Text of the post:
Experts at the Jordanian Society of Cardiologists confirmed that performing the dawn prayer daily at its appointed time is the best means of preventing and treating heart disease and arteriosclerosis, including myocardial infarction causing heart attacks and arterial hardening causing strokes.
This assertion formed part of the results of the latest scientific study on heart disease and arteriosclerosis conducted by the Jordanian Society of Cardiologists.
Scientific and medical research confirmed that myocardial infarction, one of the most dangerous diseases, and arteriosclerosis and coronary artery blockage are primarily caused by sleeping for many consecutive hours, whether by day or night.
Comment:
Waking at this time may have many health benefits, but why attach this to the dawn prayer, which certainly was not prescribed for that purpose? We then tie people to worldly benefits and overlook the true purpose our Lord stated in His Book: “Establish prayer from the sun’s decline until the darkness of night, and the recitation at dawn; indeed, the dawn recitation is witnessed” [al-Isra’: 78]. Consider how God singled out Qur’anic recitation in the dawn prayer, although the Qur’an is recited in all prayers, and made this time witnessed by the noble angels, as the verse indicates. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, explained this: “Angels take turns among you by night and by day. They gather at the dawn and afternoon prayers. Those who spent the night among you then ascend, and He asks them, although He knows better than they: ‘How did you leave My servants?’ They say: ‘We left them praying and came to them praying.’” Reported by al-Bukhari.
That is the Qur’an’s and the Sunnah’s way of encouraging prayer, especially the dawn and afternoon prayers, not this material, utilitarian approach. God says: “They were commanded only to worship God, sincerely devoting religion to Him as upright believers, to establish prayer and give the obligatory alms. That is the upright religion” [al-Bayyinah: 5]. God knows the intention behind this.