{"id":450,"date":"2023-04-25T14:02:39","date_gmt":"2023-04-25T20:02:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/harmonizingbodyandmind\/?p=450"},"modified":"2023-04-25T14:02:39","modified_gmt":"2023-04-25T20:02:39","slug":"a-look-into-muslim-physicians-views-on-end-of-life-care","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/harmonizingbodyandmind\/2023\/04\/a-look-into-muslim-physicians-views-on-end-of-life-care\/","title":{"rendered":"A Look Into Muslim Physicians\u2019 Views on End-of-Life Care"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

end-of-life care
National Cancer Institute \/ Unsplash<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Everyone deserves health care that aligns with their foundational beliefs. When someone\u2019s life is nearing its conclusion, they should get end-of-life care that compassionately considers their religion and traditions. Here\u2019s what it means to provide palliative care from an Islamic perspective to better understand what it means to Muslim physicians and patients.<\/span><\/p>\n

What Is End-of-Life Care?<\/b><\/h2>\n Although death can come suddenly in tragic moments, it also arrives slowly for many people. When that happens, they often receive end-of-life care to make their final days, weeks or months more comfortable.<\/span><\/p>\n End-of-care medical providers care for people while their bodily function slowly diminishes and their cognitive function declines. This may happen when the patient is sick but can also occur after heart attacks, strokes or falls.<\/span><\/p>\n Four <\/span>levels of end-of-life care<\/span><\/a> help patients and family members identify how long they likely have together. These stages include:<\/span><\/p>\n \nHospice home care:<\/b> Patients live in their homes alongside family members and have manageable symptoms<\/span><\/li>\nContinuous hospice home care:<\/b> A hospice provider remains at the patient\u2019s home at all times to manage acute symptoms<\/span><\/li>\nInpatient hospice care:<\/b> A patient receives 24\/7 monitoring at a hospice facility due to actual symptoms and wavering health stability<\/span><\/li>\nRespite care:<\/b>** ** A patient receives 24\/7 monitoring at a hospice facility for a short period to relieve caregivers and help them avoid burnout<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n ** **A person at the end of their life may receive any of the following services to remain comfortable:<\/span><\/p>\n \nPhysical services (pain medications, IV fluids, dietary supplements)<\/span><\/li>\nPersonal care assistance (assisted bathing, meal preparation, hygiene, dressing)<\/span><\/li>\nSpiritual mentoring (visitation from their religious leaders or mentors)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\nWhat Is Palliative Care?<\/b><\/h2>\n**** ** Palliative care is slightly different from end-of-life care. It\u2019s the stage before someone is officially dying. They receive continual support and medical treatment and can also try remedies to slow or cure their illness.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n ** This care may last months or years, depending on the patient\u2019s prognosis. End-of-life care may only last for a few weeks or months at best.<\/span><\/p>\n ** ****Outpatient palliative care clinics exist for patients who need more continual monitoring, but it can also happen at nursing homes, hospitals or homes. It depends on what insurance covers and what someone prefers.<\/span><\/p>\n**** Palliative Care From an Islamic Perspective<\/b><\/h2>\n**** ** ****When Muslim patients begin palliative care, their daily lives might look different than the routines of others.<\/b> These are the primary ways the Islamic religion affects their palliative or end-of-life care.<\/span><\/p>\n Family Involvement<\/b><\/h3>\n**** ** A person\u2019s end-of-life care almost always involves at least one extended family member. They might give an adult child or relative the medical power of attorney to make decisions in their best interest.<\/span><\/p>\n ** ****For example, Islamic beliefs highly prioritize modesty. Since palliative care includes services like bathing and dressing, a family member would know to advocate for a medical provider of the same gender as their loved one.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Family members might also manage their loved one\u2019s visitor\u2019s log. <\/span>Visiting and caring for the sick is one of the core moral principles of Islamic belief.<\/b> Hadith 114, Book 27 states<\/span><\/a>,<\/span> \u201cWhoever visits the sick, or visits his brother in Allah (faith) a caller calls out: \u2018May you have goodness and livelihood be good, and may you dwell in an adobe in Paradise.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n Palliative Medications<\/b><\/h3>\n Any medications that relieve symptoms are palliative. This can include prescriptions like opioids, but some Muslim patients may not take them frequently or at all. Some believe that <\/span>suffering comes from sin<\/span><\/a>, so they focus on atoning for their mistakes to accept or relieve their pain.<\/span><\/p>\n There\u2019s also the aspect of sedation to consider. Patients undergoing sedation, even for <\/span>quick dental procedures or dental anxiety<\/span><\/a>, could miss one of the five Shahadah prayers throughout the day. People who practice this prayer ritual may avoid painkillers that could cause accidental or purposeful sedation.<\/span><\/p>\n Life-Sustaining Treatment Preferences<\/b><\/h3>\n********* ** The most crucial thing to remember when learning about palliative care from an Islamic perspective is that every person will have different treatment preferences. <\/span>The Quran and Sunnah don\u2019t have specific teachings for this type of care.<\/b> Patients will know what\u2019s best for their needs, and their family members could speak on their behalf if necessary.<\/span><\/p>\n ** *********An Islamic chaplain could assist in making a treatment plan from a religious perspective. They might recommend that the patient\u2019s bed faces Mecca so they can pray toward the house of God even if they can\u2019t get out of bed.<\/span><\/p>\n A chaplain could also help patients clarify their wishes if they don\u2019t have their imam or spiritual adviser. Someone well-versed in the Islamic faith might point out that someone has a do-not-resuscitate (DNR) order, but <\/span>Chapter 6, Verse 151<\/span><\/a> of the Quran says, <\/span>\u201cWhether open or secret; take not life, which Allah hath made sacred, except by way of justice and law.\u201d<\/span><\/i> The patient might revoke their DNR so every possible intervention to save their life could happen in the case of their potential passing.<\/span><\/p>\n Life-sustaining treatment preferences should also recognize faith-based dietary laws. A patient might <\/span>enjoy a breakfast wrap<\/span><\/a> with eggs and no sausage since Islam <\/span>forbids eating pork<\/span><\/a> (Qur\u2019an 5:3). The patient might also participate in Ramadan between March and April if their health conditions and doctor allow it.<\/span><\/p>\n Muslim Death Rituals<\/b><\/h3>\n*********** ** Eventually, patients receiving end-of-life care pass away. Muslim physicians may support their patients no matter where this happens. Muslim dying rituals in hospitals occur before and after the patient takes their last breath.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n ** A chaplain or spiritual adviser could help the patient recite a declaration of faith known as the Shahadah or their preferred Quran verses.<\/b> If possible, Muslim patients often request that their feet point toward Mecca at the time of their death and that non-Mulisms leave the room right before they pass.<\/span><\/p>\n ** Non-Muslim physicians must also wear gloves after the patient passes to bandage their jaw shut and straighten their limbs. At this point, the deceased patient awaits transport to the family\u2019s home or preferred morgue for other Muslim dying rituals such as washing and recitations from the Quran.<\/span><\/p>\n ** End-of-Life Care Is Personal<\/b><\/h2>\n * Understanding palliative care from an Islamic perspective also requires a deeper knowledge of end-of-life care. Both are necessary forms of caring for people in their final days. Each patient should receive medical services that keep them comfortable and align with their religious preferences. Medical providers should provide affirming care and the highest quality of living before their passing.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" * *************Everyone deserves health care that aligns with their foundational beliefs. When someone\u2019s life is nearing its conclusion, they should get end-of-life care that compassionately considers their religion and traditions. Here\u2019s what it means to provide palliative care from an Islamic perspective to better understand what it means to Muslim physicians and patients. What Is End-of-Life […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4839,"featured_media":456,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[180,186,183],"class_list":["post-450","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-end-of-life-care","tag-muslim-dying-rituals-in-hospital","tag-palliative-care-islamic-perspective"],"yoast_head":"\nA Look Into Muslim Physicians\u2019 Views on End-of-Life Care<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Understanding palliative care from an Islamic perspective also requires a deeper knowledge of end-of-life care. Both are necessary forms of caring for people in their final days.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/harmonizingbodyandmind\/2023\/04\/a-look-into-muslim-physicians-views-on-end-of-life-care\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A Look Into Muslim Physicians\u2019 Views on End-of-Life Care\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Understanding palliative care from an Islamic perspective also requires a deeper knowledge of end-of-life care. Both are necessary forms of caring for people in their final days.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/harmonizingbodyandmind\/2023\/04\/a-look-into-muslim-physicians-views-on-end-of-life-care\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Harmonizing Body and Mind\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-04-25T20:02:39+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/1632\/2023\/04\/end-of-life-care.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"780\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"500\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Beth Rush\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Beth Rush\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/harmonizingbodyandmind\/2023\/04\/a-look-into-muslim-physicians-views-on-end-of-life-care\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/harmonizingbodyandmind\/2023\/04\/a-look-into-muslim-physicians-views-on-end-of-life-care\/\",\"name\":\"A Look Into Muslim Physicians\u2019 Views on End-of-Life Care\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/harmonizingbodyandmind\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2023-04-25T20:02:39+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-04-25T20:02:39+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/harmonizingbodyandmind\/#\/schema\/person\/35da027a1f69b16792fab4baba6febd3\"},\"description\":\"Understanding palliative care from an Islamic perspective also requires a deeper knowledge of end-of-life care. Both are necessary forms of caring for people in their final days.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/harmonizingbodyandmind\/2023\/04\/a-look-into-muslim-physicians-views-on-end-of-life-care\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/harmonizingbodyandmind\/2023\/04\/a-look-into-muslim-physicians-views-on-end-of-life-care\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/harmonizingbodyandmind\/2023\/04\/a-look-into-muslim-physicians-views-on-end-of-life-care\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/harmonizingbodyandmind\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"A Look Into Muslim Physicians\u2019 Views on End-of-Life Care\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/harmonizingbodyandmind\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/harmonizingbodyandmind\/\",\"name\":\"Harmonizing Body and Mind\",\"description\":\"Beth writes about health, fitness, and community outreach, and is the Managing Editor and content manager at Body+Mind.\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/harmonizingbodyandmind\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/harmonizingbodyandmind\/#\/schema\/person\/35da027a1f69b16792fab4baba6febd3\",\"name\":\"Beth Rush\",\"description\":\"Beth is the Managing Editor and content manager at Body+Mind. She shares knowledge on a variety of topics including self-improvement, health, fitness and community outreach. Subscribe to Body+Mind for more posts by Beth Rush!\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/harmonizingbodyandmind\/author\/brush\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"A Look Into Muslim Physicians\u2019 Views on End-of-Life Care","description":"Understanding palliative care from an Islamic perspective also requires a deeper knowledge of end-of-life care. Both are necessary forms of caring for people in their final days.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/harmonizingbodyandmind\/2023\/04\/a-look-into-muslim-physicians-views-on-end-of-life-care\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"A Look Into Muslim Physicians\u2019 Views on End-of-Life Care","og_description":"Understanding palliative care from an Islamic perspective also requires a deeper knowledge of end-of-life care. Both are necessary forms of caring for people in their final days.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/harmonizingbodyandmind\/2023\/04\/a-look-into-muslim-physicians-views-on-end-of-life-care\/","og_site_name":"Harmonizing Body and Mind","article_published_time":"2023-04-25T20:02:39+00:00","og_image":[{"width":780,"height":500,"url":"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/1632\/2023\/04\/end-of-life-care.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Beth Rush","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Beth Rush","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/harmonizingbodyandmind\/2023\/04\/a-look-into-muslim-physicians-views-on-end-of-life-care\/","url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/harmonizingbodyandmind\/2023\/04\/a-look-into-muslim-physicians-views-on-end-of-life-care\/","name":"A Look Into Muslim Physicians\u2019 Views on End-of-Life Care","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/harmonizingbodyandmind\/#website"},"datePublished":"2023-04-25T20:02:39+00:00","dateModified":"2023-04-25T20:02:39+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/harmonizingbodyandmind\/#\/schema\/person\/35da027a1f69b16792fab4baba6febd3"},"description":"Understanding palliative care from an Islamic perspective also requires a deeper knowledge of end-of-life care. Both are necessary forms of caring for people in their final days.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/harmonizingbodyandmind\/2023\/04\/a-look-into-muslim-physicians-views-on-end-of-life-care\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/harmonizingbodyandmind\/2023\/04\/a-look-into-muslim-physicians-views-on-end-of-life-care\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/harmonizingbodyandmind\/2023\/04\/a-look-into-muslim-physicians-views-on-end-of-life-care\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/harmonizingbodyandmind\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"A Look Into Muslim Physicians\u2019 Views on End-of-Life Care"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/harmonizingbodyandmind\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/harmonizingbodyandmind\/","name":"Harmonizing Body and Mind","description":"Beth writes about health, fitness, and community outreach, and is the Managing Editor and content manager at Body+Mind.","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/harmonizingbodyandmind\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/harmonizingbodyandmind\/#\/schema\/person\/35da027a1f69b16792fab4baba6febd3","name":"Beth Rush","description":"Beth is the Managing Editor and content manager at Body+Mind. She shares knowledge on a variety of topics including self-improvement, health, fitness and community outreach. Subscribe to Body+Mind for more posts by Beth Rush!","url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/harmonizingbodyandmind\/author\/brush\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/harmonizingbodyandmind\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/450","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/harmonizingbodyandmind\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/harmonizingbodyandmind\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/harmonizingbodyandmind\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4839"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/harmonizingbodyandmind\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=450"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/harmonizingbodyandmind\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/450\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/harmonizingbodyandmind\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/456"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/harmonizingbodyandmind\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=450"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/harmonizingbodyandmind\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=450"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/harmonizingbodyandmind\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=450"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}