How the Islamic Group Prayer (Salat al-Jama‘ah) Increases Well-Being and Strengthens Social Bonds

What is it about?

This study investigated what happens to people when they pray together. We specifically looked at a common Islamic group prayer called Salat al-Jama’ah. While many people feel that group rituals are beneficial, we wanted to measure these effects more scientifically. We invited 56 Muslim participants to wear discreet sensors that tracked their heart activity and social interactions during a real prayer service at their community center. We also asked them why they pray in a group and what benefits they get from it. We found that people participate primarily for a sense of community and a feeling of religious duty. After the prayer, they reported feeling a stronger sense of community and greater peace of mind. Our physical measurements supported this: during the prayer, participants showed signs of deep relaxation through their heart rate patterns. Furthermore, the sensors showed that people interacted more closely and frequently with each other after the prayer than before, meaning their social networks became stronger and more connected. In short, our research shows that this group prayer works on multiple levels at once: it calms the mind, relaxes the body, and brings people closer together.

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Photo by Dibakar Roy on Unsplash

Photo by Dibakar Roy on Unsplash

Why is it important?

This work is important because it provides some of the first hard evidence from a real-world setting showing how a widely practiced religious collective ritual improves well-being. Much previous research on religion has relied on surveys or lab studies, often focusing on individualistic prayers. Our study is unique because we used wearable technology to measure physical, social, and psychological changes simultaneously during an authentic Islamic collective ritual. The findings are timely, as societies worldwide are grappling with an epidemic of loneliness and anxiety. They demonstrate that practices like collective prayer are powerful, naturally occurring "interventions" that can reduce stress and build social cohesion. This suggests that mental health support can be more effective when it is culturally sensitive and incorporates community-based practices that people already value and trust. For clinicians and community leaders, our study highlights that supporting participation in such rituals can be a valuable strategy for promoting public health and strengthening community resilience.

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