The crescent and Islam: healing, nursing and the spiritual dimension. Some considerations towards an understanding of the Islamic perspectives on caring

Abstract

Caring from Islamic perspectives is not well versed in Eurocentric nursing literature. There is widespread misunderstanding of the concept and practice of Islam within the context of health care and nursing practice. The areas of contention, in the context of health care systems, are whether the western paradigm to nursing care and management are applicable to Muslims and non-Muslims in both Islamic and non-Islamic countries. What is lacking in some of the conceptual frameworks and models of care is not only the fundamental spiritual dimension of care, but also the significance of spiritual development of the individual towards healing. The focus of this paper is to provide an awareness of Islamic health practices, health behaviours, code of ethics and the framework of Islamic perspectives of caring and spirituality. A brief overview of the Muslim world, the historical development in caring and health and the pillars of the Islamic faith provide the context of the paper. The development of a model of care based on the Islamic perspective is suggested.

Religious Faith and Psychosocial Adaptation among Stroke Patients in Kuwait: A Mixed Method Study

“…Similar views have been expressed by Rassool (2000), Miller and Petro-Nustas (2002), Halligan (2006). Association between religious faith and health has been demonstrated, although the psychological basis for this association remains unclear (Holt et al 2007).…”

“…These authors investigated life satisfaction, quality of life and spirituality in cancer and rehabilitation patients. Although Western literature suggests a distinction between religion and spirituality (Giaquinto et al 2007;Williams and Sternthal 2007), Rassool (2000) points out that in the Islamic context, the terms "spirituality" and "religion" have the same meaning. Evidence described above suggests that spirituality and religious faith could be associated with better health outcomes and life satisfaction in the rehabilitation of neurological patients.…”

Spirituality and Health: A Middle Eastern Perspective

“…Yet, an increasing number of studies are emerging from Middle Eastern countries conducted with predominantly Muslim populations and investigating relationships between spirituality and variables such as wellbeing, hope, meaning, self-esteem and depression (Jafari et al 2014b;Koenig et al 2012). In terms of understandings of spirituality in a Middle Eastern and Muslim context, Rassool (2000) published seminal work on the topic of healing, nursing and the spiritual dimension. According to Rassool, there is no distinction between spirituality and religion in a Muslim context.…”

Cultural and Spiritual Health Assessment

“…It is important to note that people's perceptions of who or what God is differ. Muslims, for example, believe in one God (Maternity Alliance, 2004), referred to as Allah (Rasool, 2000). Many Christians also believe in one God, referred to as the Lord God (Jesus Christ).…”

“…Fasting during daylight hours is important during Ramadan. Forbids ingestion of pork and meat that is not halal (Rasool, 2000) • Rastafarians…”