Author: Dr. Noor Mohammad Mohibi
The Quran: A Miracle Beyond Time- A Study of Its Miraculous Nature (part 104)
Prayer within the Framework of the Quran’s Miraculous System (Continued)
Prayer and Vascular Flexibility
Medical research has shown that continuous changes in the position of the head relative to the level of the heart cause alternating increases and decreases in blood pressure within the cerebral blood vessels. These natural fluctuations contribute to enhancing the elasticity of the blood vessels.
A person who regularly performs prayer, due to repeated prostrations and rising movements, conditions the cerebral vessels to tolerate higher pressures while maintaining flexibility. As a result, if blood pressure rises, the vessels are capable of accommodating it. In contrast, in individuals who lack this natural physiological training, a sudden increase in pressure may lead to vascular rupture and cerebral stroke.
Prayer and Women’s Health
In medicine, certain specialized exercises are recommended for the treatment or prevention of conditions such as uterine prolapse or displacement. Remarkably, these exercises, when examined in terms of movement structure, closely resemble the physical motions of prayer.
This striking similarity represents yet another manifestation of the harmony between prayer and human physiological needs, particularly with regard to women’s health.
Prayer, Faith, and the Body’s Immune System
Recent medical findings indicate that one of the major factors contributing to the emergence of serious diseases, including certain cancers, is the weakening of the immune system caused by intense psychological stress. Chronic anxiety, persistent fear, suppressed anger, and hopelessness all contribute to the deterioration of immune function.
It is here that the role of faith and prayer becomes evident. A person who has attained true monotheistic belief and perceives the universe as being governed by a single, wise divine power is liberated from destructive psychological pressures. The inner tranquility produced by faith strengthens the immune system and renders the body more resistant to disease. Indeed, it may truly be said: “Faith is health and well-being.”
Allah the Exalted says: فَلَا تَدْعُ مَعَ ٱللَّهِ إِلَٰهًا آخَرَ فَتَكُونَ مِنَ ٱلْمُعَذَّبِينَ﴾ [1]) Translation: “So do not call upon another deity alongside Allah, lest you become among those who are punished.”
Many forms of punishment manifest before the Hereafter, appearing in this world as anxiety, illness, and psychological collapse.
Prayer, Supplication, and Pain Reduction: Testimony of Modern Science
In several reputable universities around the world, studies have been conducted on the effects of supplication and worship in reducing pain. The results of these studies demonstrate that prayer and supplication can significantly decrease the subjective experience of pain.
From the perspective of neuroscience, pain transmission occurs through specific neural pathways, along which there exist “gates” that regulate the passage of pain signals. A person’s psychological state plays a decisive role in whether these gates remain open or closed. An individual endowed with faith, contentment, and inner tranquility effectively closes these gates to a large extent, and as a result, experiences less pain.
The Prophetic Sunnah (PBUH) in Spiritual Healing
When the Messenger of Allah PBUH would visit a sick person, he would place his noble hand upon the area of pain and make supplication.
It is narrated from Ibn Abbas (RA) that the Prophet PBUH used to say: «لَا بَأْسَ، طَهُورٌ إِنْ شَاءَ ٱللَّهُ [2]» Translation: “There is no harm; it is a purification, if Allah wills.”
This combination of physical touch, supplication, and positive reassurance is something that modern therapeutic approaches have also begun to recognize and emphasize.
Interestingly, the same studies indicate that purely artificial or suggestive techniques, those lacking a spiritual or faith-based dimension, showed no significant effect. In contrast, prayer and supplication demonstrated a real and tangible impact on pain reduction.
True Faith and Psychological States
Scientists distinguish between a real psychological state and an illusory one. A person may, through mere imagination or suggestion, feel a temporary sense of strength or happiness; however, such a state lacks stability and deep roots.
By contrast, the psychological state that arises from genuine faith in Allah the Exalted is real, profound, and enduring, and its positive effects become evident in both the mind and the body.
In summary, within the miraculous system of the Noble Quran, prayer is not merely a ritual obligation, but rather a comprehensive program for human well-being, physical health, psychological tranquility, and spiritual elevation.
What modern medical science is only now discovering gradually was granted to humanity centuries ago in the form of salah (prayer). [3]
To be continued…
References:
- Quran, Surat al-Shura 213
- Sahih al-Bukhari, Book: Signs of Prophethood in Islam, hadith no. 3420, vol. 3, p. 1324
- Encyclopedia of Scientific Miracles in the Quran and Sunnah, vol. 1, pp. 66–70
