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Hazeem Arif, UK
The 6am morning run followed by a coffee has become a sanctified practice in recent times. The flowing endorphins with the caffeinated recharge amidst the growing popularity of the running fashion industry, has taken something so simple as going for a run into some sort of ritual of mind-body spirituality. Where the breaking of a croissant and the drinking of coffee becomes the communion with the ideal modern man. Don’t get me wrong, I love the hype and culture around this, but sometimes the purpose of running, or exercise, can get lost in the race to look the best in the latest kit and shoes.
Running, as it stands, does hold explicit and figurative significance in certain faith traditions as a practice conducive to furthering one’s spiritual journey. It is also used as a figurative tool to explain the purpose or direction with which life should be lived for greater spiritual and physical success.
Our current running surge is not just a Western phenomenon; it has also manifested among the Tarahumara tribe, a native Mexican tribe, who are renowned for their extraordinary ability to run. They are able to run over distances of 50-100 miles in one day; running is embedded in their culture as a means of getting closer to their gods and strengthening community ties.
There also exists an order of Buddhist monks in Japan known for one of the world’s most difficult ‘ultra’ marathons. These are the ‘Marathon Monks’ of Mount Hiei, Japan, who embark on a 1000-day ascetic marathon, Kaihogyo, spread over seven years, where they complete around 40,000km. Running, in this context, is a pathway to perfect enlightenment through extreme physical trials. This spiritual ultramarathon consists of 1000 days spread across 7 years, where monks could be running up to 52 miles a day for 100 consecutive days at certain stages. The spiritual goal attached to this is to become fully one with nature and attain enlightenment, where the monk drives himself to the nearest point of death to detach from permanence by confronting mortality.
In Japan, this theme of using running to attain a higher goal is also seen in other Japanese sports. The suffix of ‘do’ in kendo and judo literally means ‘the path’.
Similarly, in the Christian tradition, running is also used to describe ministry and the spiritual journey of a believer. Saint Paul says,
“Therefore, I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air.” (1 Corinthians 9:26)
This strikes a similar chord with the marathon monks of Japan, where running is the means to attaining some sort of end goal and carries with it a certain purpose.
Paul also said,
“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.” (1 Corinthians 9:24)
It is quite clear that running indeed possesses an inherent purpose for these faiths as a practice that is recognised to serve a greater endpoint. It is interesting to also see this idea of a hierarchy of goals within Aristotle’s philosophy, found in Book I of his Nicomachean Ethics, of what consists in ‘the good life’. He says that all actions serve an ultimate goal, such as how horseback riding serves one in becoming a better soldier.
But what is witnessed in modern society, which speaks to the detachment that Buddhists seek in their spiritual journeys, is viewing actions in themselves as the ultimate goal. Different faith traditions have their own perception of what the end goal or purpose of life is; for Christians, it may be godliness and living in Christ, for Buddhists, it is procuring detachment and acceptance of impermanence, and for Muslims, it is a perfect embodiment of the desire of God and His attributes in our heart and conduct.
But for one who does not know their end goal or purpose, life can become confusing. We may end up chasing things for themselves, without knowing why exactly we are chasing it, other than a convoluted desire to perfect that action for what it is and having no further plan.
The Holy Qur’an states,
“And every one has a goal which dominates him; vie, then, with one another in good works. Wherever you be, Allah will bring you together. Surely, Allah has the power to do all that He wills” (2:149)
Here, the Holy Qur’an has made it clear that God is the end goal for all people; however, people have the choice to make many things their goal, which can lead to a non-efficacious life, or they can choose the goal which can be recognised through the nature of being a created being of God.
The Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) said that a strong believer is better and more lovable to Allah than a weak believer (Sahih Muslim 2664). He also instructed in the same Hadith to cherish that which gives you benefit in the hereafter. This shows that in Islam, exercise, running, or any subsidiary activity which we embark on must be done to serve the greater purpose of life, which is to worship God and reflect His attributes in the best way possible; otherwise, whatever activity we choose for the sake of that activity can be at risk of taking us away from achieving our full potential.
As we know, the Prophet Muhammad (sa) displayed the highest morals and set such a perfect example for humanity to follow to grow their relationship with God. He also partook in these activities, but never for their own sake. He raced with his wife Hazrat Aisha (ra), he enjoyed horseback riding and even archery – but these were always anchored in the greater goal of what a good believer looks like.
So next time we go for that run, buy that coffee and indulge in that custard crown, whilst nothing is wrong with enjoying these luxuries, we must really probe ourselves to answer the following question… how is this helping me serve my higher purpose? If you don’t know what that higher purpose is, then perhaps figuring that out first will help engineer our daily lives towards true spiritual flourishing.
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