Monday, August 18, 2008

Brain and God- Athan for newborn baby

It is interesting indeed when Islam heartens Muslims to pronounce Athan and Iqamah to their newborn babies. Why this 'injunction' is postulated by Islam and propagated as the first thing parents should do upon their babies entry in this world. The incentive could lie in the recent scientific finding. Dr Michael Persinger, a Canadian Neuropsychologist from Laurentian University, Ontario conducted an experiment to unravel an interesting question on the connection between the temporal lobes of the brain (They are near our ears.) and religious feeling. In the experiment, his experimental subjects report that an artificial magnetic field focused on those brain areas gives them a feeling of 'not being alone'. Some of them describe it as a religious sensation. His work raises the prospect that we are programmed to believe in god, that faith is a mental ability humans have developed or been given. And temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) could help unlock the mystery of why muslims make athan on their newborn babies. An abrupt shift from their world in the womb, could lead to feeling of remoteness and insecure. That is why a baby entrance is followed by a loud cry. Being reassured that God AlMighty is looking after them is the great easement for these newborn babies. With regard to this, Allah mentioned in the Quran the follwoing ayats:
"And HE gave You (the faculties of) hearing And sight and feeling (And understanding)."
[AL-QUR'AN 32:9]
"Verily WE created Man from a drop Of mingled sperm, In order to try him: So WE gave him (the gifts), Of Hearing and Sight."
[AL-QUR'AN 76:2]
"It is HE WHO has created For you (the faculties of) Hearing, sight, feeling And understanding: little thanks It is ye give!"
[AL-QUR'AN 23:78]
Obviously, the newborn babies are equipped with various faculties. Interestingly, hearing comes first, follows by sight, feeling and understanding.One could spot an amazement on these cute baby faces when the parent makes an athan. Slowly,the baby will drift into silence as an indication of listening, getting reassurance (feeling) and understanding (there is One God- Allah the AlMighty...alastu birabbikum..bala syahidna...). Wallahu A'lam

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