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Care of the Ill - Islam

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Beliefs about the treatment of illness

Islam views it as a duty to preserve life until Allah (God) decides that life will slip away. As a result Muslims will seek medical attention and co-operate with medical advice.

 

Religious contacts

Essential Practice Point 2

Clarify if the person is a Sunni or Shi'a follower and which religious leader should be called if necessary. Contact details for both communities are provided at the end of the section.

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Religious practices

There are five pillars in the Islamic religion18, some of which have implications for healthcare practice as follows:

  • Salah, ritual prayer, which must be performed five times a day. Praying is preferably carried out kneeling on a prayer mat or, in the case of the unwell, while sitting or lying down. The person may wish to pray while kneeling and if a suitable prayer facility (preferably with appropriate wash facilities and free of icons of other religions) is not available privacy should be created at the person's bed.
  • Sawm, fasting from food and liquid from dawn to dusk during the holy month of Ramadan. The Islamic religion does not require children, pregnant women or the ill to fast. Should someone decide to fast, food facilities need to be available after dusk. Equally, food facilities should be available for healthcare staff that are fasting during Ramadan.

 

Ablutions and washing

Essential Practice Point 3

Cleanliness is emphasised among Muslims.

The bed-bound may request water for ablutions before prayer, before eating and after using the toilet and this request needs to be met.

  • In relation to toileting practices, Muslims wash after toileting, both defecating and urinating. In the West they tend to first use toilet paper and then wash. Disposable cups should be made available in bathrooms to facilitate this practice. The left hand tends to be used for any washing conducted after toileting and children are socialised into the practice so that there is no soiling on the hand.
  • The Qur'an directs Muslims to wash before prayer. The same section of the Qur'an allows for dry ablutions using natural substances in particular circumstances, i.e. where no water is available or is available but one cannot use it (tayammum).

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Food and the content of medicine

  • The Islamic diet law prohibits the use of alcohol, narcotics and the ingestion of blood products.
  • Medicines and treatment offered to Muslims should ideally be free of these ingredients. The religion recognises that if no alternative is available the person may use these products in order to save or enhance life.

Essential Practice Point 4

  • The Islamic dietary requirements categorise food as halal (lawful) and haram (unlawful). Halal food includes animals and poultry that have been ritually prepared and all seafood.
  • Haram food includes pig meat/pork, alcohol and any foods containing these products. A section of the Islamic Foundation of Ireland website gives information about halal food and the web address is provided at the end of the section. The local Islamic Centre can indicate a local source of halal meat.
  • Alternatively, food prepared to vegetarian standards will be suitable for Muslims provided that utensils used in preparation have not been used in preparing non-halal food or have been carefully washed.

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Gender issues, modesty and treatment needs

Essential Practice Point 5

Islam emphasises modesty for both men and women.

  • Both men and women may prefer to be treated by a same gender healthcare practitioner, particularly for intimate physical examinations. This extends to all staff including medical, nursing, technicians, etc. The opposite gender should only be present if necessary. If a same gender practitioner is not available the situation needs to be discussed with the person.
  • Modesty should be observed for both men and women during physical examinations, x-rays, therapeutic treatments, etc, exposing only necessary parts of the body and covering any areas that do not require examination.
  • A Muslim woman may prefer to keep her hair, arms and ankles covered as much as possible. If a hospital gown cannot meet the woman's needs she should be given the option to use her own gown.

(Return to Summary of Essential Practice Points)

  • Some Muslims may prefer to have the right hand used for intravenous treatments due to the left hand being used for washing, hence it is useful to clarify the preference.

 

Blood Transfusion and Organ Transplantation

Muslims are unlikely to have any religious objection to blood transfusions or organ transplantation.

 

 

Footnote

18 The three other pillars are a Declaration of Faith (Shahadah), giving alms to the poor (Zakah) and Hajj a pilgrimage to the Holy City of Mecca which a Muslim should endeavour to do at least once in a lifetime.