Islam%20and%20Health:%20An%20Introduction

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Islam and Health An Introduction

• Islamic Global Health Network (IGHNet)

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• Contributors Abdullatif Husseini, Izzeldin
  Hussein, Sherine Shawky and the
• (Islamic Global Health Network) IGHNet
• Websites
• Islamic Global Health Network
• Islamic Supercourse

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Why the IGHNet?

• Religion plays a major role in the life of
  billions around the world.
• There are more than a billion Muslims around the
  world. Many of those are deprived from their
  basic health needs.
• Islam puts a considerable emphasis on health and
  prevention.

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Why the IGHNet?-Continued

• It also provides a wealth of scientifically sound
  information on different health issues.
• It has an established infrastructure through
  scholars, Imams, preachers, and ordinary Muslims
  which can help in delivering health information
  to the masses.

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Why the IGHNet ?-Continued

• Above all, it is an acceptable and influential
  mean of communicating health promotion and
  disease prevention information to masses, through
  its already established structures, such as
  mosques.
• (Islam with the internet could do much to prevent
  disease) Letter to the editor of the BMJ.

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Tailored Prevention

• Little attention has been paid by modern public
  health for prevention tailored towards Muslims.
• Religion is a major component of the social life
  of many communities in the globe. However, often
  in prevention we use the concept of one size
  fits all, with little recognition of religion or
  culture in disease prevention.

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Tailored Prevention-Continued

• Religion positive influences can be incorporated
  into a strategy for health promotion and disease
  prevention, utilizing recent developments in
  information technology (e.g. The internet).
• There are many methods available to achieve this
  task, and many more will become available with
  continuous technological development.

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The Information Superhighway

• Our goal is to provide access to scientifically
  sound and culturally acceptable information on
  health promotion and disease prevention, to all
  those who need it, using the information
  superhighway (The Internet).
• Utilizing this ever-expanding resource will play
  a major role in information accumulation and
  dissemination to those who need it most.

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The Internet

• A major component of disease prevention,
  management and treatment is information exchange.
  
• Information transfer can be conducted utilizing
  different methods, which vary in speed, quality
  and effect.
• The Internet is the fastest, easiest and most
  cost-effective method available until now for
  achieving our goals.

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Islam and the Internet

• There may be wonderful opportunities to improve
  global health. Clearly we need to harness the
  new technology of the Internet, as most of
  prevention is information sharing. However, less
  that 5 of the worlds are connected.
• Islam, as with most religions are very good at
  reaching the last mile, the poor who are not
  connected, but who have the highest disease
  burden.

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Islam and the Internet-Continued

• Having the Internet be the backbone of prevention
  information for Islam and other religions and
  using the existing information sharing
  capabilities could have a powerful effect in
  disseminating the most potent prevention systems
  worldwide.
• Thus the Internet alone cannot reach those across
  the health and digital gap, but the Internet
  connected with religion potentially can.

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IGHNet

• We have initiated the development of a network of
  professionals interested in Islam, the Internet
  and Prevention from all parts of the world.
• This network is open to all those interested in
  exploring the wealth of information that
  religious sources bear on our mental, physical
  and social health. We have begun by establishing
  (Islamic Global Health Network) homepage.

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The Islamic Supercourse

• An internet-based Islamic Supercourse was also
  established, including a variety of lectures on
  Islam and health, and other topics.
• Since this is an exploration into the impact of
  religion on our holistic concept of health,
  research into this area will be important for all
  religions. We look forward to professionals of
  all faiths to join this global community.

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Health Principles in Islam

• In the following few slides we will go rapidly
  through few selected examples of the health
  principles and prevention measures encouraged and
  promoted in Islam.
• Source Health promotion through Islamic
  lifestyles The Amman Declaration WHO-EMRO, 1989.

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Hygienic Principles

• Cleanliness is a pillar of health in Islam.
• The Prophet, Peace Be Upon Him, said
• "Cleanliness is part of being faithful.
• "It is incumbent upon any Muslim to wash his head
  and body every seventh day."

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Washing Hands

• Hands should be washed when one touches something
  polluted or unclean likewise, before or after
  eating.
• The Prophet, Peace Be Upon Him, said "Whoever
  sleeps and his hands are not clean from fat and
  thereby gets harmed should blame no one but
  himself".
• "The Prophet, Peace Be Upon Him, used to wash
  his hands before eating."

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Brushing the Teeth

• Consists of rubbing the teeth with a miswak or a
  toothbrush and is necessary for preserving the
  health of teeth and gums.
• The Prophet, Peace Be Upon Him, said "Brushing
  the teeth purifies the mouth and is likable to
  God."

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Food Contamination

• Islam commands food to be covered and not left
  exposed to pollution.
• The Prophet, Peace Be Upon Him, said
• " Always cover food utensils."
• "Always cover food and drinks."

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Disease Prevention

• Islam ordains the taking of all steps to protect
  against disease.
• The Prophet, Peace Be Upon Him, said
• "Do not harm yourselves or others."
• "Do not let those infected transmit their
  disease to those who are healthy.
• "If you know that plague is raging in a specific
  land do not enter it and if it happens in a land
  where you are, do not seek to leave it."

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Treatment of Disease

• Islam requires people to treat illness,
  especially if the treatment protects against
  development of the disease or of other more
  serious diseases.
• The Prophet, Peace Be Upon Him, said
• "Seek treatment, for God creates diseases along
  with their cure."
• "For every illness there is a medicine if the
  right medicine is given there will be a cure."

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FUTURE

• These are the first steps of the IGHNet in
  exploring the unlimited possibilities to spread
  the axiom that governs the universe (religion)
  using the ultra-modern tool (internet), for
  health promotion and disease prevention.

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Suggested Readings

1. LaPorte R, Akazawa S, Hellmonds P, Boostrom E,
   Gamboa C, Gooch T, et al. Global Public Health
   and the Information Superhighway. BMJ 1994 308
   1651-2.
2. Al-Khayat M, 1997. Health An Islamic
   Perspective. Alexandria WHO-EMRO.
3. Husseini A, LaPorte RE, the IGHNet. Islam with
   the internet could do much to prevent disease.
   BMJ 2001323694 (letter)