FIMA Year Book 2009 - Federation of Islamic Medical Associations

Inculcating Islamic InputGroup A: Patients, prayed for by nameby prayer makers.Group B: Patients not prayed for.The results showed fewer complicationsand less congestive heart failure, lessantibiotic usage, less cardiac arrestand earlier discharge from hospital ingroup A patients as compared to groupB patients. Prayer makers were notadvised for any specific prayer. In factmost of them used simple words i.e.“Lord have mercy on this patient (7) .In a recent article published in “TheLancet”, in 2003, researchers studiedthe effect of spirituality in terminallyill patients. Patients with terminalcancer who were expected to live lessthan 3 months were selected. Theirunderstanding of the meaning of life andreligion and their behavior toward theillness was evaluated. The researchersconcluded that spirituality helpedthese patients to cope much better byavoiding despair and willingness todie as compared to the control groupwithout spirituality.Some researchers have recommendedthat “health care providers shouldincorporate psychological and spiritualelements into the palliative care of dyingpatients” (8) .The impact of religious belief andpractices on both physical and emotionalhealth has been widely accepted in thelast few decades. Scientific research hasdemonstrated the effect of spiritualityin the prevention and treatment ofemotional disorders, disease and injuryand in enhancing recovery (9) . Variousrenowned universities around the worldhave already incorporated spiritualityas an important component of theircurriculum (See Appendix A).What is spirituality?Spirituality is considered to influencethe perception of health and disease andtheir interaction with one another bothby the patients and health professionals.Researchers recommend making aclear distinction between the terms“spirituality” and “religion.” Theyemphasize the need to have a universaldefinition of spirituality acceptable toall religions that includes both religiousand nonreligious perspectives (10-15) . Forpractical purposes, spirituality can bedefined as `divine guidance` to searchfor the meaning of life and its events.Divine guidance comes through somesource. Holy Books revealed to mankindand the messengers of God providegood source of divine guidance.Why inculcate the Islamic input?The last revealed Holy Book is theQur’an, the book of Islam. The Qur’ancommands to follow the sayings(ahadith’) and ways (Sunnah’) ofProphet Muhammad (PBUH). Thus theQur’an and the Sunnah’ are the ultimatesources of divine guidance and becausethey are sent to Muslims, this guidanceor spirituality can be achieved byinculcating the Qur’an and the Sunnah’in the curriculum.Why is the Qur’an chosen for thispurpose? The reason is that the Qur’anFIMA YearBook 200932