Preventing Ethical Dilemmas: Understanding Islamic Health Care Practices

Medscape | Barbara B. Ott, PhD, RN, Jamal Al-Khadhuri, MSN, Suad Al-Junaibi, BSN

Those who practice the religion of Islam are called Muslims. There are 1.1 billion Muslims in the world and about 10-26% of them are Arab (Bill, 1994). The majority of Muslims worldwide are Asian or African. Islam is one of the world's largest religions and is the fastest growing religion in North America (National Perinatal Association, undated), with 7 million Muslims in the United States (Council on American-Islamic Relations [CAIR], 2002). This article will reflect how knowledge of Islamic cultural practices will influence the health care of children and families.

Islamic religious practices can reflect cultural and geographic differences as others do. Religious practices can be quite different between a South American Roman Catholic living in a rural area and an American Roman Catholic living in New York City even though the religious tenants are the same. A Jew living in Israel and a Jew living in Austria may share beliefs, but exhibit them differently. The cultural differences can be profound. A Muslim from Jordan may look and act somewhat differently than a Muslim from Saudi Arabia, Africa, or from the United States. The culture may dictate some practices, such as beards for men or head coverings or special dress for women.

Islamic belief is based on the revealed word of God to the Prophet Muhammad. It is based on the belief in one God, Allah. Islam means surrender or obedience to the will of God. The Islamic scripture, theQuran, is God's revelation to the Prophet Muhammad through the Angel Gabriel, which began in about the year 610. Muslims try to live their lives in surrender to Allah through the five basic pillars or requirements of the faith: the affirmation that "there is no god but God, and Muhammad is the Messenger of God;" the five daily ritual prayers; the giving of alms to the poor; the observance of Ramadan (fasting from dawn to sunset during the month of Ramadan); and the religious pilgrimage to Mecca.
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