Grounding retreats. Earthing mats. Barefoot walking clubs. The wellness industry has discovered something it is selling back to people at considerable expense. The Prophet walked barefoot 1,400 years ago and told his Companions to do the same.
As with so much in the Sunnah, what was once a lived practice of humility and health is now a rediscovered trend. The difference is that we have research now confirming what the Prophet already knew.
The Sunnah
Fudaalah ibn Ubaid stated: “The Prophet would order us to walk barefoot at least some of the time.” (Ahmad 23449). It was not a constant requirement, nor an ascetic rejection of footwear. He wore sandals, and he encouraged wearing them. But he also encouraged going without, sometimes, intentionally.
This balance is itself the lesson. The Prophet neither rejected permissible comfort nor developed attachment to it. He moved between ease and hardship with deliberateness, teaching the ummah what Allah describes as the middle way: “Thus We have made you a middle nation.” (Quran 2:143). Neither excess nor deprivation. Conscious alternation between both.
Three reasons scholars identified
Humility. The Prophet avoided the attachment to appearance and comfort that breeds arrogance. Alternating between sandals and bare feet kept both options in their proper proportion. Allah says: “Indeed, Allah does not like those who are arrogant and boastful.” (Quran 4:36). Walking barefoot is a small, private act of decluttering the ego.
Simplicity. Bare feet are a reminder that dignity does not come from what is on your feet or in your wardrobe. The Prophet walked the earth with the minimum required. “The life of this world is nothing but enjoyment of delusion.” (Quran 3:185). Occasional barefoot walking keeps the heart from forgetting that.
Physical resilience. Ibn Hajar noted that alternating between barefoot walking and wearing sandals preserves physical strength and prevents over-reliance on comfort. The strong believer was more beloved to Allah than the weak believer, though there is good in both (Muslim). Resilience of the body was valued in Islamic tradition, not as vanity, but as capacity for worship and service.
What the research now confirms
Modern research has begun catching up to these wisdoms. Walking barefoot engages intrinsic muscles of the feet and ankles that supportive footwear progressively weakens. It restores a more natural gait pattern, with the foot striking the ground mid-foot first rather than heel-first, which reduces impact on the knees and hips. It improves proprioception, the sensory feedback your body sends to the brain about where you are in space, which improves balance and stability.
The mental and emotional benefits are more striking. The practice of earthing, or direct skin contact with natural surfaces like grass, soil, and sand, has been shown in peer-reviewed studies to reduce cortisol levels, improve sleep quality, lower inflammation markers, and support emotional regulation. The mechanism is proposed to be the transfer of electrons from the earth’s surface to the body, which appears to have measurable physiological effects.
This aligns directly with what Allah describes as sakinah, the tranquillity He sends into the hearts of believers: “He is the One who sent down tranquillity into the hearts of the believers.” (Quran 48:4). Contact with the natural world is one of the conditions in which that tranquillity becomes most accessible.
Sujood as grounding
There is another dimension of this Sunnah that is rarely discussed. The Prophet prayed directly on the earth where possible. He said: “The earth has been made for me and for my followers a place for praying and a means of purification.” (Bukhari 438). Prostration, the most intimate physical posture of prayer, places the forehead and palms directly against the ground.
Sujood is grounding in the fullest sense. Seven points of contact with the earth, in the posture of complete submission to Allah. The believers who prostrate most are the most earthed, in every meaning of the word.
How to revive this Sunnah practically
- Walk on grass after Fajr. Even five minutes on natural ground in the morning, barefoot, is enough to begin experiencing the physical and mental effects. The early morning hour when the Prophet encouraged activity is also when the ground is often dewy and most conducive to earthing.
- Sand and soil are better than concrete. Natural surfaces, not paved ones, are where the practice carries the most benefit, spiritually and physiologically. A park, a garden, or a beach are the ideal environments.
- Start gradually. Feet conditioned to shoes need time to strengthen. Short periods on natural surfaces, building slowly over weeks, avoids the soreness that puts people off the practice.
- Pray on earth where possible. The Prophet prayed on the ground itself when in natural settings. Where this is available, it is a form of the same grounding practice. The sajdah you make on bare earth is one your body registers differently than sajdah on a thick prayer mat.
The Prophet said: “Whoever revives a Sunnah from my Sunnah that has died, he will have a reward like those who act upon it.” (Tirmidhi 2677). This is one such Sunnah. It costs nothing. It requires no equipment, no subscription, no retreat. Just the willingness to take your shoes off and stand on the earth Allah made.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is walking barefoot a Sunnah?
Yes. Fudaalah ibn Ubaid narrated that the Prophet would order the Companions to walk barefoot at least some of the time (Ahmad 23449). It is not an obligation and footwear is entirely permissible, but occasional barefoot walking is a Prophetic practice with identified wisdoms around humility, simplicity, and physical resilience.
What is earthing or grounding?
Earthing refers to direct skin contact with natural ground surfaces such as grass, soil, sand, or stone. Research suggests this contact allows the body to absorb electrons from the earth, which may reduce inflammation, lower cortisol, improve sleep, and support mood regulation. It aligns with the Prophetic practice of direct contact with the earth in walking, sitting, and prostration.
How does sujood relate to earthing?
Sujood places seven points of contact with the earth in the posture of complete submission to Allah. The Prophet prayed directly on the earth where possible and described the earth as a place of prayer and purification (Bukhari 438). Prostration on natural surfaces is a form of grounding with both spiritual and physiological dimensions that modern earthing research is beginning to document.
Take your shoes off. Stand on grass. Five minutes after Fajr. That is the entire practice. The Sunnah, the research, and the sakinah are all waiting for you in the same place.