Towards Implementing an Islamic Framework in Medicine
(Workshop)
Muzzammil Ahmadzada, National Cancer Institute; and Waqas Haque, MD, NYU Langone
This panel is a continuation of themes discussed during conference presentations by the authors over the previous two years at the Conference on Medicine and Religion, which also incorporates this year’s theme of Caring for Body and Soul through the case study. In order to focus the scope of this presentation, the holistic healthcare model will be ideologically
formulated in accordance to the Islamic creed. There is a growing academic interest in Islamic medical ethics, as witnessed by the burgeoning number of workshops in the American-Muslim community on integrating mental health research and more formalized research opportunities. For theoretical frameworks of religious scholars and researchers to manifest, Muslim clinicians and organizers must focus on practical applications that reflect the ethos of Islam. We explore the topics of: 1) creating a living tradition, 2) applying sound epistemology, and 3) applying the concept of ‘amr bil maruf wa nahi anil munkar’ (commanding the good and forbidding the evil).
First, Muslim bioethicists can create and continue a living tradition of Islamic ethics through a tailor-made curriculum for healthcare professionals – we will discuss recent examples of this, including the Darul Qasim Bioethics Cohort and workshops by the Stanford Muslims and Mental Health Lab. Second, there should be a focus on how epistemology can be applied to current faith issues (the concepts of brain death and the DNR order will be discussed). Third, ‘commanding the good and forbidding the evil’ is a Quranic concept that actualizes spiritual recommendations. This will be discussed through the case study of a
Muslim patient visitation program, which was introduced and presented during last year’s Conference on Medicine and Religion. As the founders of the Muslim patient visitation program, called Anees, we will emphasize the experience of cancer and terminally ill patients as a key group of interest that is affected by healthcare frameworks, and why we believe the holistic model could be very beneficial to said patients. At the conclusion of the presentation, a small number of breakout discussion groups will discuss pertinent themes of the talk.
Muslims in healthcare must actively collaborate with Muslim scholars and academics to create curricula for healthcare practitioners, offer Islamic solutions to contemporary medical quandaries, and become active stakeholders in patient care initiatives that focus on biopsychosocial support. Knowledge production in Islamic bioethics is an important first step; the second is to grant intellectual legitimacy to this milieu through such focused initiatives as discussed in this presentation. Even though this presentation is focused on the experience of Muslims, our advocacy for holistic medicine is not limited to any one faith (or
any faith at all). The holistic framework of medicine is one that we believe improves the patient care experience for individuals from all backgrounds and walks of life.
formulated in accordance to the Islamic creed. There is a growing academic interest in Islamic medical ethics, as witnessed by the burgeoning number of workshops in the American-Muslim community on integrating mental health research and more formalized research opportunities. For theoretical frameworks of religious scholars and researchers to manifest, Muslim clinicians and organizers must focus on practical applications that reflect the ethos of Islam. We explore the topics of: 1) creating a living tradition, 2) applying sound epistemology, and 3) applying the concept of ‘amr bil maruf wa nahi anil munkar’ (commanding the good and forbidding the evil).
First, Muslim bioethicists can create and continue a living tradition of Islamic ethics through a tailor-made curriculum for healthcare professionals – we will discuss recent examples of this, including the Darul Qasim Bioethics Cohort and workshops by the Stanford Muslims and Mental Health Lab. Second, there should be a focus on how epistemology can be applied to current faith issues (the concepts of brain death and the DNR order will be discussed). Third, ‘commanding the good and forbidding the evil’ is a Quranic concept that actualizes spiritual recommendations. This will be discussed through the case study of a
Muslim patient visitation program, which was introduced and presented during last year’s Conference on Medicine and Religion. As the founders of the Muslim patient visitation program, called Anees, we will emphasize the experience of cancer and terminally ill patients as a key group of interest that is affected by healthcare frameworks, and why we believe the holistic model could be very beneficial to said patients. At the conclusion of the presentation, a small number of breakout discussion groups will discuss pertinent themes of the talk.
Muslims in healthcare must actively collaborate with Muslim scholars and academics to create curricula for healthcare practitioners, offer Islamic solutions to contemporary medical quandaries, and become active stakeholders in patient care initiatives that focus on biopsychosocial support. Knowledge production in Islamic bioethics is an important first step; the second is to grant intellectual legitimacy to this milieu through such focused initiatives as discussed in this presentation. Even though this presentation is focused on the experience of Muslims, our advocacy for holistic medicine is not limited to any one faith (or
any faith at all). The holistic framework of medicine is one that we believe improves the patient care experience for individuals from all backgrounds and walks of life.