Diseases involving the nervous system drastically change lives of victims and commonly increase dependency on others. This paper focuses on senile dementia from both the neuroscientific and Islamic perspectives, with special emphasis on the integration of ideas between the two different disciplines. This would enable effective implementation of strategies to address issues involving this disease across different cultures, especially among the world-wide Muslim communities. In addition, certain incongruence ideas on similar issues can be understood better. The former perspective is molded according to conventional modern science, while the latter on the analysis of various texts including the holy Qur'an, sunnah [sayings and actions of the Islamic prophet, Muhammad (pbuh)] and writings of Islamic scholars. Emphasis is particularly given on causes, symptoms, treatments and prevention of dementia.
Environmental sustainability is one of the contemporary discourses that has abundant values embedded in the Quran and Sunnah teachings. Islam gives great emphasis on environment as it is preserved and protected under the Maqasid al-Shariah (Objectives of the Islamic Law). The general outlook of Quranic paradigm on utilizing natural environment is based on prohibition of aggression and misuse. It is likewise founded on the construction and sustainable use. Thus, this article attempts to elaborate key concepts of the Quran and Sunnah teachings that reveal imperative values for environmental sustainability. Research method employs in this paper is an analytical study of Quranic verses with special highlights of tafsir bi al-ma'thur (explanation based upon traditions), tafsir bi al-ra'yi (explanation based on reasoning), and historical narrative. In short, this paper brings to light the relevance of classical and contemporary works of Quran and Sunnah studies that have meticulous values for shaping the better world of human-nature's interaction.
This study was conducted to identify and describe the patients' perceptions of Islamic medicine based on gender, age, marital, educational level and working status among the Malaysian Muslim population. A nationwide interviewer-administered questionnaire survey was conducted in 2013. An open-ended questionnaire pertaining to Islamic medicine was used to increase the probability of capturing maximum data. This survey implemented a multistage design, stratified by state, proportionate to the size of the state population and was representative of the Malaysian population. Post-survey classification of results was performed accordingly. Complex data analysis was carried out using SPSS 16.0. The discussion was identified and categorised into various sections. The paper concludes that Islamic medicine has a major influence in the Malaysian Muslim community compared to other alternatives. Further, its potential for growth and importance especially for treating spiritual ailments cannot be denied. The respondents indicated that two factors motivate Islamic medicine in Malaysia: (1) the Muslim community opts for alternative healing because of their dissatisfaction with conventional methods; (2) Islamic medicine focuses only on healing spiritual-related problems. The average perception of respondents is that the function of Islamic medicine in healing physical diseases is undervalued and that it is not suitable to replace the functions of modern health institutions.
The Malaysian government recognises the potential contribution of biotechnology to the national economy. However, ongoing controversy persists regarding its ethical status and no specific ethical guidelines have been published relating to its use. In developing such guidelines, it is important to identify the underlying principles that are acceptable to Malaysian society. This paper discusses the process of determining relevant secular and Islamic ethical principles and establishing their similarities before harmonising them. To achieve this, a series of focus group discussions were conducted with 23 knowledge experts representing various stakeholders in the biotechnology community. Notably, several principles between the secular and Islamic perspectives are indirectly or directly similar. All the experts agreed with the predominant six ethical principles of secular and Islamic philosophy and their importance and relevance in modern biotechnology. These are beneficence and non-maleficence as the main or overarching principles, the preservation of religious and moral values, the preservation of the intellect and the mind, the protection of human safety, the protection of future generations, and protection of the environment and biological diversity. Several adjustments were made to the terminologies and definitions of these six principles to formulate acceptable guiding principles for the ethics of modern biotechnology in Malaysia. These can then be adopted as core values to underpin future national guidelines on modern biotechnology ethics. These principles will be particularly important in guiding the policy makers, enforcers, industries and researchers to streamline their activities. In so doing, modern biotechnology and its products can be properly managed without jeopardising the interests of the Muslim community as well as the general public. Importantly, they are expansive and inclusive enough to embrace the religious sensitivity of diverse quarters of Malaysia.
The discovery and invention of new medical applications may be considered blessings to humankind. However, some applications which might be the only remedy for certain diseases may contain ingredients or involve methods that are not in harmony with certain cultural and religious perspectives. These situations have raised important questions in medical ethics; are these applications completely prohibited according to these perspectives, and is there any room for mitigation? This paper explores the concept of darurah (necessity) and its deliberation in the formulation of fatwas on medicine issued by the National Fatwa Council of Malaysia. Darurah has explicitly been taken into consideration in the formulation of 14 out of 45 fatwas on medicine thus far, including one of the latest fatwas regarding uterine donation and transplantation. These fatwas are not only limited to the issues regarding the use of unlawful things as remedies. They include issues pertaining to organ transplantation, management of the corpse and treatment of brain dead patients. While deliberation of darurah in medicine may vary from issue to issue, darurah applies in a dire situation in which there are no lawful means to prevent harm that may be inflicted upon human life. Nevertheless, other aspects must also be taken into the deliberation. For example, consent must be obtained from the donor or his next of kin (after his death) to conduct a cadaveric organ transplantation.
Traditional methods of treatment are extremely popular with Malaysians especially for psychiatric illnesses. Those who seek such treatment come from all cultures, social classes and different educational levels in this country. In one hospital as much as 49% of psychiatric patients had been to traditional healers . Some receive simultaneously traditional and modern modes of treatment. While many reports have been written on traditional healers such as the bomoh and spirit mediums, relatively less is written about Christian healers who practise exorcism. This paper describes two patients who had received psychiatric diagnoses of major illnesses, and who subsequently underwent Christian exorcism. The process of exorcism and the short-term and long-term outcome are reported.
The effect of Ramadan fasting on fasting serum glucose (FPG) is still a matter of controversy. One hundred and fifteen healthy volunteers fasted for > or = 25 days during Ramadan. Blood samples were taken 1 week before Ramadan and on the 14th and 28th day of Ramadan. Serum glucose was determined by the glucose oxidase method. FPG decreased from 88.4 + 9.0 mg/dl to 62.9 +/- 7.7 mg/dl (p < 0.001). Men and women both experienced a significant drop in FPG. Calorie intake decreased in all groups (p < 0.001) and was positively correlated with decreasing FPG. FPG decreases with Ramadan fasting and has no serious adverse effect on fasting adults.
In Islamic transaction, the disputations between two or more parties could affect the roles and responsibilities. Furthermore, when the court received a case from disputed parties, there will be a perception among each of parties of win-lose situation, whereby one party embellished with satisfaction, while the other party will beat in suffering, so the impact is the relationship between two parties are become farther. Therefore, alternative dispute resolution (ADR) in Islamic Finance is suggested in by many Muslim economist and legal experts as a substitute to any further legal activities. This is because it will satisfy many of litigants and it provides a complementary substitute to litigation. The study about ADR in Islamic finance has been done by previous literature. By the way, the implementation of ADR in Islamic financial institutions still needs to be elaborated. Therefore, this paper aims to discuss about updated issues and challenges of implementations of ADR in Islamic finance. This paper found that the ADR in Islamic finance need a model to make the ADR more flexible and eligible with different kinds of conflicts.
Malaysia is a South East Asian country with a racially diverse population. Islam is the state religion and about 60% of the population is Muslim, but the rights of other religious groups are protected by law. The Parti Islam se Malaysia, which has ruled the state of Kelantan since 1999, and believes that Malaysia should be ruled by Sharia law, recently proposed the implementation of Hudud laws in Kelantan. However, the federal government has ruled out its implementation. The suggestion stirred up a controversy among the physician community and the Malaysian Medical Association rejected a proposal by the state's political leadership to utilise the services of qualified surgeons to carry out punitive limb amputations. Several Islamic states such as Sudan, Saudi Arabia, and Iran practice Islamic penal justice, including amputations. The question therefore arises: how should a modern medical practitioner approach this ethical question? This study focuses mainly on Malaysia, but draws upon practices in other Islamic countries also.
This paper discusses the three most prevalent elements of Islamic art that a r e embedded in modern furniture. This study is isolated from three design thinking approaches. A comparative study has been executed between three most apparent elements of Islamic art, which are arabesque, geometric and calligraphy. Those three types of design are applicable and relevant to modern furniture design nowadays. Therefore, the Islamic model was the paradigm in defining the furniture design character. The unstructured parameter within the appropriate method is a significant way of collecting the findings and usually used in the area of furniture design. The main results of this study are on how Islamic pattern is linked with the artistic design elements. The outcome of this investigation also contributes to a significant tendency in contemporary furniture design thinking solutions. Finally, this paper ends with discussions from three types of design thinking, which is the normative, reflective and hermeneutic design that collaborates with the current modern furniture design.
The impact of a childhood cancer diagnosis precipitates caregiver's engagement in spiritual coping. This study aimed to explore spirituality among Malaysian Muslim caregivers of children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. A total of 13 eligible caregivers participated in this qualitative semi-structured interview via purposive sampling. Each interview was audio recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using NVivo 12 via thematic analysis. Three main themes revolved around hope through the act of praying and recitation (du'ā' and dhikr), acceptance of God's will (redha), and faith toward God as the Provider of sustenance (rezeki). The findings of this study contribute to a holistic supportive care system in pediatric oncology as it informs health care providers the role of spirituality in mitigating the emotional impact of a cancer diagnosis and promoting psychological adaptation. As a multicultural country, future studies may explore spirituality in other cultures and religion in the country.
Susuk, or charm needles, are inserted and worn subcutaneously in the face and other parts of the body, as they are believed to enhance beauty and youth, and for many other reasons such as treatment of headache, aches and pains in the joints, back or abdomen. The practice of inserting susuk is a traditional belief, genuinely cultural and superstitious, and common in the south-east Asian region. We present 13 cases of susuk, which was found incidentally on the radiographs as the patients came for various types of treatment at our centre.
This paper attempts to conceptualize Islamic spirituality in medical imaging that deals with the humanistic and technical dimensions. It begins with establishing an understanding concerning spirituality, an area that now accepted as part of patient-centred care. This is followed by discussions pertaining to Islamic spirituality, related to the practitioner, patient care and the practice. Possible avenues towards applying Islamic spirituality in medical imaging are proposed. It is hoped that the resultant harmonization between Islamic spirituality and the practice will trigger awareness and interests pertaining to the role of a Muslim practitioner in advocating and enhancing Islamic spirituality.
Management of newborns with disorders of sex development (DSD), especially in deciding the need for a sex assignment surgery, is a complex matter. It is associated with many bioethical issues, such as concerns about the rights and welfare of the newborns and the reliability of parents' consent to the paternalistic disposition of physicians in making the best decisions. This paper, containing interviews with six medical experts and three religious' experts, aims to raise awareness of the multidisciplinary approach, which uses a combination of medicine, religion, and ethics in managing children with DSD, particularly in Malaysia, to avoid unnecessary psychological, biological, emotional, and societal ramifications.
Mitochondrial replacement technology (MRT) is an emerging and complex bioethical issue. This treatment aims to eliminate maternal inherited mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) disorders. For Muslims, its introduction affects every aspect of human life, especially the five essential interests of human beings-namely, religion, life, lineage, intellect, and property. Thus, this technology must be assessed using a comprehensive and holistic approach addressing these human essential interests. Consequently, this article analyses and assesses tri-parent baby technology from the perspective of Maqasidic bioethics-that is, Islamic bioethics based on the framework of Maqasid al-Shariah. Using this analysis, this article suggests that tri-parent baby technology should not be permitted for Muslims due to the existence of third-party cell gametes which lead to lineage mixing and due to the uncertain safety of the therapy itself and because the major aim of the technology is to fulfil the affected couples interest to conceive their own genetically healthy child, not to treat and cure mtDNA disorders sufferers.
Religion and spirituality have always played a major and intervening role in a person's life and health matters. With the influential development of patient autonomy and the right to self-determination, a patient's religious affiliation constitutes a key component in medical decision making. This is particularly pertinent in issues involving end-of-life decisions such as withdrawing and withholding treatment, medical futility, nutritional feeding and do-not-resuscitate orders. These issues affect not only the patient's values and beliefs, but also the family unit and members of the medical profession. The law also plays an intervening role in resolving conflicts between the sanctity of life and quality of life that are very much pronounced in this aspect of healthcare. Thus, the medical profession in dealing with the inherent ethical and legal dilemmas needs to be sensitive not only to patients' varying religious beliefs and cultural values, but also to the developing legal and ethical standards as well. There is a need for the medical profession to be guided on the ethical obligations, legal demands and religious expectations prior to handling difficult end-of-life decisions. The development of comprehensive ethical codes in congruence with developing legal standards may offer clear guidance to the medical profession in making sound medical decisions.
This article presents the Islamic bioethical deliberation on the issue of sex assignment surgery (SAS) for infants with disorders of sex development (DSD) or intersexed as a case study. The main objective of this study is to present a different approach in assessing a biomedical issue within the medium of the Maqasid al-Shari'ah. Within the framework of the maqasidic scheme of benefits and harms, any practice where benefits are substantial is considered permissible, while those promoting harms are prohibited. The concept of Maqasid al-Shari'ah which is the mechanistic interpretation of Qur'an and Hadith presents the holistic attention of Islam on many life activities, including healthcare. Indeed, this concept encompasses many aspects of worldly life, both for the human individual and collectively for the whole society. In healthcare, the practice of SAS on DSD newborns has presented an assortment of implications on the future livelihood of the affected individual. The process of decision-making seems to be very multifaceted since every element such as the determination of the 'correct' sex and the urgency of early surgery must consider the benefits and harms, as well as the child's rights and best interest. The application of the concept of Maqasid al-Shari'ah, would convey a pragmatic approach that is often disregarded in Western medicine. This approach considers the right of the individual to live life optimally, individually and socially and practice his faith, precisely, in accordance with the assigned gender.
Recent advances in the fields of organ donation and organ transplant have introduced new hope for the treatment of serious diseases. However, this promise has been accompanied by several issues. The most common issue raised is ethical implications, but in a multicultural society like Malaysia, additional concerns arise pertaining to social and religious issues. These concerns needs to be addressed as attitudes toward and acceptability of organ donation varies according to social, culture, and religion. The diverse cultural, religious, and traditional concepts pertaining to organ donation may hamper its acceptability and cause a lack of willingness to donate organs. The purpose of this article is to briefly explore the ethical issues involved in organ transplant and the various religious opinions on organ donation. It is hoped that this knowledge and understanding may benefit both health care providers and patients in a multicultural society like Malaysia.