Any Jewish Or Muslim Members Who Can Answer This?

[MorningStar]

Interesting question! I wondered that too.

[Aelswyth]

It's just another example of followers mimicking the actions of their prophet and/or teacher and turning it into a "rule". Same thing with Muslim prayer: because the prophet Muhammed curled his toes a certain way when prostrating, everyone has to do it, or you're not praying right. The Muslims especially have "idolized" every little quirk of the prophet Muhammed, as though there must be some deep significance to all his habits and idiosyncrasies. When I was practicing Islam I must confess I thought it all a bit silly. I mean, what if he just had a bunion and had to put his toes that way to be comfortable?

I think in the case of Islam those issues aroused as soon as Muhammad died. Since they had nothing resembling a quorum of the 12, they first schism (split in two factions) happened right on that spot. We are not sure when the Qur'an was finally assembled but it seems about 20 years or so after Muhammad's death from written sources or memory. Just like in any other religion without ecclesiastic structure, different Mullah Iman (leaders) instituted its own worship rites and traditions which in time became dogma rather than doctrine. In fact, much of Islam today has nothing to do with the Qur'an and a lot to do with tradition. Much like Rabbinic Judaism which augmented the Law of Moses to thousands of commandments.

[Dinah]

There's another interpretation of shukling. Not all Jews do this, but those who do are doing two things:

1. Involving the entire body in prayer, not just the voice and the mind (it's also why Jews in "silent" prayer are actually whispering -- it involves the breath and the inner organs in the prayer process), and this is usually what's going on if a person sways from side to side; and

2. Constantly bowing before God, which is what's often happening when someone is swaying from front to back or down and up.

[volgadon]

I'm from Israel and the simple explanation is because it helps you focus by blocking everything out.