Transcript Reflections on Muslim Chaplaincy & Healthcare

Reflections on Muslim
Chaplaincy & Healthcare
About Me
• Student Support Officer in Religious Studies Dept.
at Cardiff University
• An ‘official’ Muslim for the past 9 years, but
‘unofficially’ for roughly 15 years
• Currently training as a Muslim Chaplain at the
Islamic Foundation in Leicester
• Currently doing a chaplaincy placement at UWIC
• My focus is thus mostly on educational chaplaincy
and related issues
• I have a strong interest in the provision of spiritual
care in general
• Personal Observations
• Happy to answer questions
Muslim Chaplaincy?
• As the term chaplain comes from the Christian
tradition Muslim ‘chaplaincy’ might be thought
somewhat contradictory
• Certainly a reaction from some Muslims, largely
because the word itself is unfamiliar
• But, the essence of chaplaincy is very much a
part of the Islamic tradition
• Essence of Chaplaincy?
• Working definitions…
• Helping others to build relationships, with you,
with each other and ultimately with God
What is Islam?
• Comes from the root salaam, meaning ‘peace’
and ‘submission’ (cf. Hebrew shalom)
• In a religious sense, refers to submission to God’s
will
• A Muslim is someone who submits to God’s will
• Testament of Faith (shahadah)
‘Nothing has the right to be worshipped but God
and Muhammad is the Messenger of God’
• As revealed in the Quran and the sayings of
Muhammad
• Thus, in terms of spiritual care, Islamic resources
drawn from the Quran and Prophetic sayings
Islamic Spirituality?
• Spirituality very difficult to define
‘Spirituality has therefore become a slippery concept
within Western culture’ (John Swinton)
• Islamic spirituality bound up with Islam’s understanding
of life’s purpose
• Purpose of life is to serve/worship God
‘And I did not create the Jinn and Humankind except
that they should worship/serve Me’ (51:56)
• Because God, in the Islamic understanding, is free of all
need, this service/worship is for our benefit
• That is, it should be making a difference to people’s
lives
Islamic Resources for Chaplaincy
• This worship/service takes many forms
• The five pillars of Islam (prayer and pilgrimage,
etc) are all acts of worship/service
• Spiritual Excellence (Ihsan)
• Muhammad (pece be upon him) said:
‘It is to serve Allah as though you behold Him; and if
you don’t behold him, (know that) He surely sees you’.
• Some key areas include…
• Repairing relationships
‘The believers are but brothers, so make settlement
between your brothers. And fear God that you may
receive mercy’ (49:10)
Islamic Resources for Chaplaincy
• Listening and giving advice
Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: ‘This religion is
good advice’
• Offering hope
‘Say, ‘O My servants who have transgressed against
themselves, do not despair of the mercy of
God. Indeed, God forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He
who is the Forgiving, the Merciful’ (39:53)
• Emphasising the forgiving nature of God
And He is the Forgiving, the Affectionate’ (85:14)
• Sharing prayers of hope
And say, ‘My Lord, forgive and have mercy, and You
are the best of the merciful’ (23:118)
Islamic Resources for Chaplaincy
• Offering consolation
‘Whoever consoles you in distress is your
brother’ (attributed to Ali)
• Encouraging Repentance
Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:
‘God is happier about the repentance of
one His servants than one of you would be
about finding your camel which had
strayed away from you in the middle of the
desert’.
‘A person weeping out of fear of God is a
delight to the eye’ (attributed to Ali)
Islamic Resources for Chaplaincy
• Visiting the sick
• Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:
‘…God (the Glorified and Exalted) will say on
Judgement Day:
‘O son of Adam! I fell ill yet you did not visit
Me’. To this the bewildered person will reply:
‘O my Lord! You are the Master of the entire
universe. How could I call on You?’ God will
tell him: ‘One of my servants fell ill but you did
not visit him. Had you called on him, you would
have found Me beside him’.
The Needs of Muslim Patients
• As with other patients, Muslims have a wide range of needs
• Can, perhaps, be divided into 2 areas: ‘religious’ and
‘spiritual’
• These are not mutually exclusive but do highlight some
important areas
‘Religious’ needs
• Provision of halal food
• This may be particularly important, especially where a
Muslim patient does not appear to be eating well
• Perhaps the patient is unaware of halal food offerings
• Prayer and ablution facilities
• Availability of Quran
• Visit by family members and/or local Imam
• End of life practices/observances
The Needs of Muslim Patients
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‘Spiritual’ needs
Opportunities to explore the meaning of
sickness/ill health
A need to talk through meanings of life
Anxiety and fear regarding sickness
Anxieties regarding family
Understanding God’s mercy, even in trying
times
Overcoming a sense of isolation and
disempowerment