Lalle ne, an halicci mutum a matsananci: yana cikin damuwa idan wani sharri ya same shi, kuma yana bakin ciki idan alheri ya same shi, sai dai masu sallah, waɗanda suke ci gaba da sadaukar da kansu ga sallah.182

Indeed, mankind was created anxious: frantic when harm touches him and withholding when good touches him – except those who pray, those who consistently devote themselves to the prayer.182

Salla ita ce rukuni na biyu na Musulunci bayan shaidar imani.

Ṣalāh is the second pillar of Islam after the testimony of faith.

A cikin harshen Larabci, kalmar nan tana nufin hulɗa ko haɗin kai (ṣilah), kuma tana wakiltar damar da mutane za su samu don fitar da kansu daga gajiyar wannan rayuwa, domin ƙarfafa dangantakarsu da Mahaliccinsu, shayar da itacen imaninsu, da kuma jiƙa zukatansu, waɗanda in ba haka ba za su bushe su fashe a cikin hamadar neman jin daɗin duniya. Ga rai, ṣalāh tana aiki kamar yadda mutum yake komawa inuwar bishiya a tsakiyar aiki a ranar zafi. Dama ce ta farfado da ruhaniyarmu, abin tunatarwa game da asalinmu, Mahaliccinmu, da dalilin wanzuwarmu. Idan aka yi ta yadda ya kamata kuma da ibada, za ta iya zama babban shamaki ga aikata laifi da zalunci.183 Ɗan Adam tun asali yana yin ibada ta al'ada, kuma ta wannan fuska, ibadar salla ita ce babban aiki mai tabbatarwa a rayuwar ɗan Adam.

Linguistically, it means a connection (ṣilah), and it represents a chance for people to pull themselves out of the grind of this life to reinforce their relationship with their Creator, to water the tree of their faith and to moisten their hearts, which would otherwise dry out and crack in the desert of the pursuit of worldly pleasures. For the soul, the ṣalāh serves the function of turning to the shade of a tree in the middle of work on a hot day. It is a chance to revive our spirituality, a reminder of our origin, our Creator, and the reason for our existence. If it is done properly and with devotion, it can be the greatest deterrent to wrongdoing and aggression.183 Human beings have primordially practiced ritual, and in that sense, the ritual of prayer constitutes the central affirming act of human life.

Rashin hakan yana sa mutane su zama kamar zane-zane na kansu, kamar jiki da ke ƙoƙarin rayuwa bayan an cire masa zuciya. Duk da haka, yayin da masu bautar gumaka ke ƙoƙarin haɗuwa da Mahalicci ta hanyar al'adu masu kama da wasan kwaikwayo, masu bin son rai kuwa suna durƙushewa tsawon rayuwarsu a wurin bautar son kai mara ƙayatarwa, masu tauhidi waɗanda suke da damar samun koyarwar Annabci tabbatacciya suna jin daɗin hanyoyin gaskiya da Allah ya bayyana domin haɗuwa da Shi da gaske.

Its absence renders people a caricature of themselves, like a body trying to live with its heart ripped out. However, while pagans attempt to connect with the Divine through theatrical forms, and hedonists kneel for a lifetime at the crude shrine of self-indulgence, monotheists with access to confirmed prophetic teachings enjoy the real pathways disclosed by God to authentically connect with Him.

Nabiyyi Muhammadu ﷺ ya koyar da Musulmai cewa Allah ya umurce su da yin salla sau biyar a kowace rana, cikin tsari da lokuta ƙayyadaddu. Wani bako na waje na iya ganin wannan aiki a matsayin mai nauyi ko mai tsoma baki, amma Musulmai da yawa — bayan sun ɗanɗana wannan salla — suna zaɓar da kansu su ƙara mata ƙari. Wannan jan hankali na musamman da ke cikin wannan ibada ya nuna muhimmancinta. Salla ita ce mafi bayyanannen 'ya'yan imani, kuma a cikin zurfinta ne iri mafi albarka take. Wannan lura game da sallar Musulmai wani mutum ne da ya rasu, Paparoma John Paul II (d. 2005), ya taɓa bayyanawa, wanda duk da bambancin ra'ayinsa na tauhidi da Musulunci, ya ce: "Addinin Musulmai yana cancanta da girmamawa. Ba zai yiwu ba a yi sha'awar, misali, riƙon amanarsu ga salla."

The Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم taught Muslims that God enjoined them to pray five times each day in a structured format and at specific periods of time. An outsider may find this to be a cumbersome or intrusive task, but so many Muslims—upon experiencing this prayer—voluntarily choose to supplement these daily five with even more. The magnetic force of this unique devotional act should indicate its meaningfulness. Prayer is the most evident fruit of conviction, and in its depths lay its most fertile seeds. This very observation about the Muslim prayer was once expressed by the late Pope John Paul II (d. 2005), who despite his theological differences with Islam, said, The religiosity of Muslims deserves respect. It is impossible not to admire, for example, their fidelity to prayer.

Hoton masu imani da Allah waɗanda, ba tare da damuwa da lokaci ko wuri ba, suke faɗuwa a kan gwiwoyinsu suna nutsewa cikin addu'a, ya kasance abin koyi ga dukan waɗanda suke kira ga Allah na gaskiya, musamman ga waɗancan Kiristoci waɗanda, bayan sun bar manyan majami'unsu masu ban sha'awa, suna yin addu'a kaɗan ko ba sa yi kwata-kwata.184

The image of believers in Allah who, without caring about time or place, fall to their knees and immerse themselves in prayer remains a model for all those who invoke the true God, in particular for those Christians who, having deserted their magnificent cathedrals, pray only a little or not at all.184

Saboda haka, babbar fa'idar sallah ita ce damar haɗuwa da Allah a wannan rayuwa, haɗin da ke ciyar da rai har ya iya jurewa wajen cika manufarsa a rayuwa, kuma ya tabbatar masa da tsira a lahira. Duk da haka, fa'idojin sallah na duniya ma ba a iya musantawa.

The greatest benefit of ṣalāh is therefore the opportunity to connect with God in this life, a connection that nurtures the soul to endure in fulfilling its purpose in life and ensures its salvation in the hereafter. However, the worldly benefits of prayer are undeniable as well.

Ta fuskar ilimin halittar jiki, Salla ta Musulunci tana taimakawa wajen daidaita agogon halittar jikinmu, wanda tsarin sinadaran gado a jikinmu ya dogara da shi.

Physiologically, the Islamic ritual prayer helps stabilize our biological clocks which our genetic metabolism depends on.

Mun san cewa tafiya tsakanin yankunan lokaci tana haifar da jetlag wanda zai iya sa mu gaji sosai, amma ba mu sani ba cewa fitilun da muke barinsu a kunne da daddare a dakunanmu, ko a na'urorin lantarki, suna aiki akasin fitowar melatonin ta jikinmu da daddare, wacce ke ba jiki dogon lokacin barci mai wartsakewa. Amma idan sallar farko dole ne a yi ta da safe kafin fitowar rana, kuma Manzon Allah ﷺ ya hana yawan zaman hira ba tare da dalili ba bayan sallar magriba,185 sai al'amarin ya juya. Domin mu fahimci wannan koyarwar ta Annabi ﷺ da kyau, zai taimaka mu sani cewa rashin barci ba ya nufin kawai gajiya ko rashin aiki yadda ya kamata a washegari, har ma yana katse bayyanar wasu kwayoyin halitta a jikinmu da ke da alaka da kumburin kyallai da kuma ikon yakar cuta da damuwa, wanda a karshe zai iya taka rawa wajen samuwar kiba, ciwon sukari, cututtukan zuciya, da jerin cututtukan jijiyoyi masu lalata aiki.186

We all know how traveling between time-zones causes jetlag that can render us quite dysfunctional but may not realize that the lights we keep on at night in our rooms, or on our electronics, also work against our natural nightly release of melatonin which allows the body a rejuvenating stretch of sleep. But when the first ṣalāh must be offered at dawn before sunrise, and the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم discouraged needless socialization after the evening prayer,185 the course is reversed. To better appreciate this prophetic teaching, it may help to realize that a lack of sleep does not translate into mere lethargy or underperformance the next day, but also disrupts the expression of genes in our body that may be linked to tissue inflammation and the ability to fight disease and stress, which could eventually play a role in the development of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and a host of neurodegenerative disorders.186

A cikin ilimin hankali, bincike ya nuna cewa yanayin tunani mai natsuwa na salla yana ƙara ƙarfafa hankali da kamun kai, kuma yana rage illolin da abubuwan damuwa na yau da kullum ke haifarwa.187 A cikin salla ta Musulunci musamman, akwai wata alaƙa ta musamman tsakanin motsin natsuwa da aka auna wanda Annabi ﷺ ya bukata domin salla ta inganta, da kuma aikin hankali da ake yi wajen tuna dogayen sassan Alƙur'ani da Musulmi yake karantawa a kowace salla.

Psychologically, research suggests the meditative aspect of prayer enhances focus and self-control, and offsets the negative effects of daily stressful experiences.187 In the Islamic ṣalāh in particular, there is an exceptional nexus between the tranquil measured motions required by the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم for a valid ṣalāh, and the mental labor involved in recalling the elaborate segments of the Qur’an a Muslim recites in every ṣalāh.

Dangane da motsin rai, ṣalāh tana da fa'idodi masu yawa kuma. Alƙur'ani yana ƙarfafa Musulmai su yi ibada tare, kuma a wasu lokuta yana haɗa sallah da kubuta daga matsewar baƙin ciki da keɓewar zamantakewa. Allah yana cewa: "Lalle mun sani cewa ƙirjinka yana matsewa saboda abin da suke faɗa. Don haka ka tsarkake Ubangijinka da yabo, kuma ka kasance daga masu sujada."188 Binciken kimiyya yanzu yana nuna yadda ƙungiyar addini mai aiki za ta iya warkar da lafiyar zuciyar mutum, ta hanyar manufa ɗaya da tallafin zamantakewa da take bayarwa.189 Game da yadda zaman kaɗaici ke sa mutane da al'umma cikin rauni, Annabi Muhammad ﷺ ya ce a cikin mahallin sallar yau da kullum: "Ku manne da jama'a, domin kerkeci ba ya cin kowa sai tunkiyar da ta ɓace."190 Yawan maimaita wannan ibada ta jama'a yana rage zurfin jin keɓewar da mutane kan ji a zahiri idan an raba su da juna. Wani keɓantaccen al'amari na salon sallar Musulunci kuma shi ne cewa Annabi ﷺ ya ƙarfafa muminai su "rufe giɓi".191

Emotionally, the ṣalāh has notable benefits as well. The Qur’an encourages Muslims to worship together and at times links prayer to escaping the suffocating grip of sadness and social estrangement. Allah says, “We certainly know that your chest is constrained by what they say. So glorify the praises of your Lord and be of those who prostrate.”188 Scientific research now illustrates how therapeutic an active religious fellowship can be for a person’s emotional health, through the common purpose and social support it affords.189 With regards to how vulnerable solitary living leaves individuals and society, the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم said in the context of the daily prayer, “Adhere to the congregation, for the wolf eats none other than the stray sheep.”190 The regularity of this communal ritual reduces the deep sense of alienation people naturally feel when physically separated. Another unique facet of the Muslim style of prayer is that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم encouraged believers to “close the gaps”191

tsakanin su yayin daidaita saffunansu don yin ṣalāh, da kuma yin musabaha.192 A yanzu mun san cewa kyakkyawar taɓa jiki tana sa jiki ya saki oxytocin,193 wani sinadari mai aika saƙo a cikin ƙwaƙwalwa wanda ake kira da "hormone na haɗuwa" bisa ga jin tausayi, amincewa da gina dangantaka da yake da alaƙa da su. Yayin da rayuwar zamani ke warwatsa mutane, abokai sukan zama nesa da juna har ƙasashe da yawa, har ta kai ga bisa ga bayanan gwamnati, Birtaniya ta zama "babban birnin da mutane suka fi kaɗaici a Turai."194 Haka kuma, Hukumar Lafiya ta Duniya ta yi hasashen cewa nan da shekara ta 2030, cututtukan zuciya da babbar damuwa mai tsanani za su zama cututtukan da suka fi hana mutane rayuwa yadda ya kamata a duniya.195 La'akari da wannan ƙaruwa mai ban tsoro ta kaɗaicin zamantakewa, damuwa, shaye-shayen miyagun ƙwayoyi,196 da ƙaruwar yawan kashe kai,197 salla ta yau da kullum ta Musulunci na iya zama magani mai daɗi.

between them when setting their ranks for ṣalāh, and to shake hands.192 We now know that welcome physical contact results in oxytocin being released by the body,193 a neurotransmitter informally dubbed the “bonding hormone” due to its association with empathy, trust, and relationship-building. With the atomization of modern life, where friends are often countries apart, our social fabric has withered to the extent that Britain is now the “loneliest capital in Europe,” according to government records.194 Moreover, the World Health Organization has projected that, by 2030, cardiovascular disease and major depressive disorder will be the world’s most debilitating medical conditions.195 Considering this frightening upsurge in social isolation, depression, substance abuse,196 and rising suicide rates,197 the Muslim daily prayer can be a welcome antidote.

Allah ya ce: "Kuma ana kiransu zuwa ga sujada alhali suna cikin koshin lafiya."198

Allah says, “And they used to be invited to prostration while they were [still] sound.”198