Treatment of Mental and Physical Problems Using Holy Quran (Between Illusion and Reality)

doi:10.15406/jpcpy.2015.02.00052

Journal of

eISSN: 2373-6445

Psychology & Clinical Psychiatry

Editorial Volume 2 Issue 1

Treatment of Mental and Physical Problems Using Holy Quran (Between Illusion and Reality)

Gamal Elfeky

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Senior Psychiatrist, Ministry of Health, Oman

Correspondence: Gamal Elfeky, Senior Psychiatrist, South Batinah, Muladdah, 314 PO, Box: 3, Oman, Tel 968 99491830

Received: October 30, 2014 | Published: January 6, 2015

Citation: Elfeky G (2015) Treatment of Mental and Physical Problems Using Holy Quran (Between Illusion and Reality). J Psychol Clin Psychiatry 2(1): 00052. DOI: 10.15406/jpcpy.2015.02.00052

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Editorial

The wide spreading practice of what is named spiritual healers and treatment with Quran (the Holy Book of Islamic religion) among Muslim nations now-a-days, to the extent that a lot of satellite channels are specialized in presenting such claimer therapists stimulated me to search and research, investigate, experiment and attend many sessions of that type of treatment being a Muslim physician. What stimulated me more (as a psychiatrist) for more activity was the fact that almost all candidates for such healers were proved to me to be psychiatric patients who have a straight forward diagnosable psychiatric illness and a high percentage of them appeared to be treatable and curable if advised to visit a psychiatrist for their problems. I had to review all my academic and clinical knowledge not only in medicine and psychiatry but in Islam as well (as a Muslim). Based on the scientific religious knowledge from Islamic academic sources it has been found that Islamic psychiatric way of management and treatment of diseases does not mean the using/ relating the texts of Quran. There was nothing proved scientifically under the title treatment/therapy by using Holy Quran texts. Coping with mental health problems, psychiatric management and psychotherapy from an Islamic perspective boils down to the commitment of the approach instructed via the Holy Quran and the Sunnah (Instructions of the profit Mohamed to explain details of what has been mentioned concisely or summarized in Holy Quran) relying on a strong and cohesive ideological fabric in the face of psychological pain, and NOT (as many think) the use of the texts of the Quran as rituals and sessions by those who claim having the power of healing and release of humans from Jinni or Satan despite there was no hard evidence for such possession occurrence. Such methods are not coming from Quran or Sunna (Instructions of the profit Mohamed to explain details of what has been mentioned concisely or summarized in Quran). In fact; it is a mere extension of some cultural beliefs and superstitions. The correct term from my point of view should be the religious way of heeling and support of sick people weather mentally or physically ill which is not including that style as well. Simply religious therapy can be done weather by Muslims or non Muslims, using the power of religion and faith (whatever it is) available inside the diseased persons beliefs to help him getting psychologically and mentally stronger in facing his difficulties. In that way we can say that any religion in general has its own power based on what is available in its beliefs and instructions, so any body including doctors, psychiatrists and therapists can gain help from such reparatory of beliefs. Depending on myths and superstitions in the practice of what is named Religious Healers or Spiritual Healers is not a scientific approach in treating medical/psychiatric problems and should not be referred to be an Islamic way. There is no scientific evidence, including medical sciences or religious Islamic sciences for such behaviour. That is why we can find that all claimers of spiritual therapy all over the world (Muslims and non Muslims) are behaving the same way in their sessions but using different Texts depending mainly on the power of suggestion and may be hypnosis weather the therapists themselves are aware of that process or not. While some of them can succeed to some extent in heeling of some patients, many will fail and mostly will add the their patients suffering either by convincing them that they are hacked/possessed by an invisible strong creature which is hard to defeat, or by wasting their time and delaying them from starting the proper medical management, or by interrupting their way in that management or eventually pushing them towards more problems and complications. Adding to that the wrong advises given to some patients which can add seriously negative to their suffering like making them feel that their sickness is their own mistake, adding to their guilty feeling, in addition to the financial blackmail under the name of religion. Such results weather positive or negative will depend on the type of individual problems, personality traits, severity of the condition, cultural beliefs, and mainly on the proper psychiatric diagnosis as many cases of hysterical conversion reaction or minor depression can benefit partially from the suggestion process included in that spiritual/religious sessions. Islam’s call came in the sixth century i.e. fifteen centuries ago, to have a head start in the foundation stone for an integrated system architecture developed to include all aspects of life, not only community health and the health of humans but also to develop the applied and practical methodology to reach maximum efficiency suitable for the potential and the capacity of human beings. This harmonically integrated system based on the revelation of the sky through the instructions of the Qur’an and the sayings of the Prophet of Islam, Muhammad. This health care system, which refers to mind/soul and body health, is based two main axes which are:

The strong belief among Muslims in the absolute power of God (Allah) the Creator and on fatalism.
The scientific methodology recommended along the lines of the Holy Quran and the Sunnah (Instructions of the profit Mohamed to explain details of what has been mentioned concisely or summarized in Quran).

That system regarding health and sickness from Islamic point of view can be summarized in the following points:

God (Allah) is the real Healer who is gifting the sick people with cure supposed they will follow the rules of treatment achieved through medical scientists.
Disease are the blown of all human beings whatever their believes, but Muslims according to their beliefs are paid by his almighty for their patience. If worked hard in the pursuit of medical treatment Muslims must go to pray and spell it from the heart as they do believe that prayers and big to Allah (Duaa) are among the reasons for the healing and cure of worship believing that this will raise the scourge, simply they are praying asking Allah (God) to make healing in that medicine they are using and to reconcile the doctor in his treatment.
Practicing prayer and draw closer to Allah (God) becoming the only way to cure what has eluded medicine from diseases.
Muslims also believe that the effect of envy and blue eyes are true, and they believe in the unseen creatures and events, as well as the occurrence of magic, but there is no way for these things to be diagnosed, and the best way for the cure and prevention in that cases when suspected such phenomena most likely to have occurred is the prayer and incantation and a commitment to God's law which should be applied in all aspects of Muslim’s life.
The medical treatment is the reason that the healing power of God (Allah) and the science and medications are mere a creature of his almighty. 6. That the doctor is the person who is aware of the means of diagnosis, treatments and medications by profession.
That looking for medical treatment is a duty of every Muslim and he/she is getting rewarded for that in addition to the cure.
To learn Medical sciences, being a doctor is an obligation among Muslims (some of them should do).
That getting medical treatment from non-Muslim doctors is permissible as long as not using what is forbidden to them (like drinking Alcohol).
Muslims should offer medical help for non Muslims as well without any limitations.