Islam

Significance of Sajda or Prostration in Salah or Prayer

Kalabooshanam M. Y. M. Meeadh

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The pineal gland in the brain plays an important part in directional sense. Damage to

the pineal gland causes defective sense of direction, perhaps by altering the intrinsic intracranial electro-magnetic environment and thus affecting the magnetic response mechanism.

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Mosque which means a place of prayer is called Masjid which signifies a place of prostration (Masjid being derived from the Arabic root word, 'Sajada' meaning prostration). This shows that prayer in Islam comprises certain bodily positions and prostration is the culminating point of complete submission to Allah.

Prostration is an act of humility symbolising total abandonment of oneself to the will of Allah. "Sajda brings you closer to Allah" (96:19). All the Prophets of the past themselves prostrated. The Quran says, "Whatever beings there are in the heavens and in the earth, do prostrate themselves to Allah." (Q. 13:15)

Prostrating in the direction of the Qibla

Allah commands you to 'Proclaim the Lord's praise in the night and after the (prescribed) prostrations." (Q. 50:40). There are those who spend the night in adoration of their Lord, prostrating and standing." (25:64)

"There are marks in their faces, being the effects of their prostration." (48:29).

People nearest to Allah are called Mugarraboon. (Q. 56:11-26)

Those nearest to Allah will witness the inscribed register of the Righteous (38:19-21) and will drink from heavenly fountain of Tasneem (38:27-28).

Prophet Muhammad (Sal) said: "A man becomes near God at the time of prostration." Nearness to God does not mean nearness of place but nearness to the attribution of Allah.

Man becomes nearer to Allah's attributes when he constantly strives for perfection. "It is not your wealth, nor your children that shall bring you nearer unto us." (34:37)

Imam Gazzali says: "There are qualities which will draw a man near God. 1. Spiritual knowledge, 2. Knowledge of duties, 3. Self control, 4. Justice.

And these cannot be achieved unless the following four essentials are not adopted: (a) Allah's guidance, (b) Injunctions of Allah, (c) Constant efforts, (d) Allah's assistance.

We prostrate in the direction of the Qibla which is spiritual compass of the Muslim world. The central region of the earth encompasses Macca, the centre of the Muslim world and the point where for Muslims, the heavenly axis touches the terrestrial plane. Macca is also called the mother of cities (Ummul Qurah) in the Holy Quran and in the popular literature the navel of the earth.

The Kabah is now not only placed in the centre of the earth according to the navel theory, but it forms the central point of the whole universe.

It is difficult to determine the real nature of the black stone (Hajar al Aswad) of the Ka'abah whether it was originally a meteorite or not, and if so, whether any electromagnetic waves are emitted from it in a radial direction.

The pineal gland in the brain is also called the third eye. It plays an important part in directional sense. Damage to the pineal gland causes defective sense of direction, perhaps by altering the intrinsic intracranial electro-magnetic environment and thus affecting the magnetic response mechanism.

There is a high concentration of magnetic (a magnetic oxide of iron) in man, in the bones of the base of the skull. The billions of red blood cells circulating in the body contain iron, and could form a magnetic flux. It has not been worked out as to what effects these iron containing red blood cells produce when they come near the base of the brain and in turn, normalise the sense of direction through a neutral or numeral path way the pineal gland.

Added to this, by putting our forehead to the ground during Sajda so many times daily, it is not impossible to imagine that some electro magnetic waves radiating from the Ka'abah through the earth, would reach the pineal gland of the prostrated person and help to straighten the sense of direction (Sirathul Musthaqeem). It is likely that the uprightness of a practising Muslim is the result of the normalisation of this sense of direction by the electro-magnetic waves radiating from Hajar al-Aswad through the earth to the pineal gland during prostration.

Courtesy: This article is based on the research by Dr. Ebrahim Kazim

Ideological combat in Islam

M.B.M. Mahir

The last and the latest religion sent by Allah, the Almighty, to mankind is Islam. Hence it has the Supreme legacy of all other ideological norms being included in Islam.

Over a period of time Islam went through immense interpretative system that is indeed beneficial to Islam and Muslims.

After the demise of Prophet Muhammed (Sal), the four selected Khalifas called Khulafa Rashideen gave not only interpretation of Islamic principles but also the expression of action in full practice that was a beacon light for other to follows. This thirty years of caliphate was the most momentous period in Islam.

Great rulers like Umar Bin Abdul Azeez, Khalifa Muawiya and others enlightened Islam by their rule and action enabling Muslims to walk in honour and to talk of valour.

Then came a more intellectual period of the four great Imams of Islamic jurisprudence Law (Shariah) namely Imams Malik, Abu Haniffa, Shafi and Hanbali (Rahmathulla Alaihim) who were able to guide the rules and the ruled with correct insight into Islamic Jurisprudence and acting according to the Shariah.

A spiritual and intellectual renaissance came during the period after the Imams, the emergence of Imams of the Hadith of the Prophet (Sal) which proved useful and meaningful for the Muslim Ummath. Imams Buhary, Muslim, Thirmizi, Abu Dawood, Ibn Maja and Nasai correct ideological interpretation was possible and the Muslims were able to comparatively understand the Quran and Hadith.

The emergence of spiritual leaders in this age added glory to Islam. Saints to the calibre of Muhiyadeen Abdul Qadir Jilani, Abul Hassan as Shazuli and the like along with Imam Ghazzal, Ibn Al Arabi, Imam Suyuthi added intellectual light to Islam.

As life and time went on Islam faced intellectual challenges and was able to combat them with applicable interpretation in accordance with the Quran, Hadith, Ijma and Qiyas the four authentic documents in Islam.

Imam Ibn Thaymiyyah, Al Buruni, Al Farabi, Ibn Ali Sina among others were the torchbearers of Islam in interpretation and action in a practical way.

Islam confronted many faceted challenges in the field of ideologies and was able to overcome then with the correct timely and suitable transparency of action. As a result different divisive groups emerged amongst Muslims, which is really healthy and essential to combat the ideological challenge.

In the modern times the influence and intellectual giants emerged in the form of great scholars mainly from Egypt, where the mother of all universities Al Azhar is situated, scholars in the calibre of Seyed Khuthub, the Martyr, Muhammed Kuthub, the writer and Hassan Al - Banna the reformer who was responsible for the great movement of Ikhwanul Muslimeen (Islamic Brotherhood) which had immense effect on the political life of Egypt in particular and the Muslim world in general. Political leaders like President Jamal Abdul Nassar and Anver Sadat and General Nuguib were the product of this movement.

The Mantle of leading this movement fell on the shoulders of Dr. Said Ramadan, his son-in-law and he established the Islamic centre in Geneva in the year 1962/1963. The Grand Mufthi of Palestine Sheik Amin Al Hussaini was another notable leader.

The emergence of new Islamic ideological movements gave greater strength and splendour to Islam.

The Sanoosi factor in Libiya established by Imam Al Saroosi shed great light on Islamic philosophy. Similarly the works of Maulana Jalaludeen Rumi and Jami and the poetries of Imam Sadi and Umar Quayyam gave greater glory to Islam from Persia.

The Wahhabi movement of Sheik Abdul Wahhabi from Saudi Arabia who initiated new and practical interpretation of Islam enriched this intellectual journey. Even today the Wahhabi ideologies are well practical in Saudi Arabia and the Arab world.

In Asia the emergence of various Islamic scholars and movements gave way for further enlightenment of Islamic ideologies. Sir Seyed Ahamd Khan and the establishment of the Aligar University in India, Maulana Abdul Hassan Al Nadvi and his Nadwathul Ulama, the scholarly writings of Mapilla Alim and the like professor Abdul Wahab Buhary Sahib of Presidency College Madras Professor K. Abdul Ghafoor of South India and more others gave new look to the Islamic theories.

The great turn of the century was the spiritual renaissance of Hazarath Khaja Mueenuddeen Jisthi of Ajmeer establishing the Jisthiyya Thareeqa and through his divine lectures was successful in convincing and converting admirers to Islam in the thousands. Equally another movement which influenced the day to day life of Muslims in India and the world was founded by Maulana Ilyas (Rahmathulla) of Mewat North India, the popular movement called the "Thabligh Jammath" which is spread all over the world Inspiring and inviting the Muslims to be the best Muslims through prayer and actions. A close proximity was established between a Muslim, his family, his neighbours and friends by continuous connection with the Mosque Prayer, Knowledge seeking (Thaleems) Gasth (Meeting Personally) chilla or Travel are part of the activities of Thabligh Jamath. The writer has personally observed this is Malaysia, Pakistan, India and other countries.

Equally the emergency of another scholar from Pakistan must be mentioned here. Maulana Abul Ala Mauddi the founder of the Jamathe Islami, the great intellectual movement and a political force in Pakistan. Maulana Maududi, whom the writer had the pleasure of meeting in 1966 in Mina, Mecca Mukarrama and later in Ichra Lahore along with his son Farook Maududi is a remarkable Scholar whose translation of the Holy Quran the Thafheemul Quran and his works on Islam are known worldwide and admired even by the Arabs.

The Jamathe Islami is very active in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and other countries of the world establishing study circles, Quranic interpretations publishing journals and striving hard to cater to the modern Islamic youth to understand Islam.

Mention must be made of great scholars who initiated new thinking of Islamic ideological interpretations. Dr. Inamulla Khan Secretary General of Motamar Islami (World Muslim Congress) Moulana Zafar Ahmed Ansary Maulana Abdul Aleem Siddiqi the great missionary, Moulana Fazlur Rahman Ansary and Dr. Hameedullah from Pakistan Senator Ahmed Alonto of Philippines Sheikh Umar Al Saqqaf of Singapore Usthaz Buzuzou from Algeria Sheikh Abu Bakr Fakir from South Africa, Gulam Mohideen Rajah from Mauritius, Ahmed Gilan from Iraq and Muhammed Dookie from Trinidad and Tobago and the Ishaa - the Islam Movement there and active workers in River Side Islamic Centre where Iman Dhunya was doing Islamic work and Montreal Islamic Centre in Canada. Islamic centres in Ottawa, Munich and Paris, to mention a few do great service towards understanding Islam.

The Italian Professor Alessandro Bausani who visited Sri Lanka in the sixties added value to the ideological image of Islam and addressed meetings of intellectuals giving contemporary vision of Islam.

With the development of electronic media and the introduction of computer, the internet, the web and the like many movement made use of these facilities to introduce new theories within the reach of Islam and Muslims.

The Thawheed movement which establishes the pristine purity of Islam in its original position has caught the admiration of many and is being followed well in many countries including Sri Lanka.

There are groups here and abroad who opt to follow only Quran and Hadhees a group called Ahle Quran and Ahleh Hadlees, divisively do have a good following in Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka.

There are La-Mathabees - who do not follow the four schools of thoughts - Madhabs and maintain their own position.

Mention must be made of the Spiritual ways of Great Saints in the form of Qadhiriya, Shazuliya, Jisthiya, Alawwiya, Nakshabandiyya, Rifa-iyya and similar, order who train followers and make them spiritually alert, guided and enlightened.

All the above movements are within the norms and boundaries of Islam and do not deviate from Isam even though they beg to differ in opinion and interpretation.

The ideological Combat of Islamic Philosophy and its interpretation in Practice are a healthy sign of a growing interest to delve into the inner Phase of Islam with a deep insight on Islamic ideology.

The Philosophy of Islam is like a great ocean and diving into it in search of Peals treasure and other ornaments will enhance the ideological combat in Islam with optimum knowledge. In conclusion, Islamic ideology is as high as the sky and strong as the mountain; vast like the ocean and wide and wealthy equal to the earth. It is incumbent on Muslims in particular and all others in General to reap optimum benefits from them.