinal twists. A session of yoga practice normally concludes, just before final relaxation, with a thorough twist of the whole spine (ardha matsyendrâsana) to the right and to the left. It helps to even out the spine from the other poses it has done and keep everything balanced. In much the same way, salât concludes with the prayer of peace (salâm) said while turning the head to the right and then to the left. This works only the cervical and maybe a few of the thoracic vertebrae, but it is useful for keeping the neck flexible and is consistent with the pattern in salât of presenting reduced versions of the yoga âsanas.
9. Qu'ud: Rise to sitting position;
10. To proceed to the second and fourth rakats:
(While rising:) Allahu Akbar God is great Return to standing position recite al-Fateha
Then recite the Fatiha, (if this is the second rakat of any time of prayer, recite another short portion of the Qur'an); continue the second or fourth rakat with Ruku....
11. To complete every second rakat and the last rakat: Remain seated and recite At-Tashahhud:1
At Tahiyyaatu lilaahi was Salawaatu wat tayibaatu
As Salaamu 'alaika ayyuhan nabiyyu wa rahmatul laahi wa barakaatuh
As Salaamu 'alainaa wa 'alaa 'ebaadillaahis saaliheen,
(Hands on knees, raise right forefinger:) Ash hadu allaa ilaah ilallaah
Wa ash hadu anna Muhammadan 'abduhuu wa rasuuluh
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All greetings, blessings and good acts are from You, my Lord.
Greetings to you, O Prophet, and the mercy and blessings of Allah.
Peace be unto us, and unto the righteous servants of Allah.
I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah.
And I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and messenger.
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(While rising:) Allahu Akbar
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God is great.
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To proceed to the third rakat:
Recite the Fatiha and continue third rakat with Ruk'u....
At the end of any time of prayer (when all rakats have been completed):
Remain seated, recite At-Tashahhud, and then recite the Salawat:
Allaahumma salli 'alaa Muhammadin wa 'alaa ali Muhammadin
Kamaa sallaita 'alaa Ibraaheema wa 'alaa ali Ibraaheema
Innaka hameedun Majeed
Alaahumma baarik 'ala Muhammadin wa 'alaa ali Muhammadin
Kamaa baarakta 'alaa Ibraaheema wa 'alaa ali Ibraaheema
Innaka hameedun Majeed
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O Allah, bless our Muhammad and the people of Muhammad;
As you have blessed Abraham and the people of Abraham.
Surely you are the Praiseworthy, the Glorious.
O Allah, be gracious unto Muhammad and the people of Muhammad;
As you were gracious unto Abraham and the people of Abraham.
Surely you are the Praiseworthy, the Glorious.
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To Complete the Prayer: Look over right shoulder (toward the angel recording your good deeds), then the left (toward the angel recording your wrongful deeds); say each time:
As Salaamu 'alaikum wa rahmatulaah
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Peace and blessings of God be upon you.
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Say personal prayers with hands cupped and palms up at chest level. Wipe face with palms. If praying in a group stand and greet each other individually, saying: "May God receive our prayers."
1At-Tashahhud is a recreation of the conversation held between Allah and the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing upon him) during the night of the Heavenly Ascent (Miraj)
3. Breathing.
In yoga, the science and art of breathing is paramount. The relaxation and exertion of all the members of the body, the stilling and concentration of the mind, the energizing of the whole being, and the access to the spiritual dimension all depend on breathing. In most languages of the world, the words for 'breathing' and 'spirit' are the same or closely related. The Arabic word for 'spirit' is rûh, coming from a root with several interconnected meanings: 'to relax', 'to breathe', and 'to set out moving'. The full range of these meanings, taken together, summarizes all the functions of the breath in Yoga. The Sanskrit word corresponding to rûh is âtman, which also comes from an Indo-European root meaning 'breath' (compare the High German word Atem, 'breath').
The spiritual importance of breath is a part of Islam's teachings. Hazrat Inayat Khan writes on the subject of Islamic purification: "Man's health and inspiration both depend on purity of breath, and to preserve this purity the nostrils and all the tubes of the breath must be kept clear. They can be kept clear by proper breathing and proper ablutions. If one cleanses the nostrils twice or oftener it is not too much, for a Moslem is taught to make this ablution five times, before each prayer, "Life, from its beginning to end, is one continuous set of breathing practices. The Holy Qur’an, in addition to all else it may be, is a set of breathing practices."
4. Meditation and Worship.
In part 23 of the Yoga Sutra, Patañjali teaches the attainment of supreme spiritual realization through devotion to God (îsvara pranidhana). The sutra is a very succinct, condensed type of literature, so a single brief mention suffices. Because Patañjali did not elaborate upon it, some commentators have assumed that his God is a mere figurehead or abstraction and therefore not so important in yoga practice. Nothing could be further from the truth; in fact, the one feature that distinguishes the metaphysic of the Yoga darsana from that of the Sankhya darsana of Kapila (a non-theistic analysis of the elements in the cosmos and consciousness) is the presence of God in Yoga. This makes all the difference, and allows the consonance of Yoga with religion.
Patañjali wisely chose to refer to God as îsvara, which in Sanskrit simply means 'God, the Supreme Being' and does not name any deity of any particular religion. This universality frees Yoga from conflict with any religious doctrine, so that its techniques can be applied by a believer of any faith. In India, Yoga has been applied to a vast variety of different religious perspectives, and it works just as well for other religions including Islam. There is nothing specifically Hindu or Islamic about its techniques, but it will assist the devotee in any kind of worship. Yoga means to concentrate and still the mind; when this concentration is directed upon God, the yogi is reaching toward the heart of his religion.
As for meditation, trâTaka is a yogic technique to focus the attention and attain one-pointedness. It consists of fixing the gaze on a single point. (It assists balance, too.) While standing in Islamic prayer, we practice traTaka by fixing the gaze on a spot on the ground where the forehead rests in sujûd. During rukû‘, the trâTaka is directed at the point between the big toes. The purpose is to focus the attention on the prayer and keep it from wandering. In this way it helps lead to a meditative state.
An important part of Sufi spiritual practice is to invoke the Divine Name Allâh and meditate upon it. Once we had learned through yoga how to still the mind and focus the attention, we discovered that the same technique greatly sharpened and clarified my meditation on the Divine Name. It was like a nearsighted person putting on glasses and suddenly seeing clearly and sharply.
Some Sufi orders practice meditation and invocation focused within certain centers (latâ’if) in the subtle body; this is the same technique as the yogic meditation upon the chakras.
5. Purification.
It goes without saying that both Islam and yoga require basic physical and moral cleanliness and purity (tahârah, sauca) before performing their practices. The two differ in several respects, but one feature that is common to both is using water to rinse the breathing passages: a yoga kriya (cleansing practice) called jala neti consists of pouring water into one nostril so that it flows through the sinuses and out the other nostril. The Muslim when making wudû’ takes water up the nose and blows it out; this is called istinshâ’. Again, the Islamic version does not go as deep, being simplified to make it easily accessible to everyone.
6. Food.
The Ayurvedic principles of yogic diet and the hadiths of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) are agreed that milk and ghee are beneficial, and that beef is detrimental to health. Likewise, both discourage eating onions and garlic. Ginger (Arabic zanjabîl, from Sanskrit srngivera, from Proto-Dravidian ciñci vêr) is mentioned in the Qur’ân (76:17) as a spice of Paradise. Ayurveda regards ginger as sâttvika, a quality helpful to spiritual life. Both Ayurveda and the Qur’ân tell of the spiritual qualities of the basil plant, the sacred basil (Ocimum sanctum) called tulasi in Sanskrit and the sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum) called rayhân in the Qur’ân (while the Italians value it only for its culinary qualities!). Tulasi basil is used to uplift, clear, and invigorate the mind, assisting the consciousness to focus on spiritual thoughts; rayhân is mentioned in the Qur’ân (55:12) as a plant of Paradise, and the Prophet recommended it to his Companions for its refreshing aromatherapy. The Arabic word rayhân is derived from the same root as rûh 'spirit'.
1. Historical Interaction.
In historical time, Muslims did consciously borrow from yoga and acknowledged the source. The traveling scholar Abu Rayhan al-Biruni (11th century) translated the Yoga Sutra of Patanjali into Arabic. Shah Muhammad Ghaus of Gwalior (16th century), a leader of the Shattârîyah order of Sufis, incorporated yoga practices into his teaching, based on the yogic text AmrtakuNDa. Yoga even reached as far as North Africa, where al-Sanusi (19th century) wrote of the yoga âsanas (jalsah); he referred to yoga in Arabic as "al-Jûjîyah". However, the congruences between yoga and Islam that I noted above are not historical borrowings, but derive from the primordial beginnings of the traditions.
2. A large international yoga organization, 3HO, has adopted the sujûd from Islamic prayer, calling it "Easy Yoga."
The “Yoga” of Islamic Prayer
Called “one of the oldest systems of personal development encompassing body, mind and spirit” by the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, yoga has become one of the fastest growing health trends today. It has been renowned for centuries for its curative powers of movement. Yoga consists of a number of “asnas,” or body positions, which one retains for a desired length of time while either reciting “mantras” or breathing in a rhythmic manner. Its benefits have been researched by many doctors who now recommend it to their patients, by many medical schools such as Harvard, and by many foundations such as the Menninger Foundation.
In fact, yoga has become so popular that secretaries have developed a simplified sitting version that they can do at their desks. The elderly, pregnant women and athletes also have their own versions.
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).
Of course, not all the yoga positions are found in the Islamic prayer. However, hospital researchers have concluded that patients benefit from even a simplified version of yoga, and most hospital yoga programs, such as those at the Spaulding Rehabilitation Center in Massachusetts, consist of only five to seven positions.
The Muslim prayer has five positions, and they all (as well as the recitations we make while performing the prayer) have a corresponding relationship with our spiritual and mental well being, according to modern scientific research. The benefits of performing specific movements and recitations each day come from the correct rendition of the position or action itself, the length of time the position is held, and from careful and correct recitation techniques. Each of the five prayer positions has a corresponding yoga position, and the positions together “activate” all seven “chakras” (energy fields) in the body. The idea of activating a chakra may sound linguistically strange, but it is easier to understand once one translates that word into more familiar language.
Eastern healers believe that each of the chakras correlate to major nerve ganglia that branch forth from the spinal column. Thus, the concept of activating these nerve centers is akin to getting a chiropractic adjustment or installing a medical stimulating device on the spine to correct corresponding bodily malfunctions.
In layman’s terms, the idea of chakras can be understood by thinking about how the sense of “feeling” functions. One notices, when touching any part of the body, that that part responds by being more “awake” and aware. Another part of the body that was not touched, but is along the same nerve pathway, may also respond.
When a person is sitting, for instance, they may not be thinking about their legs, which are momentarily at rest; however, if someone touches them, they will again be “aware” of them. Chakras work in much the same way. Studies have found that varying areas of the body, when activated by touch, movement or thought, evoke specific emotional and physical responses in much the same way that a smile can evoke the feeling of happiness, and actually increase circulation – even if one was feeling sluggish and unhappy before smiling. This is one of the reasons that it is so important to perfectly perform all of the movements of the Islamic prayer, rather than haphazardly rushing through them. The Takbir and Al Qiyyam together are very similar to the Mountain Pose in yoga, which has been found to improve posture, balance, and self-awareness. This position also normalizes blood pressure and breathing, thus providing many benefits to asthma and heart patients.
The placement of the hands on the chest during the Qiyyam position are said to activate the solar plexus “chakra,” or nerve pathway, which directs our awareness of self in the world and controls the health of the muscular system, skin, intestines, liver, pancreas, gallbladder and eyes. When the hands are held open for du’a, they activate the heart “chakra,” said to be the center of the feelings of love, harmony, and peace, and to control love and compassion. It also governs the health of the heart, lungs, thymus, immune system, and circulatory system. Muslim researchers have shown that when Muslims recite the Qur’an, old thoughts, feelings, fears and guilt are released or healed, and blood pressure and stress levels are reduced. Virtually all of the sounds of the Arabic language are uttered while reciting Qur’an, creating a balance in all affected areas of the body. Some specific sounds, in fact, correspond to major organs in the body. In his research and creation of eurhythmy, Rudolph Steiner (founder of the Waldorf Schools), , found that vibrations made when pronouncing the long vowels, 'A', 'E' and 'U,' stimulated the heart, lungs, and the thyroid, pineal, pituitary, and adrenal glands during laboratory tests. The position of Ruku is very similar to the Forward Bend Position in yoga. Ruku stretches the muscles of the lower back, thighs, legs and calves, and allows blood to be pumped down into the upper torso. It tones the muscles of the stomach, abdomen, and kidneys. Forming a right angle allows the stomach muscles to develop, and prevents flabbiness in the mid-section.
This position also promotes a greater flow of blood into the upper regions of body – particularly to the head, eyes, ears, nose, brain, and lungs – allowing mental toxins to be released. Over time, this improves brain function and ones personality, and is an excellent stance to maintain the proper position of the fetus in pregnant women. The Sujud is said to activate the “crown chakra,” which is related to a person’s spiritual connection with the universe around them and their enthusiasm for spiritual pursuits. This nerve pathway is also correlated to the health of the brain, nervous system, and pineal gland. Its healthy function balances ones interior and exterior energies.
In Sujud, we also bend; thus activating the “base chakra,” which controls basic human survival instincts and provides essential grounding. This helps to develop levelheaded and positive thinking along with a highly motivated view of life, and maintains the health of the lymph and skeletal systems, the prostate, bladder, and the adrenal glands. We also bend the “sacral chakra” during Sujud, thus benefiting and toning the reproductive organs. The position of Al Qaadah, (or Julus) is similar to the Thunderbolt Pose in yoga, which firms the toes, knees, thighs, and legs. It is said to be good for those prone to excessive sleep, and those who like to keep long hours. Furthermore, this position assists in speedy digestion, aids the detoxification of the liver, and stimulates peristaltic action in the large intestine. Last, but not least, the “throat chakra” is activated by turning the head towards first the right and then the left shoulder in the closing of the prayer. This nerve path is linked to the throat, neck, arms, hands, bronchials, and hearing – effecting individual creativity and communication. It is believed that a person who activates all seven nerve pathways at least once a day can remain well balanced emotionally, physically and spiritually. Since this is the goal of all sincere Muslims, we all should strive to attain the perfection of stance, recitation, and breathing recommended in the Hadith while performing our prayers – the very same techniques of perfection taught in popular yoga, Tai Chi, and many other exercise classes.
The position of prayer is very important and unequalled by any act of other worship. It is the basic feature of the faith and the pillar upholding it. Like the pole of a tent without which it cannot stand straight, Islam cannot stand without prayers.
Prayer is the first duty imposed by Allah upon mankind after that of belief in the oneness of Allah. Prayers are also an act to be accounted for on the Day of Judgement among other deeds carried out by servants of Allah. The Prophet said: “The first thing of the slave to be reckoned on the Day of Judgement will be his Prayer. If it is good, the rest of his deeds will be (accounted as) good. And if it is rotten, the rest of his deeds will be rotten”. (Tabarani)
the effectiveness of the Islamic prayer :
- It strengthens the belief in the existence and goodness of Allah and transmits this belief into the innermost recesses of man’s heart.
- It enlivens this belief and makes it constructive in the practical course of life.
- It helps man to realize his natural and instinctive aspiration to greatness and high morality, to excellence and virtuous growth.
- It purifies the heart and develops the mind, cultivates the conscience and comforts the soul.
- It fosters the good and decent elements in man, and suppresses the evil and indecent inclinations.
When we analyze the Islamic prayer and study its unique nature, it is apparent that it is not merely a physical motion or a void recital of the Holy Book. It is a matchless and unprecedented formula of intellectual meditation and spiritual devotion, of moral elevation and physical exercise, all combined. It is an exclusively Islamic experience where every muscle of the body joins the soul and the mind in the worship and glory of Allah. It is difficult for anyone to impart in words the full meaning of the Islamic prayer, yet it can be said that it is:
1. A lesson in discipline and willpower.
2. A practice in devotion to Allah and all worthy objectives.
3. A vigilant reminder of Allah and a constant revelation of His Goodness.
4. A seed of spiritual cultivation and moral soundness.
5. A guide to the most upright way of life.
6. A safeguard against indecency and evil, against deviation and stray.
7. A demonstration of true equality, solid unity, and brotherhood.
8. An expression of thankfulness to Allah and appreciation of Him.
9. A course of inner peace and stability.
10. An abundant source of patience and courage, of hope and confidence.
Prayers are essential ways to worship Allah. In fact in the short period the worshipper spends in praying, he is in complete devotion and submission to Allah. This direct relation with his creator, the source of truth, goodness and justice can make the worshipper feel happy and satisfied.
From a medical aspect these physical movements during prayers strengthen the muscles and joints and stimulate the circulation of blood. Consequently, stagnation of blood in the veins of the legs, which may lead to coagulation and possibly the passage of a clot to the pulmonary veins, is prevented.
A remarkable advantage of prayers is the strengthening of the muscles of the back and the maintenance of the mobility of vertebral joints. Consequently, kyphosis (an abnormal backward curvature of the spine) and disc protrusion may be prevented.
This is Islamic prayer, and this is what it can do for man. The best testimony to this statement is the experience of prayer and availing oneself of its spiritual joys. Then one will know what it really means.
Quranic Verses Encouraging Meditation
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[3:17] They are steadfast, truthful, submitting, charitable, and meditators at dawn.
[9:112] They are the repenters, the worshipers, the praisers, the meditators, the bowing and prostrating, the advocators of righteousness and forbidders of evil, and the keepers of GOD's laws. Give good news to such believers.
[17:79-80] During the night, you shall meditate for extra credit, that your Lord may raise you to an honorable rank. And say, "My Lord, admit me an honorable admittance, and let me depart an honorable departure, and grant me from You a powerful support."
[25:63-66] The worshipers of the Most Gracious are those who tread the earth gently, and when the ignorant speak to them, they only utter peace. In the privacy of the night, they meditate on their Lord, and fall prostrate. And they say, "Our Lord, spare us the agony of Hell; its retribution is horrendous. It is the worst abode; the worst destiny."
[26:217-220] And put your trust in the Almighty, Most Merciful. Who sees you when you meditate during the night. And your frequent prostrations. He is the Hearer, the Omniscient.
[39:9] Is it not better to be one of those who meditate in the night, prostrating and staying up, being aware of the Hereafter, and seeking the mercy of their Lord? Say, "Are those who know equal to those who do not know?" Only those who possess intelligence will take heed.
[50:39-40] ... praise and glorify your Lord before sunrise, and before sunset. During the night you shall meditate on His name, and after prostrating.
Meditation can be soothing for the mind and soul. It is a good way to get in tune with oneself. By all means I would encourage it. As a matter of fact the Prophet used to travel to Mount Hira and sit in the cave where he pondered and meditated and got away from monotonous noise of everyday life. However, people tend to take what is good in life and incorporate it within religion and all of the sudden somehow it becomes part of a ritual not established by the Prophet. This is something we should be cautious about.
There are two concepts or schools of meditation in Islam. One is that which is described in the Qur’an and Sunnah, another is that which has been developed by the Sufis in later times (that is, after the first phase, considered the ideal phase of Islam).
The original concept of meditation is based on contemplation, called tafakkur in the Qur’an. That is, reflection upon the universe to gain food for thought. To put it differently, this is a form of intellectual development which emanates from a higher level, i.e. from God.
his intellectual process through the receiving of divine inspiration awakens and liberates the human mind, permitting man’s inner personality to develop and grow so that he may lead his life on a spiritual plane far above the mundane level.
The second form of meditation, the one developed by the Sufis, is largely based on mystical exercises. However, this method is controversial among Muslim scholars. One group of Ulama, Al-Ghazzali, for instance, have accepted it, another group of Ulama, Ibn-Taimia, for instance, have rejected it as an innovation.
Does Islam Permit Meditation?
meditations help relieve mental fatigue. The primary stage of almost all meditations involves a practice of driving all thoughts away. Coupled with straight-back postures and breathing exercises it aims at providing rest to mind by keeping the thoughts away. Then in the next stages of meditations recommended by different groups, the thoughts and philosophies of the group concerned are injected into mind. It hypnotises the mind in accepting the suggested thoughts. The peace of mind and metal relief is achieved mainly because:
1. The practice of driving all thoughts away at the primary stage of meditation has already healed the stresses.
2. All meditative practices involve moral teachings in the form of suggestions. A meditator who has already experienced relief from mental fatigue develops a faith in the instructor or Guru who is teaching him and starts accepting new morals and good values suggested at the meditating sessions. This further relieves the mind of stresses.
3. At some stage of every meditation, philosophies of the respective groups are introduced in meditative suggestions. The meditator is by now in trance and he easily accepts these ideas by heart. When discarding all rationality and debates of ideas associated with an average man, he accepts one line of thought his life becomes harmonious and he experiences a recurring and permanent peace of mind in life.
It is the third stage of meditation that is dangerous. The meditator is brainwashed into believing in the philosophy of the Guru leading him in the meditation. Nowhere is this transformation phenomenon more visible than in Brahmakumari Ashrams who teach meditations, they call Rajyoga. In their meditations, the subject is asked to concentrate on a small red bulb ahead. In the background above is a picture or sketch of Brahmakumari founder Baba Lekhraj referred to as Brahma Baba in their vocabulary. This sketch also resides in the subconscious of the person in trance. There are scientifically designed lighting effects and after a while the whispering suggestions of Didi (the teacher at the Ashram is a lady called Didi) reverberate in the mind of the person in meditation. He listens and takes to the suggestions gradually. Then he is asked and taught to repeat those ideas and suggestions of Brahmakumari faith himself over and over again, while meditating. This is the process of self-hypnosis and autosuggestion. True it gives peace of mind and consequently heals many a disease but I have met scientists and engineers at Brahmakumari centers who start believing absurdities like the life cycle of the world is 5000 years and same events repeat after every 5000 years with same persons. Even the doctors among them start believing that in Kaliyuga (after about 30 years hence, according to them) the conceptions in the wombs will be possible by Yoga-Bal (the power of meditation) and the conjugal relationship or male sperms will no more be needed for childbirth.
A Muslim need not go to any Ashram for meditation if he knows how to perform Salat. Salat is a meditation of the highest order but most Muslims have forgotten it. They read Namaz or recite Namaz or even offer Namaz but they do not meditate in it though it was pre-requisite. A Salat does not even start without the state of meditation. The Prophet instructed a person in Salat to meditate upon the presence of God who is watching the devotee. A state of trance is reached when he really meditates upon it. Then comes the voice of The Word of God from the lips of Imam. If he really started Salat with a state of meditation, the voice of Imam seems to be coming from a spiritual source. The words of Qur'an (if he knows Arabic) work as suggestions in a trance and he gradually starts believing in the orders and teaching of those words. There are repetitions of Allahu Akbar and the Tasbihaat of Ruku' and Sajda etc. They all work wonder in a state of trance. They are autosuggestions. An individual Salat (Sunnah and Nafil) is based completely on autosuggestions where there is no outside voice but his own recitation works as autosuggestion. Remember what Qur'an said about Zik'r (Remembrance and not merely chanting)? "Beware! In remembrance of Allah do hearts find peace" (13:28) Salat, while offered properly and associated with meditation of Allah's presence and His watchfulness is the remembrance of the highest order and must provide peace. Qur'an proclaims: "Recite what is sent of the Book by inspiration to thee and establish Regular Salat: for Salat restrains from shameful and unjust deeds; and remembrance of Allah is the greatest (thing in life) without doubt. And Allah knows the (deeds) that ye do." (29:45)
Qur'an announces that Salat will prevent you from shameful and unjust deeds. Please note that it is not said that a person offering Salat should restraint himself from committing shameful acts and unjust deeds. Salat will restraint the devotee from evil. On the other hand we observe people involved in shameful acts and unjust deeds though they may be regular Namazis for years! The claim of Qur'an cannot be false. They in fact did not offer Salat in the prescribed manner. It is high time that camps of teaching Salat with meditation be organised. Alas all our books of Salat procedures, Salat taught to the children by elders in their homes and even Salat taught by Mullahs in Madrasas is comprised of recitation and postures only. There is no meditation and hence it is neither providing peace of mind nor restraining from unjust deeds.
Yogic insights into Islam
There are a number of legends about the early life of Mohammed, founder of the religion of Islam.
It is said that just before Mohammed’s birth his father, Abdulah, dreamt of his unborn son. He saw growing from his child’s back a tree, which climbed upward, and reaching its full height emitted a light that spread around the world.
Most Muslims interpret the dream and its imagery symbolically. The tree would of course represent the religion of Islam, supported by Mohammed. The light is the wisdom of his teachings that have truly been globally disseminated.
However we also know that the tree in Mohammed’s back could be the ‘tree of life’ and is a common symbol in Middle Eastern and Islamic culture. Carl Jung, after years of studying the language of the unconscious, interpreted the tree of life as one of the universal unconscious’s synonyms for the Kundalini.
The Kundalini, said Jung, is a spiritual energy best documented by (but by no means exclusive to) the yogis of India. It should not at all be surprising, should we take an open- minded and closer look at Islam, that as with the other great religions, we find a deeper, more mystical and universal message: that of self realisation and the mechanism by which it occurs–Kundalini awakening. Every culture and religion has had individuals who have achieved a living, spontaneous, direct experience of their religion. A dynamic, suprahuman awareness that went beyond dogma and blind faith. The Gnostics of Christianity, the Yogis of Hinduism, the Fang- Shi of Tao and the Sufis of Islam all achieved these states and each have spoken of experiences that, despite differences of appearance, are strikingly similar in content.
Let us then look at Abdula’s dream from a yogic perspective. We can suggest that he actually saw the uniquely powerful Kundalini of his son. The ascent of Mohammed’s Kundalini was not simply of individual importance to Mohammed but had global, even cosmic significance. For the light, the divine energy of Mohammed’s Kundalini, was about to affect a spiritual and cultural revolution in Arabia. Mohammed was the vessel through which the universal unconscious, or ‘divine’, or ‘God’ was about to act.
As a child and young man Mohammed showed few signs of his prophetic destiny. He was well known for his moral integrity and good character but it was not until his forties that he became aware of his true purpose. Through a series of transformative experiences Mohammed was prepared for his divine role. These experiences culminated in the amazing Meraj (or ‘Ascent’).
The experience of the Meraj, like the rising kundalini that Abdula had seen, would not only revolutionise Mohammed’s awareness but send out shock waves which resonated in the unconscious of all Arabians and later, all the world.
Through the Meraj Mohammed realized the need for the establishment of a new culture. He was to establish a creed that went beyond the petty tribal boundaries, blood feuds and violent practices prevalent at the time. To go beyond such ingrained behaviour patterns Mohammed drew upon an awareness of superhuman proportions. He transcended the limitations of the human mind and tapped into the universal intelligence. His vision then became universal:
to unite the peoples of Arabia under a system of morality, justice and compassion. A system that would serve as the foundation for one of the greatest civilisations in recorded history.
The Meraj gave Mohammed the confidence, wisdom and superhuman energy to attempt such a revolution.
In this visionary experience the angel Gabriel escorted Mohammed from his humble quarters to the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem. There the Buraq, a fantastic steed with the body of a horse, the head of a woman and the wings of a bird, greeted him. She shone with dazzling white brightness and her tremendous strength bore Mohammed up into the cosmos through the various divine dimensions.
Gabriel escorted Mohammed on the Buraq through the seven heavens. Each heaven had its own guardian angel and resident prophet who ruled the dimension in accordance with God’s laws. Mohammed bowed to guardian angels who determined his readiness to enter into their heaven, and then Mohammed respectfully paid homage to the reigning prophet. The prophet in turn blessed Mohammed and ushered him on to the next heaven and so on.
At the sixth heaven Gabriel brought Mohammed to the verge of the seventh. The archangel said that he himself could go no further. This, the seventh heaven, was the last frontier between god and man and Mohammed was ushered into the place described as the abode of God almighty.
Their Mohammed saw a beautiful, radiant tree with wondrous multicolored leaves. It was here that he communed with God and learned of his true purpose.
This beautiful and inspiring vision has motivated millions of Muslims for more than a thousand years. Its significance becomes even more universal when we examine it from the perspective of kundalini awakening, using the symbolic language of the universal unconscious.
The seven heavens through which Mohammed passed must of course correspond to the seven chakras that exist within the human body. Each chakra, say the yogis, is the abode of a special deity whose character embodies the chakra’s innate spiritual qualities. The human chakra system is a microcosm for the entire Eastern pantheon of gods, goddesses and heavenly beings. The prophets and angels that Mohammed encountered in each heaven could well have been these same inner deities that the yogis personally discovered through intense meditation.
The seventh heaven or chakra is the ‘Crown Chakra’ also termed Sahasrara. Yogis have described it as the most important of all the chakras for it represents the ultimate level of mystic awareness.
Like all the chakras it has a specific number of petals (in this case more than a thousand)|. Each chakra not only has a specific number of petals but also a specific radiant colour. The sahasrara’s appearance however is said to contain all the colours of the rainbow for it contains within it all the aspects (and hence the colours) of the six other chakras below it.
Such ancient yogic descriptions of the sahasrara could logically correspond to the resplendent and multicoloured sidrat which Mohammed encountered in the 7th heaven.
The kundalini is a feminine energy often described as an ‘inner goddess’ or ‘mother energy’. Her ascent from the sacrum, through the chakras located in the spinal cord, is the process of self-realisation. When the kundalini arrives in the crown chakra (sahasrara) the seeker experiences the complete transformation of awareness. One is taken beyond the limits of the human mind into the mystical states of meditation described by sufis and yogis alike.
In fact C.G. Jung described the kundalini as the ‘divine feminine ‘or ‘God the mother’. Notably, Mohammed’s vehicle for his own ascent through the heavenly dimensions was the lady-faced, dazzling buraq. The buraq could well be a feminine, Arabic synonym for kundalini.
In conclusion Mohammed’s ascent through the seven heavens was, in fact, the ascent of the kundalini, taking his consciousness with it, to divine union with the god almighty.
It is no coincidence that the entire Meraj is described to have started and finished in an incredibly short period of time: While sitting in his room Mohammad heard someone grasp the door handle and the sound of the latch clicking was the last thing he heard before Gabriel’s appearance and the duo’s departure on their spiritual journey. Mohammed’s return to mundane experience restarts with the next few clicks of the same latch movement. In other words the entire experience occurred in a sort of ‘no-time’. This is not an unusual proposition since meditation is a state of awareness created by the ascent of the kundalini through the chakras. As it pierces the sixth chakra (‘third eye’ or Agnya) and seventh, it takes the meditator into the state of ‘thoughtless awareness’ (Nirvichara Samadhi) and beyond. This is a simple state where one experiences true mental silence, beyond the normal mental awareness of past/future, cause/effect .
The mind, as this editorial column has often discussed before, can only deal with the dimension of past and future, cause and effect, thought and memory. However, the state of meditation begins in the ‘spaces between the thoughts’. This is the numinous dimension where there is no passage of time but only a singular, silent, eternal, thought-free and joyful experience.
It was from this dimension of awareness that Mohammed perceived the divine vision of a universal culture and spirituality. Through his meditative vision he learned of humanity’s higher potential thus his mystic perception of the universal spirit and its presence within each of us became the template upon which he sought to fashion a new society whose foundations lay not in issues of common material interest but in the unique awareness of self realization. Mohammed was, in fact, laying the first building blocks for the emergence of a spiritual civilization that may only now come into fruition.
Westerners traveling to Muslim countries have been known to notice the absence of alcohol. Also absent is entertainment to stimulate the libido. Some Westerners find it surprising that a good number of Muslims like it like that. In the West, we have all sorts of ways to alter our inner states. If we are under-stimulated we have stimulating drinks, drugs, foods and entertainment. If we are over-stimulated we have drinks, drugs, foods and entertainment that will mellow us out. Many of us get in the habit of taking a stimulant, like caffeine, in the morning and depressants, like alcohol in the evening. In between, we clumsily tweak our alertness by changing our blood sugar levels by eating sugary food, and we tweak our neurotransmitters by watching soap operas, sitcoms or sports.
Much of this activity is habitual, that is to say it is unmindful and compulsive. It involves adjusting inner states by external means which sort of works. It works to the extent that we are rewarded for the behavior by the change it induces and so it becomes habitual, but it is ineffective in that it gives us only momentary satisfaction and does not increase our mastery of our inner states.
Perhaps practicing Muslims can tolerate the absence of alcohol and other mood changing features of Western culture because they have something that actually helps them feel well. One significant feature of Islam is prayer 5 times a day. The practitioner washes beforehand, even symbolically when water is not available, an act that is obviously cleansing, but also stimulating to the hands and face in a self-nurturing way. The person praying orients toward Mecca, so he or she knows where on earth he or she is. Then prayer includes an affirmation, not of one’s self, but of God’s greatness and centrality. The praying is done in community, which gives one a sense of belonging and connection. The words of prayer are performed in a sequence of standing, bowing, prostrating, and sitting on one’s heals that is physically stimulating and grounding.
Five times a day, one stops every piece of business or distraction and re-orients oneself to place, relationship to God, relationship to the community, to the earth and to ones own body and mind.
We are in a time of increased focus on the Muslim world. We who are not Muslims would be wise to learn to understand the nature of that culture, and if we are very wise, we will use this time to consider what gifts Islamic culture might hold for us.
Dissimilarities between Yoga and is Islam
1. Islam never accept the shirk(keeping equalcy to god with any person or object).if the shirk is knowingly or unknowingly practiced it will lead to the breaking the rules against Islam, may become kaphir (non muslim).
Example if it is the name Soorya namskara,namaskara mudra.
2. All the rules and regulations against the holy qurran and sunnah is Haram.if haram is present while practicing yoga, that can be avoided .Prounucing mangala sloka-solutation other than one god (Allah) can be prohibited.
Islamic way of practicing yoga.
v Yoga is not Hinduism.
v Yoga systemic way of life, it can be practiced beyond the Religion,Custom,race.
v Yoga is wonderful art, which has multi-dimension. all the dimension lead to Spiritual, Social Physical, Psychological wellbeing and produce unity in the whole world.
v Yoga never against Islam.most of the yogis belonging the culture of Hinduism.so may they are own interpretation on their various school of yoga there is no necessity follow the all the schools of yoga.We may take which is adaptable model present in yoga, that is very much similar to Islam.
v There is no necessity to say the asana like Soorya Namaskara,we can change the name of that asana to Sooryasana and also avoid to pronounce the mangal solka.
v Ther is no haram to say “OM”,it is a just word.not a solutation.if any fear to prounce OM,instead of OM we can say ALLAH or AMEEN. A.LL.AH.,A.MEE.N.It may produce the same effect.
v Even though five times prayer itself good yogasana, we must practice all the other asana, should practice regularly it may enhance the health, peace of mind.
v There is no harm to leave certain principles of yoga even though non vegetarian food is not satvikam, it may produce rajaseeka guna. We can liberalize certain principles.
v Islamic way practicing yoga is nothing but just ‘practice yoga’ by following the Islamic principles.
Conclusion
It can be valid and beneficial for Muslims to learn yoga, not as their spiritual path per se, but as a valuable adjunct to the spiritual path of Islam. Islam is a complete, integral spiritual path, so yoga is no substitute for any Islamic requirement. The Prophet said that wisdom is the believer's stray camel: wherever he finds it he will recognize it (and claim his right to it).
How to explain the many points of correspondence between yoga and Islam? Did these ancient teachings travel from India to Arabia? No—there is no need to assume such a horizontal transfer; the sacred truths are revealed vertically from Heaven to all peoples. There are close similarities between Islam and yoga not because of borrowing or cultural diffusion, but because of both originating in the Primordial Tradition, sanâtana dharma, al-dîn al-hanîf, which all the prophets of Allah have brought and reaffirmed throughout the ages, among all nations, revealed directly from the Creator.
Yoga is not Hinduism. Yoga systemic way of life, it can be practiced beyond the Religion,Custom,race. Yoga never against Islam.most of the yogis belonging the culture of Hinduism.so may they are own interpretation on their various school of yoga there is no necessity follow the all the schools of yoga.We may take which is adaptable model present in yoga, that is very much similar to Islam. Islamic way practicing yoga is nothing but just ‘practice yoga’ by following the Islamic principles.
Bibiliography
1) The yoga Tradition, George Feuerstein, Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Pvt. Ltd., Delhi, 2002.
2) The complete book of Yoga Harmony of Body & Mind, Sri Ananda, Orient Paperbacks (A division of vision books private limited, Delhi, 1982).
3) Sri Pathanjali Yoga Suthiram.
4) Science of Yoga, I.K. Tamini, Therosophical Publishing House, Adayar, Chennai, 2001.
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6) Kriya Yoga Sutras of Patanjali and the Siddhas.
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10) The Holy Quarran
11) The translation of the meanings of summarized Sahih Al-Bukhari (Arabic-English) by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan, 1994.
12) Maktaba Dar-us-Salam, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 1994.
13) Muhammad Amin Al-Misri, Islamic University, Al-Madina, 1998.
14) Common misconceptions about Islam-Dr.Zakir Naik, 1996.
15) Introduction to Islam and Al-Hidhaya, 1996.
