YOGA, WORSHIP AND NAMAZ
William James once said, as a man acts and speaks so he becomes. This is perhaps the reason why the Prophet said about namaz (referred to as namasch in the Vedas) momin kee meraj hai. (Namaz is a faithful’s meeting with his God). Meeting will happen only when our self raises to a level that it connects with God. This will happen when one remembers the Creator from the core of his soul. Once this elevation of the self occurs, more and more virtues start showing in the outward personality of the person. This is the reason why the Prophet said: If you wish to see your prayers have been accepted, see whether a virtue is added to your personality after the prayer? This is so because virtues are directly proportional to the level of a man’s self. If modern day Muslim is visible full of vices, it is apparent that his namaz is not creating that connection with God which is necessary for self elevation. If adherents of all religions appear full of vices, corruption, evil, hatred and violence, it is because they have lost the connect with the Higher Spirit that was the cause of goodness developing in their spirts (visible in personality).
What is namaz? Namaz is the five-time obligatory prayer that a Muslim has to perform. It is an activity in which the One God – the Creator – is remembered, the worshipper praises the Lord for his bounties, see His role in each and every activity, but also, towards the end, remembers those who are the rope to reach Lord.
Surely, finding time to remember God 5 times a day may start as a mere act with certain chants in a person’s initial years of adulthood, but with maturity it is expected it would develop in him a habit of devoting all his actions in this worldly life to God. This is truly the purpose of namaz. Performing all actions for God, not because of fear of hell or willingness to go to heaven, but to endear one’s self with the Divine Self and to endear God in one’s heart.
Aga Mehdi Puya says: “In Islam, the purpose of prayer is to please Allah, and nothing pleases Allah but that which is the most beneficial to His creatures. Therefore, no prayer is approved by Islam save that which has been prescribed by Allah, nothing less, nothing more, as man has no right to add, omit or alter the prescribed prayer.”
In Naradaparivrajaka-Upanishad, Brahma states:
The functions of the fourteen organs, eye and others mutually dependent are the following: The eyes perceive forms, the ears, sounds; the tongue perceives taste; the nose, odours; the vocal organs speaks; the hand lifts; the leg walks; the anus excretes; the sexual organ enjoys; the skin feels; the buddhi perceives objects; being under the control of the organs; through buddhi, he understands; through chitta, he thinks; through ahankara, he says ‘I’. All these should be abandoned. Through the identification with the house (the body), he, like a householder, becomes a jiva thinking that the body is itself… (Therefore) one should always utter ‘I am Brahman alone.’
…It is said that the jiva is not so (concerned with egoism), then it is not a fact. Through the abhimana of the jiva, there is the abhimana of the body. And (conversely) through the abhimana of the body, there is the abhimana of the jiva… Having known thus, if he should give up the identification with the body, then he does not identify himself with the body (i.e., not attain the state of jiva).
As we have mentioned earlier, a stage arises, where the man’s self becomes one with the Manifest Self. He starts saying ‘I am Brahman alone’. The same stage, when a Muslim wayfarer of the path of sair-o-sulook reaches, he begins to say ‘An al-Haq’ (I am the Truth). But as we have said earlier, none who reaches this stage has the right to say this to others who have not reached that stage. Instead, endeavour shall be to stay at those lofty levels, till the spirit departs from the body.
A namazi, when he stands up to pray, remembers all those modes of action described above in Naradaparivrajaka-Upanishad, wherein he says repeatedly during the course of the prayer: it is through the energy given by that One God that I get up and sit and bend down. It is to Him that I pray. It is to Him that I supplicate. Isn’t it true that these sentences repeated several times a day during the five-time prayers are enough to kill the abhiman or false ego?
Brahman says the same in Naradaparvrajaka-Upanishad when he describes the result of meditation or remembering God continuously.
The illusion of the universe disappears through meditation on union (or absorption) and sattva-bhava of Parameshvara always. Through knowing the Lord, avidya and the rest are destroyed. Through the removal of such pains, there is freedom from birth and death. Through the mediation of that Parameshvara, the third body is acquired after this (physical) body, all wealth is enjoyed, and he attains whatever should be attained. He should know with certitude that all the three things (viz.,) the enjoyer, the enjoyed, and enjoyment are nothing but Brahman, and are of the nature of his own Self. There is none but It to be known. All Atmic knowledge is through tapas (only). That, Brahman contains in itself all excellence. Having known thus, whoever meditates upon the (Atma-) svarupa, to him where then is grief? Where then is delusion?
Likewise, Atharvan says in Sandilya-Upanishad:
For the destruction of the chitta, there are two ways – yoga and jnana. O prince of sages! Yoga is the (forcible) repression of the modifications of the mind, and jnana is the thorough inquiry into them. When the modification of the mind are repressed, it (the mind) verily obtains peace.
This may also be the reason why namaz has been made obligatory by the divine representatives who had take upon them the task of leading us to the worship of the One who is their Creator as well; the various actions that are component of the namaz serve as yoga and the praise of God and prayer to Him serve the purpose of leading us to think and inquire, about our relationship with the Creator and our role on earth. Mohammad and the rest of Ahlulbayt had come to preach during the last 1500 or so years of Kaliyug – a time when most of the souls that remained were those who had failed, due to one or other material afflictions, to reach the level of purity required for salvation. Such people had made themselves incapable of treading an inward journey through mediation or other such exercises. It was essential that the man of Kaliyug be given external actions, regular chants to remember God, and it was told that the real benefit of the chants should occur within or else the prayer was not acceptable. Out of the vast multitude of people who prayed in this manner, some people must have enabled themselves to reach purity of self prerequisite for salvation. This indeed was the purpose of introducing the prayer.
However, the truth is that there are indeed a multitude of people for whom namaz is merely recitation of certain chants. They have been unable to understand the real purpose of this mode of prayer, described by Mohammad as a momin’s meraj. Particularly majority of Muslims in the Indian subcontinent, unknown as they are to the Arabic language, recite the Arabic verses without even knowing what they are saying. Therefore their mind, very much like a parrot who chants, wanders here and there even when they speak the Quranic verses in praise of God or perform other exercises. Namaz of such a person, in the light of Mohammad’s narration given earlier, is not accepted.
Sandilya-Upanishad later says:
The mind should not be allowed by a clever man to rest on any other thing. One should not worship Vishnu during the day alone. One should not worship Vishnu during the night alone; but should always worship Him, and should not worship Him merely during day and night.
By making obligatory the 5 times prayers, from the time one gets up till one goes to sleep, through this obligatory practice, the groundwork has been readied to remember Vishnu during the remaining time as well, when the person is interacting with others, doing business, having food, loving children or even cohabiting with his wife.
Namaz is the practice to become absorbed in Brahm (Allah). He is remembered all through, in Surahs like al-Hamd and Qulhowallah as well as through utterance of ‘Allaho Akbar’ ‘God is Great’ several times and saying, “What to say and what praises should I speak of Allah (Brahm) who is the Greatest and the only one worthy of All Praise”, while prostrating and bending down several times.
Sandilya Upanishad, while describing several postures of yoga that are good for us, mentions actions like grasping the feet, inhaling the air through the nostrils, moving the tongue and the chitta (mind) both in the akash, stretching out the leg, sitting at ease with the body erect (Padma), resting your hands on the knees, spreading out the fingers, opening your mouth and carefully fixing your gaze on the tip of your nose, concentrating the mind between the two eyebrows, pressing the two ankles of the two feet firmly together against the Sivini (viz., lower part of the seed) and binding the knees firmly with the hands, resting the body upon the ground with both palms, placing the hollow of the left foot under the side of the right posteriors and the hollow of the right foot under the side of the left posteriors resembling Gomukha (cow’s face) – several of these asanas pertaining to Siddha, and other modes of yoga, too are taken care of, if the namaz is properly performed.
See a devout namazi performing prayers and notice whether all these activities are being done or not, as said by Sandilya Upanishad:
Inhaling the prana from outside and filling the stomach with it, centre the prana with the mind in the middle of the navel, at the tip of the nose and at the toes during the sandhyas (sunset and sunrise) [namazi offers prayers at both times], or at all times. (Thus) the yogin is freed from all disease and fatigue. By centring his prana at the tip of his nose [when standing erect], he obtains mastery over the element of air; by centring it at the middle of his navel [while prostrating in sijdah], all diseases are destroyed; by centering it at the toes [when bending down in ruku], his body becomes light.
It must be remembered that yoga that we know and practice these days is the yoga taught by Patanjali, who is said to be the originator of the present-day yoga. We must remember Patanjali’s yoga is not the yoga of the scriptures. Patanjali’s yoga may be bestowing some physical and spiritual rewards on those who perform them, but when we look at the Gita, we find that yoga is only that exercise that creates or develops the link or bondage with God, through the path of the Devatas. Mediation is yoga as per Gita but application of one’s wisdom too is yoga and even crying or weeping in remembrance of God is yoga.
Siva is said to be the originator of yoga. His first pupil is Devi Parvati. As per a myth in circulation, Siva is said to have reduced the yogic exercises from 84 lakh to a mere 84 and he taught them to his wife, Parvati. If you have followed us till here with this BOOK, we are sure you know now the true identity of Siva. In Part-III, we have seen the Veda saying that Siva, in his human avatar as Ali, was killed while he was performing the best of the yogas, namasch. We know from history that Ali was killed while performing the Morning Prayer in the mosque. It was then that the enemy’s poison-laden sword stuck Ali’s head while he was prostrating in remembrance of God.
Moving ahead, let us see what Tejobindu-Upanishad of Krishna-Yajur Veda says on what kind of worship to perform that leads one to salvation. Chapter I says:
Param-Dhyana (the supreme meditation) should be upon tejo-bind, which is the Atma of the universe.
Yama (forbearance), niyama (religious observance), tyaga (renunciation), mouna (silence) according to time and place, asana (posture), mulabandha, seeing all bodies as equal, the position of the eye, prana-samyamana (control of breath), pratyahara (subjugation of the senses), dharana, atma-dhyana and samadhi – these are spoken of as the parts (of yoga) in order. That is called yama in which one controls all his organs (of sense and actions) through the vijnana that all is Brahman; this should be practiced often and often. Niyama, in which there is the supreme bliss enjoyed through the flowing (or inclination) of the mind towards things of the same (spiritual) kind, (viz., Brahman) and the abandoning of things differing from one another is practiced by the sages as a rule. In tyaga (renunciation), one abandons the manifestations (or objects) of the universe through the cognition of Atma that is Sat and Chit. This is practiced by the great and is the giver of immediate salvation.
Getting up early in the morning when the bed beckons you to spend some more time, performing wuzu with water even in the coldest of mornings, teaches forbearance. Remembering the time for prayer 5 times in a day teaches religious niyama or religious observance. Finding time for prayer in one’s hectic schedule or when one wants to sleep some more time or is tired not to do any more physical labour during the night teaches tyaga or renunciation. Mouna (silence) has to be according to time and place. Two of the 5 prayers, those performed at noon and afternoon, are offered silently. Various kinds of asanas (postures) that one adopts have already been described before. All parts of the body are brought to play while performing the prayers, thus enables a man to see each as equal. The wordings in praise of God, prayer to lead us to the right path and not using the senses for any purpose but for remembrance of God, at least for a few moments, 5 times a day, surely helps one in subjugating his senses. Scholars even describe where one’s position of eye should be while praying (at the tip of the nose). No doubt, namaz is a practice that, if performed properly, could facilitate one’s progress on the path of self-realization.
Now see how Tejobindu-Upanishad describes the yoga and compare it with the namaz of a supplicant. Tejobindu-Upanishad says:
One after having known the equality of the angas (or parts of yoga) point to one and the same Brahman, should be absorbed in that equal (or uniform) Brahman; if not, there is not that equality (attained). Then like a dry tree, there is straightness (or uniformity throughout). Making one’s vision full of spiritual wisdom, one should look upon the world as full of Brahman. That vision is very noble. It is (generally) aimed at the tip of the nose; but it should be directed towards that seat (of Brahman) wherein the cessation of seer, the seen, and sight will take place, and not towards the tip of the nose. That is called pranayama (the control of breath), in which there is the control of the modifications (of mind) through the cognition of Brahman in all the states of chitta, and others. The checking of (the conception of the reality of) the universe is said to be expiration. The conception of “I am Brahman” is inspiration. The holding on (long) to this conception without agitation is cessation of breath. Such is the practice of the enlightened. The ignorant close their nose. That should be known as pratyahara, through which one sees Atma (even) in the objects of sense, and pleases chitta through manas. It should be practiced often and often. Through seeing Brahman wherever the mind goes, the dharana of the mind is obtained. Dharana is thought of highly by the wise. By dharana is meant that state where one indulges in the good thought, “I am Brahman alone,” and is without any support. This dhyana is the giver of supreme bliss. Being first in a state of changelessness, and then thoroughly forgetting (even) that state owing to the cognition of the (true) nature of Brahman – this is called samadhi. This kind of bliss should be practiced (or enjoyed) by a wise person till his cognition itself united in a moment with the state of pratyag (Atma). Then this King of Yogins becomes a Siddha, and is without any aid (outside himself). Then he will attain a state, inexpressible and unthinkable.
When samadhi is practiced, the following obstacles arise with great force – absence of right inquiry, laziness, inclination to enjoyment, absorption (in material object), tamas, distraction, impatience, sweat, and absent-mindedness. All these obstacles should be overcome by inquirers into Brahman. Through bhavavrttis (worldly thoughts), one gets into them. But through the vrttis of Brahman, one gets fullness. Therefore one should develop fullness through this means (of Brahman). He who abandons this vrtti of Brahman, which is very purifying and supreme – that man lives in vain like a beast. But he who understands this vrtti (of Brahman), and having understood it makes advances in it, becomes a good and blessed person, deserving to be worshipped by the three worlds. Those who are greatly developed through the ripening (of their past karmas) attain the state of Brahman; others are simply reciters of word. Those who are clever in arguments about Brahman, but are without the action pertaining to Brahman, and who are greatly attached to the world – those certainly are born again and again (in this world) through their ajnana; (the former) never remain, even for half a moment – without the vrtti of Brahman, like Brahma and others, Sanaka, etc., Suka and others. When a cause is subject to changes, it (as an effect) must also have its cause. When the cause ceases to exist in truth, the effect perishes through right discrimination. Then that substance (or principle) which is beyond the scope of words, remains pure. After that, vrtti jnana arises in their purified mind; through meditation with transcendental energy, there arises a firm certitude. After reducing the visible into the invisible state, one should see everything as Brahman. The wise should ever stay in bliss with their understanding full of the essence of Chit. Thus ends the first chapter of Tejobindu.
Islam too upholds the importance of prayers in highest esteem. Book Al-Kafi narrates from Imam Jafar Sadiq when he was asked about the best thing by which the servant may draw near to his Lord and what is most beloved by Allah. He said:
I know of nothing, after knowledge (ma’rifah), better than the ritual prayer (salat). Do you not see that the good servant Jesus the son of Mary (‘a) said: ‘And He enjoined on me the ritual prayer (salat) and the alms tax (zakat) for as long as I live.’?
Al-Kafi.III. 64
Imam’s answer shows there was a ritual prayer even in Christianity.
And Quran (verse 2:43) says:
And keep up prayer and pay the poor-rate and bow down with those who bow down.
Says Pooya/Ali commentary: “Due to the system of optional asceticism among the Jews and the Christians, only a very few could adopt the life of piety and devotion (essential for a human being to be initiated into the realm of spiritual bliss), leaving the rest of the majority of the people to sink deep into hypocritical ritual practices. Islam, on the other hand, educates every human being, through salat (namaz), to keep their involvement with the material gains and enjoyment at a reasonable level and give sufficient time to the worship of Allah in order to reach the heights of spiritual glory, which in fact is the purpose of existence in this world. Salat has been made obligatory for all believers because, on account of its style and substance, man gets rid of pride and arrogance. Zakat, giving charity in the way of Allah, has also been dealt with in detail therein. These injunctions make every man join the stream of worshippers and seekers of nearness to the ultimate truth.”
A little later, it is said in Quran (2:45):
And seek assistance through patience and prayer, and most surely it is a hard thing except for the humble ones.
Pooya/Ali commentary of Quran says: “Wasta-inu (seek help) applies to worldly as well as spiritual matters. Sabr (patience) and salat (prayer) curb vain desires, pride and self-indulgence and lead to humility, acceptance and obedience. The Arabic word sabr has many shades of implied suggestions - willingness to endure, submission, self-control, serenity, poise, and ability to continue. Salat too is essential part. To liberate the human ego from the clutches of the excessive attachment to bodily wants and material success, a refined discipline has to be built through subordinating the body to the control of the spiritual energy, otherwise mere formal rituals and recitation of chants and charms do not help man to rise above the level of animal life, as has been shown by Ali (Siva). The whole world bears witness to the fact that in wisdom, spiritual achievements, and bodily strength there is no one who can be compared with him. He stands high and above in the select company of the most devoted servants of Allah. The lives of the Holy Prophet, Fatima, his daughter and the Holy Imams is a brilliant light which reveals the path to be followed by the sincere faithful who seek assistance (wasta-inu) to build up the balanced character mentioned above, and referred to in this verse. It is reported that whenever the Holy Prophet or any of the holy Imams, or Fatima faced any difficulty, they prayed salat and sought Allah’s help.
As regards to Ali’s prayers, it is said people used to come to Fatima’s house to tell that Ali has died while in his prayers. They did so because they had seen Ali lying motionless for a long time in prayer. And Fatima replied to them not to worry as this is something that is normal to Ali. Unfortunately, Muslims couldn’t take lessens of supplication (yoga) from Ali,
The importance of salat (namaz) is also held in high esteem in verse 2:3 of Quran:
Those who believe in the unseen and keep up prayer and spend out of what We have given them.
Aqa Mahdi Pooya says:
“The literal meaning of salat is the middle of the backbone. When used as a verb, it means the bending and unbending of the backbone. It is particularly employed when an animal is curved at the time of delivery. Figuratively, it was used for a bending posture at the time of giving or taking something. From this, it was adopted for prayer, to signify a submissive attitude. The Quran has drawn on this word to describe man’s praying attitude towards Allah, as well as Allah’s turning towards His creatures.
“The natural religious tendency of man, as the result of self-love, makes him bend before the Absolute, in prayer, to express his wants and needs in order to obtain fulfilment. The bending of the Absolute means His turning towards the supplicant to give that which he deserves.”
Now see verse 2:114:
And who is more unjust than he who prevents (men) from the masjids (mosques) of Allah, that His name should be remembered in them, and strives to ruin them? (As for) these, it was not proper for them that they should have entered them except in fear; they shall meet with disgrace in this world, and they shall have great chastisement in the hereafter.
As regards to the religious beliefs of the Indo-Aryans, we have seen in our study of the Vedas how actions of Imams when they were offering their namaz were seen as the best of yajnas. This shows that even the God of Vedas is praising the actions of supplications of Imam greatly. On the other hand, we see that a concept of daily prayers in the form of Sandhyavandana was prevalent in earlier times, which were performed at the rising or setting sun. Further, we have seen in Part-III how five-oblations too were considered essential for a Brahman.
Chapter XVI of Matsya Purana says:
The sraddhas are of three kinds, viz.: Nitya (daily), Naumittika (occasional) and Kamya (optional).
The fact that there is an optional sraddha proves that the other two are mandatory. (Note those who criticize Islam for being obligatory.)
Matsya Purana also states that the Karma Yoga as taught by Vishnu means one has to perform the 5 sacrifices every day viz. (1) worshipping the Devas, (2) the Pitris, (3) feeding men (4) and the lower creatures, (5) and honouring the Rishis.
Five sacrifices every day have continued from time immemorial. It is to be remembered that these 5 sacrifices were never ritual worship as taken to mean during a later period.
Even the Vishnu Purana confirms that there were certain morning rites of devotion that were performed by the men in general when it says:
Maittreya, having saluted him reverentially, thus addressed Parasara, the excellent sage, the grandson of Vasishtha, who was versed in traditional history, and the Puranas; who was acquainted with the Vedas, and the branches of science dependent upon them; and skilled in law and philosophy; and who had performed the morning rites of devotion.
The Components of Prayer
We invite you to see what all does a Muslim say in the prayers that is so important that the Prophet said:
Namaz is a faithful’s meeting with his God.
And Quran said that the prayer restrains from shameful and unjust deeds. (Verse 29:45) We present before you the meanings of various verses recited during Namaz.
The Azaan and the Eqamah
It is strongly recommended to say the azaan (the call to prayer) and the eqamah (the declaration of standing for prayer) before every daily prayer. This is the translation of phrases that make up the azaan:
(1) God is Great (4 times)
(2) I bear witness that there is no god by Allah (2 times)
(3) I bear witness that Mohammad is the Messenger of God (2 times)
(4) I bear witness that Ali is God’s favoured one (2 times) (not obligatory but recommended)
(5) Make haste to the prayer (2 times)
(6) Make haste towards salvation (2 times)
(7) Make haste to the best of actions (2 times)
(8) God is Great (2 times)
(9) There is no god but Allah (2 times)
Eqamah is more or less similar to azaan, with very little difference.
What is offered in the prayers?
Standing position
Surah al-Fatiha of Quran, which means:
In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate
Praise belongs to God, Lord of the World, the Merciful, the Compassionate, Master of the Day of Judgment; We worship only You, and from You alone do we seek help. Lead us on the straight path, the path of those whom You have blessed, not of those on whom is (Your) wrath, nor of those who have gone astray.
Surah al-Ikhlas of Quran, which means:
In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate.
Say: ‘He is God, the One, God the Eternal and Besought of all, Neither begetting nor begot, Nor is there anything comparable or equal to Him.
In ruku, when the hands are kept on the knees while standing:
Glory be to my Lord, the Great, and praise belongs to Him.
And while standing:
God hears the one who praises Him.
While in the position of sujud, when the head is on the ground:
Glory be to my Exalted Lord, and praise belongs to Him.
When is sitting in kneeling posture, with the hands placed on the knees:
I ask forgiveness of God, my Lord, and turn towards him.
In between this process, several time one says:
Allaho Akbar, God is Great.
The same process is repeated in the second rakah. This rakah also contains qunut, where hands are lifted up in sky for supplication. Any dua can be recited. Translation of some of the common ones is as follows:
There is no god apart from Allah, the Forgiving, the Merciful.
There is no god apart form Allah, the Exalted, the Magnificent.
Glory to the Lord of the seven heavens and the seven earths, the Lord of all that is contained therein, the Lord of the Exalted Throne. All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the World.
Or it is said:
O God, grant pardon to us and have mercy on us, protect us, save us (from hardship) in this world and the next. Indeed, You are Powerful above all things.
In the second rakah, when one performs the sujud, tashahud is said while sitting in kneeling position.
I bear witness that is no god apart from Allah, Who is unique and without partners. I also bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and His Prophet. O God, bless Mohammad and the progeny of Mohammad.
Then Taslim is recited which says:
Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and God’s mercy and blessing. Peace be upon us, and upon the righteous servants of God (meant for the Ahlulbayt). Peace be upon you (all), and God’s mercy and blessing.
If it is a three or four rakah prayer, it is said thrice while standing, in each of the 3rd and 4th rakahs:
Glory be to God, and praise be to God; there is no god but Allah, and Allah is great.
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‘Al’ in Arabic means the English ‘The’. ‘Ilah’ means ‘God’. By reciting the kalima, a Muslim says: There is no god but the God. ‘Ilah’ is used twice, indicating it is not the name of the God of Muslims. It is rather an adjective. Wherever on earth is a concept of one Absolute, Omnipresent, Omnipotent, Almighty Creator, by whatever name is He remembered, that One God is Allah.
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