Spirituality and Medicine (Prayer and Healing)
Shahid Athar, MD,FACP Presented at IMANA Convention December 2013 Jeddah ,KSA
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The Prayer of Moses (as) • Rabbi Sharheli sadri wa yussril Amri wahlul uqdatammillisani yafqahu qawli • Translation “O Lord!, expand my heart, make my task easy for me, and untie the knot from my tongue, so that they can understand me”
The Questions • What is the role of the physician beyond offering the diagnostic and therapeutic options for his/her patients ? • Does he/she need to understand the spiritual needs of his/her patient ? • How does his/her own spirituality affect the way he/she treats his/her patients ? • Should he/she also incorporate spirituality in the treatment modalities he/she offers ? • Does it make any difference in the outcome ?
What is Spirituality ? “ Spirituality is the recognition of the presence of God within us. Man was created by God, who had “blown His spirit into him”. Thus, man is always connected to or tries to be connected to God like a child connected to mother via the umbilical cord”.
Spirituality and Medicine Physician is an instrument of healing by God. He diagnoses with the knowledge given by God. He dispenses the medicines created by God, but discovered by man and then asks God to make the medicine work for his patient.
Exploring the Spirituality of the Patient The illness brings a patient closer to God. The patient sees his physician not only as a healer but a priest as well. He is not just a dispenser of medicine (a pharmacist) but also as someone who has special knowledge of healing. Thus, the expression “Doctor, you have saved my life!�, knowing that the actual savior is God only.
Religion and Spirituality The purpose of the religion is to make us a better human being , reflect and start questioning: Who created us? What is the purpose of our creation? What is our mission? What is our duty towards ourselves, our fellow humans and our Creator?, hoping that the answers may modify our behavior.
When visiting a patient • We should take time to listen to him • Befriend him and become a trusted partner in his health care • Try to know what else is happening in his life. • Know about his family, his job and relations with others • Convince him that God loves and cares for him • Offer hope to him, not just statistics • Pray for him and pray with him- with permission
Effects of Spirituality on Health • • • • • • •
The patient will be motivated to get well He will accept the negative out come if any He will take the “bitter” medicine willingly His compliance will improve He will thank you when he gets well He will not complain if the medicine did not work He will be at peace even at the time of death
Influence of Religion on Health (Benson in “Timeless Healing”) # OF STUDIES SHOWING BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF RELIGION Reduced Alcohol use -----------------------------16 out of 18 Reduced Nicotine use----------------------------- 6 out of 6 Reduced Drug use -------------------------------- 12 out of 12 Reduced Depression------------------------------ 12 out of 17 Reduced Blood pressure ------------------------ 4 out of 5 Improved Quality of life in heart patients----- 4 out of 6 Improved Quality of life in cancer patients--- 7 out of 8 Reduced Anxiety----------------------------------- 8 out of 11
La Forge in J. of CV Nursing 11/97 • • • • • • • •
Benefits of Meditation and Mind / Body Exercise Reduced blood pressure Improved glucose tolerance Improved pulmonary function Decrease pain and pain sensitization Improved lipid profile Reduced responsiveness to stressors Improved memory Improved cardiac response to work stress
Survey – when asked “how often do you pray?” St . Louis Dispatch 1995 – Once a day 5% – Once a week 22% – Only during crisis 68% – Never 5%
What do you pray for? • • • •
Family 95% For Forgiveness 92% Sports Victory 23% For others 5%
Annual Request For Prayers • National prayer center– 100,000( 1994) • Nashville prayer center- 110,000 (1995) • Prayer center in Kansas City, Mo (3300/week)
Have your prayers been answered ?
• 95 % said YES • 3-4 prayers answered in life time ( Indianapolis star – March 1994 )
For how long do you pray ? • 25 % said
1 min or less
• 47 % said 5 min or less • 28 % said 1 hour or less
If you pray daily then how often ? • 25% said once a day or less • 51 % said 1-2 times a day • 24 % said over 3 times a day
HEALING WORDS BY LARRY DOSSEY, M.D. (HARPER)
An Experiment on Prayer & Healing • San Francisco Gen Hospital—1988 • 293 critically ill patients in coronary ICU • Group A- patients who were prayed for by name by prayer makers • Group B- patients who were not prayed for
The results-----• GROUP A HAD – LESS COMPLICATED COURSE AND CHF – TWO AND ONE HALF TIMES LESS ANTIBIOTIC USAGE – ONE FIFTH LESS CARDIAC ARREST ( CODE 1 ) – LEFT HOSPITAL EARLY
How or what to pray? • Prayer makers were not told what to pray • Many used simple prayers such as – “Lord ! Have mercy on ---- (patient)” Or --“Thy Will shall be done !”
Prayer combined with loving care • Men with coronary artery disease and angina who had supportive wives who also prayed for their husbands reported 50% less angina than the men who were single • (ref Dr. Dossey in “Healing Words”)
The spiritual needs of the patient • A good physician not only looks at the physical stigmas or the symptoms due to it but, also other factors influencing patient’s illness including social and spiritual states. • For example if the diagnosis is Cirrhosis of liver then he must go beyond and find out what led to patient’s alcoholism. I have seen DKA and Hyperthyroidism precipitated by severe family stress.
Spiritual Needs During Loss The physician is best equipped to offer sympathy, comfort and counseling during death, loss and mourning. Such offerings by the physician have better effect on patients recovery than any tranquilizer . We must treat our patients as we like ourselves and our relatives to be treated.
Spirituality and the Dying Patient • Spirituality as measured by inner peace and faith in terminally ill patients with less than 3 months to live, helped them avoid despair, wanting to die, or suicidal tendencies as compared to similar patients without spirituality. ------ Rosenfield et all, Lancet 5-10-03
Recommendation by Rosenfield • Health care workers should incorporate psychological and spiritual elements into the palliative care of dying patients.
Hope as a Medicine The physician may find that sometimes disbelief leads to wrong actions and unbelief leads to despair and hopelessness. By rediscovering a patient’s spirituality, the physician may be able to connect him to God and offer hope as an adjunct to conventional treatment. This will improve the compliance of the patient in the treatments offered to him.
The levels of Spirituality Our duty is to uncover the built in but buried spirituality within us and our patients. This awareness can be achieved by silent meditation, prayers, exploring nature, religious chanting ( zikr ), reading Sacred Scriptures, listening to soothing spiritual music and caring for those in need.
Spirituality and music When asked if music was good or bad, Ghazali, a famous saint, said “ the music which increases your spirituality and brings you closer to God is good but the one which dulls your spirituality and takes you away from God is bad�. spiritual music has a healing effect
Healing from Quran • Three types of healing from Quran • The legislative effects • Health Guidelines • Direct healing (Ruqiya & Zikr)
Medical effects of meditation • • • • • •
Lowers heart rate and blood pressure Relaxes smooth muscles Improves breathing Improves memory Echo effects of certain words Legislative effects of injunctions ----- Late Ahmed El-Kadi , M.D.
Who is the Healer? • Prophet Abraham (p) said ( Quran 26: 80) • “And when I am ill, it is He ( God ) who heals me” • Socrates said “I dress the wound and God heals it”
Who is The Healer? • “IF GOD TOUCHES THEE WITH AN AFFLICTION, NO ONE REMOVE IT BUT HE” • Holy Quran 6:17
Quran
17: 82
“We have sent down in the Quran that which is healing and mercy to mankind�
Quran 10 : 57 “ O mankind, there has come unto you a direction from your Lord and a healing for the heart for those who believe in the Guidance and Mercy�
Peace and Meditation (dhikr) “ Those who believe and whose heart find peace in the remembrance of God, for sure, in the remembrance of God do hearts find peace� (Quran 13-28)
Does Allah listen to each prayer ? “ When My servants ask you about Me, (tell them ) I am closer to them than their jugular vein. I listen to the prayer of each supplicant when he prays to Me. Let them listen to My call and believe in Me that they may be guided� ( Quran 2:186)
Healing effects of Al-Fateha
How to remove the rust of heart ? “ There is a polish for everything and the polish for removing the rust of heart is the remembrance of God.� .. a saying of the Prophet Muhammad (p)
The Most Beautiful Names • Healing effects of Asmaa e Husnaa • • • •
Ash-Shaafi Al-Shakoor ( eyesight) Al-Majeed (skin) Al-Hayye (heart)
“Sufi Healing”- Hakim Chishti
My Own Practices I pray for my patients I pray for my myself I ask my doctor to pray for me
Duaa (prayer) for Healing • Transliteration “ Allahumma afini fi badni, afini fi Qalbi wa afini fi basri” ( 3 times) • Translation ----“O God, cure my body , cure my heart and cure my eyes from all illness” --Taught by Prophet Muhammad (p)
Duaah (prayer) for the sick • Transliteration “Allahumma azhabilbaas, rabbanas” • “Ishfi wa anta shaafi, la shifaa illashafuka” • “Shifaal la yaghadiro saqama” • Translation- “O God, remove his (her) hardship. O Lord of mankind ! grant cure for You are the Healer. There is no cure but from You, a cure which leaves no trace of illness”- taught by Prophet Muhammad(p)
The Need For Spirituality “ The technology has over taken Spirituality. We have created guided missiles and misguided men� ---- Dr. Martin Luther King ( 1963 )
Spiritual Growth of the Self • • • • • • •
Take time to pause and reflect Observe life and bounties of life Observe death Conquest the self Annihilate the self Mend relationship with God Serve others
Dispensing the gift of Spirituality to the patient • Take time to listen to him • Befriend him and become a trusted partner in his health care • Try to know what else is happening in his life. • Know about his family, his job and relations with others • Convince him that God loves and cares for him • Offer hope to him, not just statistics • Pray for him and pray with him
Results of Spirituality on Health • • • • • • •
The patient will be motivated to get well He will accept the negative out come if any He will take the “bitter” medicine willingly His compliance will improve He will thank you when he gets well He will not complain if the medicine did not work He will be at peace even at the time of death
Some Healing Words
“THOSE WHO ARE HEALED BECOME THE INSTRUMENTS OF HEALING”
From a Nurse “Nothing is needed in our lives more than healing, both for the patient and for the healer�.
Compassion for the Self Unwavering Love, in difficult times Help me to attend to my own spirit My headaches also need compassion Teach me how to offer kindness To parts of me that hurt Remembering Your great love for me I can reach out and lovingly embrace myself
Articles by Dr. Shahid Athar • • • •
Human Longing for Spirituality (Sufism) Human Dignity and Spiritual Healing of the Heart Prayers and Healing (Indianapolis star) A Physician’s Personal Journey to Spirituality (The Bulletin of U of Chicago) • Spiritual Encounters of a Wandering Soul • Health Consciousness is God Consciousness (Health Concerns for Believers – Kazi 1994)
Shukran sathar3624@aol.com www.islam-usa.com www.imana.org