05 February 2011
The Role of a Muslim Doctor
Every human being is bound to feel ill sometime and somehow. A Muslim does not panic when afflicted with any sickness because his belief in the mercy of God, his faith in destiny and his faith enjoining forbearance and patience give him strength to stand fast and endure his ordeal. However, he is supposed to seek treatment in response to the Prophet's order. By accepting the Prophet's statement that there is a cure to every disease, the Muslim patient builds up a strong hopeful attitude that helps him and his doctor to resist the disease and overcome it.
The Muslim Doctor
The Muslim doctor shares with the Muslim patient the two main characteristic: the faith in God and destiny, and the conviction that there is a cure for every disease. But the doctor must have something more; he is supposed to know, or at least try to know, the proper diagnosis and the proper cure. He must be aware of his mission or commission entrusted to him in his capacity as the agent of healing. Being and agent, he believes that the act of healing is not entirely his, but depends on God's will. It seems to me that medical doctors are more aware than others of the divine power and God's will. They meet every day with cases where destiny plays the major part, and they encounter the most unexpected results. Yasir narrates that the Prophet said: "For each disease there is a cure: and when the (right) treatment is given, the disease is cured by the Will of Allah" (Ahmad and Muslim).
The art of healing, which is called the medical profession in modern language, has been highly respected all through the ages. For a long period in human history this art was closely correlated with religious leadership and quite often confluent with magic and miracles. Since the advent of Islam 1400 years ago, medicine has become a science subject of human intelligence and discovery. Nevertheless, the medical doctor has persistently captured the appreciation and respect of his contemporaries, especially as medicine was usually associated with other philosophical and social knowledge. In fact this close marriage between philosophy and medicine distinguished the medical history of Islam. The gist here is that a doctor's prognosis included the spiritual, psychological and social sides of the patient over and above the pathological aspects. I earnestly believe that in an Islamic state, all Muslim doctors in course of their everyday practice, and when dealing with Muslim patients in particular, should keep this traditional prognostic attitude in mind. I am sure, if they do they will never regret the act.
But what is it that makes a Muslim doctor different from other non-Muslim doctors? From the technological and scientific points of view, all doctors fall in one category. However, when it comes to practice, the Muslim doctor finds himself bound by particular professional ethics plus his Islamic directives issuing from his belief. In fact, the Muslim doctor - and I mean b this that doctor who tries to live his Islam by following its teachings all through - is expected to behave differently on some occasions and to meet greater responsibilities compared to other non-Muslim doctors.
1. The Public Responsibility: A Muslim doctor is supposed to belong to a Muslim community where there is some common cause, common feelings and mutual solidarity. "Believers are brethren" (Quran 49:10). God also says:
"And hold fast all of you together to the Rope of Allah, and be not divided among yourselves; and remember Allah's favor on you, for you were enemies and He joined your hearts together, so that by His Grace you become brethren..." (Quran 3:103).
The implication is that the Muslim doctor is a member in a Muslim community where the healthy body of the individual is crucial for its survival and development. The doctor has a big say and great weight in influencing his patients and in righteously guiding their orientation. Besides, he should be actively involved in propagating true Islam among Muslims and non-Muslims. Almost all Christian missionaries depend on medical doctors when approaching alien masses, taking advantage of the humanistic services doctors render to poor sick people. In a country like USA where we live, the best missionary service that a medical practitioner can render is to behave all the time in accordance with his Islamic beliefs, to declare his conviction , and to be proud of it. Thus he can be a good model for others to win their confidence and hearts.
2. Faith and Healing: By accepting the fact that Allah is the healer - and that the doctor is only an agent, both patients - irrespective of their creeds - and their doctors, fight their battle of treatment with less agony and tension. I think it is an established fact that such spiritual conviction does improve the psychological state of the patient and boost his morale, and thus help him overcame his physical weakness and sickness. There are many examples where faith plays an important part in the process of healing. In my opinion, a Muslim doctor must make his faith the backbone of his healing career.
3. Reprehensible, Prohibited and Permissible Acts: More than any other professional, the Muslim medical doctor is confronted frequently with questions concerning the Islamic legitimacy of his activities. There are diverse daily controversial problematic issues on which he is supposed to take a stand: e.g., birth control, abortions, opposite sex hormonal injections, transsexual operations, brain operations affecting human personality, plastic surgery changing physionomy, extra-uterine conception, etc.
The Muslim doctor should not be guided in such issues merely by the law of the county. He must also find the answer is not an easy matter, especially if the doctor himself has no reasonably solid background in the field of Islamic teachings. Yet, to gain such knowledge is very simple and would not consume much time as generally presumed.
In general, every Muslim must have a preliminary knowledge of what is reprehensible and what is prohibited. One has to admit that our early education as individuals is very deficient in this regard. But this does not justify our ignorance of the essentials of our religion and our indifference towards its injunctions. There is no difficulty nowadays to obtain a few reference books about our Shari'ah and to find out the answers to most - if not all - our medical queries. The most preliminary study of the Islamic science of "Usul" would give the doctors the main principles of analogy, "Qias", preferential application (Istihsan) and juristic initiation (Istihsan).
The importance of such knowledge becomes conspicuous when the subject of the issue is purely technical and this lies beyond the reach of the normal religious scholar. Besides, there are many secondary questions that arise in the course of dealing with patients where the personal judgment of the doctor is the only arbiter. There, as always, the doctor needs a criterion on which he can build his code of behavior and the ethics of his medical procedure.
To conclude, the role of the Muslim doctor is briefly to place his profession in service of his religion. To this end, he must know both: medicine and Islam.
Excerpted from the book "Islamic perspectives in medicine". A collection of essays compiled by Shahid Athar, M.D.
26 November 2010
Doctors And The Issue Of Seclusion With The Opposite Gender
QUESTION: In some hospitals it is the law for a doctor to close the door to examine a patient to ensure patient privacy. When this happens with a patient of the opposite sex, is it considered unlawful khalwa? If so, what should the doctor or medical student/resident do to avoid such situations, given the law that it is required by the hospital? ANSWER: | |||||
In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful, The position of Muslim doctors and medical practitioners is very delicate indeed, because they find themselves in many situations where it is very easy for one to fall into a sin. Only the fear of Allah, piety and moral ethics will prevent one from committing a sin. Doctors have to regularly interact with patients of the opposite sex. Thus, they need to be very careful and mindful in that they don’t transgress the limits set down by Shariah. As far as being alone with someone of the opposite sex (khalwah) is concerned, it is common knowledge that this is not allowed in Islam, due to the many Prophetic statements declaring it to be unlawful or at the least prohibitively disliked (makruh tahriman), for example: Sayyiduna Abd Allah ibn Abbas (Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) said: “A man must not remain alone in the company of a woman, and a woman must not travel except that her Mahram is accompanying her.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, no. 2488) Therefore, a medical practitioner should try his/her best in order not to be alone with someone of the opposite sex. If it is possible for one to have a nurse or some other third person in the room, then one must do that. If that is not possible, then one should try and keep the door open. If one is forced by law to keep the door closed, then one must ensure the door is not locked (and I believe by law also, one cannot lock the door). In the case where the door is closed, one should try and practice in a room with a view into the room. There should be an unveiled window through which people are able to see inside the room. A door which has a see-through window would be sufficient. If none of the above is possible in that one is forced by law to close the door, not have a see-through window and not have a third person present, then due to the rule of “need and necessity” it would be permitted to be in seclusion with the patient of the opposite gender. However, one should keep in mind the Juristic principle which states: “Cases of need are restricted to the actual need” (Ibn Nujaym, al-Ashbah wa al-Naza’ir, P. 86). Thus, one must be careful that the remaining in Khalwa is only restricted to the actual need. One must not remain in seclusion any longer than what is “typically” required for consultation. Also, one must lower their gaze and save themselves from anything inciting, for the third person amongst them will be Shaytan. As far as the ruling for a patient is concerned, he/she must avoid being alone (khalwa) with a doctor of the opposite sex. It will not be permitted to be in Khalwa with a doctor of the opposite gender if a doctor from one’s own gender is easily available and one is satisfied and content with his/her medical treatment. However, if this is not possible, it will be permitted due to need and necessity. And Allah knows best Muhammad ibn Adam Darul Iftaa Leicester , UK |
23 November 2010
kisah Raja dan Tiga Orang Menterinya
ni nak kongsi satu artikel, moga ada manfaatnya perkongsian ini.. selamat membaca, menghayati dan mengamalkan.. :)
Pada suatu hari seorang raja memanggil tiga orang menterinya datang mengadap. Setelah ketiga-tiganya datang mengadap baginda perintahkan supaya diberi kepada setiap orang menterinya satu karung kosong dan perintahkan mereka agar mengisi karung tersebut dengan buah-buahan yang ada di taman istana sampai penuh. Esok mereka mesti pulangkan kepada baginda karung yang telah diisi seperti yang diperintahkan.
Salah seorang daripada menteri itu memilih dengan cermat dan berhati-hati buah-buahan yang elok-elok dan diisi ke dalam karungnya untuk dipersembahkan kepada raja.
Manakala menteri yang seorang lagi berfikir raja sebenarnya bukan hendakkan buah-buahan itu untuk dirinya. Maka dia mengutip dan mengisi buah-buahaan sehingga penuh karungnya dalam keadaan malas tanpa mengira buah yang elok atau sebaliknya.
Menteri yang ketiga pula berfikir raja bukan hendakkan buah-buahan itu dan baginda tidak akan tengok pun apa yang ada di dalam karung. Lalu dia mengutip dan memasukkan apa saja yang tercapai oleh tangannya; rumput rampai, daun-daun kering dan sebagainya sehingga penuh karung.
Keesokan harinya ketiga-tiga menteri itu datang mengadap dengan membawa karung masing-masing yang telah penuh berisi.
Dengan tidak semena-mena raja memerintahkan ketiga-tiganya dipenjarakan bersama karung masing-masing di dalam bilik kurungan yang berasingan di luar kota tanpa dibekalkan sebarang makanan dan minuman selama tiga bulan. Tidak ada siapapun yang dibenarkan datang melawat dan mengirim makanan atau minuman.
Bayangkan nasib mereka di dalam penjara masing-masing!!!
Menteri pertama tidak mengahadapi sebarang masalah. Dia dapat menikmati semua buah-buahan yang elok yang telah dipilihnya dengan penuh hati-hati.
Yang kedua agak perit kerana karungnya bercampur aduk antara buah yang elok dengan yang busuk. Dengan susah payah dia terpaksa memilih mana yang elok saja untuk mengisi perutnya.
Manakala yang ketiga, alangkah malang nasibnya. Karungnya hanya berisi daun-daun kering dan rumput rampai yang tidak boleh dimakan. Tidak sampai tiga bulan dia sudah mati kelaparan.
Demikian bandingan hidup kita. Dunia ini laksana sebuah taman yang penuh dengan pelbagai peluang untuk mengutip amal soleh untuk dibawa bekal ke akhirat nanti, untuk dibawa bekal ketika kita dipenjara di dalam kubur nanti. Amalan yang soleh itulah bekalan, teman, makanan dan cahaya yang menerangi kegelapan di sana nanti.
Maka adakah kita telah mengutip bekalan secukupnya untuk hari yang bakal tiba pada bila-bila masa sahaja?
source :
http://zaadut-taqwa.blogspot.com/
19 November 2010
Learn the Fiqh of Medicine
A Medical practitioner must learn the Islamic injunctions that relate to his profession. The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) said:
طلب العلم فريضة علي كل مسلم
“Seeking of knowledge is an obligation upon every Muslim”
This does not mean that every male and female should become a scholar of Hadith. The scholars and commentators of Hadith explain that knowledge is of two types: one is Fard Kifaya, which means that it is a collective obligation. Having a deep understanding of the sciences of Islam, the Qur’an, Sunna Hadith, Fiqh, the Arabic language, etc is the responsibility of a handful of people. They will fulfil this obligation, and through them, the obligation will be removed from everybody else.
However, seeking of knowledge to the extent that it relates to your profession, your life, your job, is personally obligatory. We need to perform Salat, so we have to learn about the rulings connected to it. If we have to pay Zakat, we need to learn the injunctions related to it. If I am going to do business, then I must learn about the rules of business and trade in Islam.
When Sayyiduna Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) became a Khalifa, he announced a verdict saying: “Whoever does not learn the fiqh of business, his entry to our markets is forbidden.” If you want to enter the market to do business, then you must spend time learning the fiqh of business, finance and trade.
Likewise doctors, Islamically speaking, must learn the rules connected to medicine.It is very important that you learn, since there are many things that you will need know the Islamic viewpoint regarding them.
May Allah Most High make the path easy for all Medics and bless them with whatever they want to achieve in life. May Allah give us all good in this world and the hereafter. Allah bless us with health and well being, Ameen.
* p/s : you can download file regarding the issues in fiqh of medicine in here:
04 November 2010
Dua Penghuni Neraka
Ditulis oleh Kapten Hafiz Firdaus Abdullah |
“Terdapat dua golonganpenghuni neraka yang saya tidak akan jumpa: (Pertama) Orang yang memiliki alatpemukul seperti ekor lembu yang mereka menggunakannya untuk memukul orang dan(Kedua) wanita yang berpakaian tetapi telanjang, yang cenderung lagimencenderungkan. Kepala mereka seperti bonjol unta yang condong ke sebelah.Mereka tidak akan memasuki syurga dan tidak akan menghidu baunya sekalipun bausyurga itu dapat dihidu dari jarak yang sekian-sekian.”
Golongan pertama ialah mereka yang memiliki alat pemukul seperti ekor lembu, yakni tali sebatan. Mereka menggunakannya untuk memukul orang-orang lain. Ini merujuk kepada orang-orang yang memiliki kuasa lalu menggunakan kuasanya untuk menghukum orang lain tanpa pengadilan yang sewajarnya. Tentu saja yang segera terlintas di fikiran kita ialah para pemerintah yang diktator. Ini benar namun tidak tepat kerana hadis di atas bersifat umum, bererti ia merujuk kepada sesiapa jua yang memiliki kuasa lalu menyalahgunakan kuasanya untuk menghukum orang secara tidak adil.
Justeru selain pemerintah negara, ia juga boleh merujuk kepada pengarah syarikat, ketua jabatan, amir jamaah dan juga seorang ayah. Berdasarkan kaedah qiyas (analogi), cara menghukum tidak terhad kepada tali sebatan yang diberbuat dari ekor lembu sahaja. Apa sahaja alat atau cara yang dapat menghukum dan mendera seseorang termasuk dalam kategori ini. Oleh itu sesiapa juga memegang kuasa dalam apa jua irisan, hendaklah menjadikan hadis ini sebagai peringatan, Jangan menghukum orang bawahan sesuka hati, sebaliknya adililah mereka dengan seadil-adilnya. Hendaklah mendengar hujah atau pembela mereka seandainya mereka bersalah dan berilah hukuman yang bersifat mendidik dan membina.
Golongan kedua merujuk kepada para wanita yang memiliki beberapa ciri berikut. Pertama, mereka berpakaian tetapi telanjang. Maksud telanjang dalam konteks ini ialah wanita yang mengenakan pakaian yang nipis sehingga menampakkan aurat mereka di sebaliknya. Juga wanita yang mengenakan pakaian yang ketat sehingga menampakkan bentuk badan mereka di sebaliknya. Tidak ketinggalan ialah wanita yang memajai pakaian yang terbelah di sana-sini sehingga sekalipun ia menutup aurat, pada hakikatnya aurat-aurat tersebut akan terdedah ketika berjalan atau ditiup angin.
Kedua, ia merujuk kepada wanita yang bergaya, berjalan dan berfesyen dengan sesuatu yang memiliki kecenderungan atau tujuan untuk menarik perhatian lelaki. Seterusnya secara sedat atau tidak, wanita ini menjadi ikutan wanita lain untuk turut bergaya, berjalan dan berfesyen dengan sesuatu yang memiliki kecenderungan atau tujuan untuk menarik perhatian lelaki. Fenomena sebeginilah yang disebut sebagai "trend" masa kini dan inilah yang dimaksudkan dengan sabda baginda sebagai "...yang cenderung dan mencenderungkannya." Antara fesyen yang dimaksudkan ialah mengikat sanggul di belakang kepala dengan menyudutkannya ke atas. "Trend" yang bergelar sebagai "sanggul Arab" dianggap terkin ioleh sebahagian wanita masa sekarang, sama ada yang bertudung atau tidak. Namun fesyen ini telahpun diamalkan oleh Rasulullah SAW seribu empat ratus tahun yang lalu. Ia baginda umpamakan sebagai bonggol unta. Hanya bonggol unta yang menyudut lurus ke atas manakala sanggul arab menyudut keatas sambil condong ke belakang.
Ada yang begitu taksub dengan fesyen sanggul Arab ini sehingga sanggup memakai rambut palsu yang diikat sebagai sanggul atau membeli terus sanggul palsu. Ada juga pekedai yang menjual tudung arab lengkap dengan sanggul arab tiruan di dalamnya. Semua ini menambah kesalahan, menambah dosa. Ini kerana mereka melakukan dua kesalahan, pertama ialah berfesyen sanggul arab sementara kedua ialah memakai sanggul palsu. Sanggul palsu termasuk dalam kategori rambut palsu yang diperingatkan oleh Rasulullah SAW: "Allah melaknat wanita yang menyambung rambutnya dengan rambut lain dan wanita yang meminta rambutnya di sambungkan." [Shahih al-Bukhari, no. 5934]. Maksud menyambung rambut ialah mengenakan rambut palsu, tanpa dibezakan sama ada ia dari rambut manusia, haiwan atau buatan manusia.
Penting untuk dibezakan bahawa hadis di atas bukan bermaksud mengharamkan sanggul. Wanita yang berambut panjang boleh bersanggul, dengan syarat sanggul itu diikat di belakang dengan menyudut ke bawah. Apa yang diharamkan ialah sanggul yang diikat dengan menyudut ke atas seperti bonggol unta. Oleh itu, sama ada bertudung atau tidak, hendaklah dijauhi fesyen sanggul arab.
Setelahmenerangkan ciri-ciri kedua-dua golongan tersebut, Rasulullah SAW menambah bahawa mereka bukan sahaja akan menjadi penghuni neraka tetapi akan dijauhkandari syurga sejauh-jauhnya. Mereka bukan sahaja tidak melintas di tepi syurga,tidak melihat syurga, bahkan tidak dapat menghidu keharuman syurga padahalkeharuman itu dapat dihidu dari jarak yang jauh. Ini menunjukkan kedua-duagolongan di atas berada benar-benar jauh dari syurga Allah. Semoga ini menjadiperingatan yang melekat dalam diri kita, dalam tanggungjawab harian kita dandalam fesyen harian kita.
03 November 2010
Jauhkan bukan Islam dari Islam!!!!
17 July 2010
Bedah Siasat atau Autopsi Jenazah
Soalan : Apakah hukum melaksanakan kaedah autopsy/bedah siasat ke atas mayat dan berikan dalil yang mengesahkan pernyataan tersebut..
29 June 2010
Paradigma Perubatan dan Hospital Islam
Tengah hari itu, saya membentangkan kertas kerja tentang pandangan Islam di dalam persoalan Euthanasia dan Mati Otak. Diskusi tersebut, diusahakan oleh pelajar-pelajar perubatan di The Queen’s University, Belfast, yang mengambil subjek Etika Perubatan.
Saya telah jelaskan kepada peserta, bahawa Islam mempunyai persamaan dengan pandangan Kristian dan Yahudi dari aspek memuliakan nyawa manusia. Namun dalam kes Euthanasia dan Mati Otak, Islam tidak mengutamakan soal siapakah yang patut terlibat untuk membuat keputusan mencabut mesin sokongan nyawa, apabila pesakit telah mati otak. Sebabnya, ia sudah jelas. Kes menghentikan sokongan mesin bagi pesakit yang mati otak ini adalah kes perubatan, maka mereka yang ahli di dalam perubatan yang sepatutnya membuat keputusan tersebut.
Berbeza dengan wakil Protestant dan Katholik yang beberapa kali menyatakan kekesalan mereka, lantaran Chaplain di hospital sering tidak dilibatkan. “Kesan sekularisma, memencilkan agama dari kehidupan!”, kata mereka.
Sebaliknya, Islam lebih memberikan penekanan tentang siapakah yang tidak patut terlibat dalam membuat keputusan itu. Umumnya, mereka yang berkepentingan mesti dihindarkan dari mempengaruhi keputusan itu. Pewaris harta, pegawai pendermaan organ, dan sebagainya. Ini adalah demi memastikan keputusan mencabut sokongan mesin itu, adalah 100% demi kebaikan pesakit.
23 February 2010
Facebook: Antara Pro dan Kontra
http://saifulislam.com/?p=6714
wassalam.