Q: Why do you create this training and why do you think it’s important?

A: I created this training because a lot of times a simple awareness of religious beliefs / cultural practices can make a big difference in a patient’s care. Healthcare providers care for patients from all walks of life, including many Muslims, and a basic understanding of Islam would help make a patient’s visit a little more comfortable.

Q: Have healthcare professionals been open to your advice on how to work with the Muslim community?

A: Yes, the response and demand for this lecture has actually been overwhelmingly positive and encouraging. I get many notes of appreciation for shedding light on a topic that doesn’t get a lot of exposure.

Q: How do you recommend we go about creating similar training in our healthcare settings?

A: The training is basically a simple introduction to the tenets of faith and how those play a role in the life of an average Muslim. I think anyone with a good foundational understanding of Islam and an ability to present material in an interesting manner can do the same thing. Keep it simple and focus on the basics; you’ll be surprised by how much people don’t know about Islam and how much they appreciate the similarities that exist within the Abrahamic faiths.

Q: What would be your biggest piece of advice for a healthcare professional working with a Muslim patient? 

A: My biggest piece of advice for a healthcare professional, whether working with a Muslim patient or not, is to leave your baggage at the door. Practice the “care” in healthcare by practicing cultural humility. You are there to care for your patient and you can best do that by appreciating the role their culture/faith plays in their life.

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has provided American Muslims with a unique opportunity to put our faith into practice: signing up for health insurance helps us to look after our own health more productively, as well as the health of others in our community.

It is narrated in a hadith (narration) of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (peace be upon him) that “Your body has a right over you,” (Sahih Muslim). In other words, Allah has blessed and entrusted us with a physical body, and we have an obligation to take proper care of it. Indeed, dietary restrictions and the instructions to perform ablutions before any prayers indicate the importance of maintaining one’s physical health. By having the proper tools, such as health coverage, one can better afford routine appointments with primary care physicians, who can provide important advice on maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Health insurance also makes preventive services such as cancer screenings more affordable, so that many cancers can be detected and treated before they become dangerous. Thus, taking care of one’s own health is a way of giving thanks to God for His gifts.

In addition, Islam stresses the importance of looking after others in society. The Qur’an says, “They ask you as to what they should spend. Say: Whatever wealth you spend, it is for the parents and the near of kin and the orphans and the needy and the wayfarer, and whatever good you do, God surely knows it,” (Qur’an 2:215). Many Muslims receive health insurance through a spouse or parents; thus, buying a health insurance plan enables Muslims to provide healthcare access to their entire family. The ACA makes this process easier by allowing children to stay on their parents’ insurance plans until they are 26 years of age, and making it illegal for insurance companies to charge men and women different premium rates.

Finally, it is the responsibility of American Muslims to look after our community’s well-being. Thus, signing up for health insurance is critical to our community’s long-term prosperity in the United States. It is narrated to us in another hadith of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ that, “The believers, in their mutual mercy, love and compassion, are like a (single) body; if one part of it feels pain, the rest of the body will join it in suffering,” (Sahih Bukhari). Inadequate insurance coverage can lead to severe financial hardship when disaster strikes, and medical bills are the most common cause of bankruptcy in the United States. As a relatively small community in America (Muslims are roughly 1% of the U.S. population), it hurts us all when even a single brother or sister faces financial trouble. If we want to contribute to American society we can start by signing up for health insurance and protecting ourselves against financial ruin.

We urge all Muslim Americans to at least become better informed about their options. It is also important to note that signing up for health insurance is not in and of itself enough to improve one’s health; indeed, one must take personal responsibility for one’s health and make sure to keep regular doctor’s appointments, take appropriate medications, and follow nutritional guidelines, among other things. Visit www.HealthCare.gov for more information or to sign up for health insurance today.

Allah (swt) paints a picture for us in the Qur’an of one of the greatest losers:

“But as for he who is given his record in his left hand, he will say, “Oh, I wish I had not been given my record and had not known what is my account! My wealth has not availed me! Gone from me is my authority!” (Qur’an, 69:25-29)

In the hereafter, our aspirations, intentions and beliefs will be put on display. This person thought that their wealth and power would save them but realized this was false hope after facing the reality. He says in his utter despair and regret that the two avenues of salvation he was relying on amounted to absolutely nothing. That is the definition of a loser.

What happens next to this person? Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala (exalted is He) will announce to the keepers of Hell:

“Seize him and shackle him! Then into Hellfire drive him! Then fasten him with a chain whereof the length is seventy cubits!” (Qur’an, 69:30-32)

The English translation does not capture the terror of these verses. When Allah (swt) gives these orders, He (swt) is not speaking to one Angel, rather He (swt) is addressing a group of Angels to take hold of this person, tie him up with chains, then throw him into Hell-Fire. No one will enter the Fire willingly, so it takes a group of strong and stern Angels to take people to the Hell-Fire.

Chains

Even though these Angels are strong enough to restrain the sinners and disbelievers who will enter the Fire, Allah (swt) will order the Angels to secure them with chains and fetters – another level of punishment and humiliation for them. Allah (swt) says, “Those who deny the Book and that with which We sent Our messengers – they are going to know, When the shackles are around their necks and the chains.” (Qur’an, 40:70-71)

After they are chained individually, they will then be chained together: “And when they are thrown into a narrow place therein bound in chains, they will cry out thereupon for destruction.” (Qur’an, 25:13) We know that Hell-Fire is huge, but it will feel as if it is a tight and cramped place. Their state is described as muqaraneen, which means they will all be tied together. One of the biggest fears people have today is claustrophobia, the fear of narrow spaces. Those destined for the Fire will experience the fear of claustrophobia on a much greater level. This punishment shows that the torments of the Fire will not only be physical but also psychological.

Different ways of Entering the Fire

After being seized, shackled and chained together, they will then enter the Fire. Some will enter differently than others, and Allah (swt) shows this in the Qur’an.

Some will be thrown into the Fire:

“The criminals will be known by their marks, and they will be seized by the forelocks and the feet.” (Qur’an, 55:41) The Angels will grab these people by their foreheads and feet and throw them in the Fire. We can only imagine how humiliating it is to be detained in such a position.

Others will be pushed into the Fire:

“The Day they are thrust toward the fire of Hell with a [violent] thrust.” (Qur’an, 52:13) Some of us who have experienced being pushed somewhere or having to do something against our will can attest to how powerless it makes one feel and how terrifying it can be. These people will be pushed into Hell-Fire against their will because no one will enter the Fire willingly.

Some will be dragged into the Fire:

“The Day they are dragged into the Fire on their faces.” (Qur’an, 54:48) Our face is the most honorable part of our bodies, revealing how degrading it will be for the disbelievers and sinners to be dragged on it.

Finally, some people will enter the Fire unexpectedly:

“And those who disbelieved will be driven to Hell in groups until, when they reach it, its gates are opened.” (Qur’an, 39:71) This verse is one of the many miracles of Qur’anic composition, showing how every addition and subtraction of a word has an impact on the meaning. When Allah (swt) says that the disbelievers will be taken to Hell-Fire in groups, He (swt) does not include a conjunction between that statement and the statement that the gates will be opened. Meaning, Allah (swt) does not say, “then the gates will be opened” but simply, “its gates are opened”. The English translation does not capture the profound meaning of this verse. The scholars say that the omission of the Arabic letter waw (which can mean “and” as well as “then”) shows that the gates will open all of a sudden, without warning, on the disbelievers. Being thrown and pushed into the Fire are terrifying, but this entrance into the Fire is unquestionably the scariest.

Greetings

Just as we are greeted by the inhabitants when we enter a new location, the companions of the Fire will also be greeted – but their greeting will not be one of welcome and pleasure. Instead, Allah (swt) says, “The day they see the angels – no good tidings will there be that day for the criminals, and [the angels] will say, “Prevented and inaccessible.” (Qur’an, 25:22) They will be prevented from Paradise, and unable to access anything that will bring relief, happiness or comfort.

Allah (swt) says in another ayah (verse): “No welcome for them!” (Qur’an, 38:59) Rather, the Angels will greet them with mocking questions:

“Did there not come to you messengers from yourselves, reciting to you the verses of your Lord and warning you of the meeting of this Day of yours?” (Qur’an, 39:71)

The Angels will repeat this question over and over, “Every time a company is thrown into it, its keepers ask them, “Did there not come to you a warner?” (Qur’an, 67:8)

It is as if the Angels are saying, “How could you have known about this Fire yet you still entered it?! Were you not warned of it?!” This is adding insult to injury, showing yet another aspect of the psychological trauma of those in Hell-Fire.

We seek Allah’s refuge from the Fire!

Al-Hajj Malik Al-Shabazz (Malcom X) once described the impact a hadith had on him when he first heard it (during his turn toward orthodoxy) because its implications were so profound. He states in his autobiography in his meeting with Dr. Shawarbi, “he dropped on me something whose logic would never get out of my head. He said, ‘No man has believed perfectly until he wishes for his brother what he wishes for himself.’”¹

This oft-repeated statement of the Prophet Muhammad (saw)² needs deep appreciation today, perhaps the type of appreciation that our social reformer Malcom X had for it. Some of the scholars commented on the word “brother” in the hadith, and said this means not only our Muslim brothers, but actually is referring to all of our brothers and sisters in humanity!³ It is applicable on an individual level, as well as a societal level. Wanting a public health care option for those who are in need of medical attention and are being denied, is part of perfecting the iman (faith/belief) of those who would call themselves Muslims. Furthermore, protecting life, and thereby health is one of the Five (agreed upon) Primary Objectives of Islamic Law, known in Arabic as “Maqaasid Ash-Shariah.”

There is an Islamic legal maxim which states “Maa laa yatim al-waajib illa bihi fahuwa waajib.” This means: That which is needed in order to accomplish something obligatory, becomes in and of itself obligatory. If in order to protect life, we need hospitals, doctors, nurses, clinics, functional medical educational institutions, affordable healthcare, etc. then all of this becomes a communal obligation (Fard Kiffayah) for the society. It is mentioned that in the time of Imam Abu Hamid Al-Ghazzali, many people were sending their children to study Islamic Jurisprudence to the point that he feared a shortage of those in the field of medicine, so he encouraged people to become doctors so that this Fard Kiffayah would be met.⁴

Healthcare is a human right. Protecting access to healthcare for everyone is an Islamic obligation, incumbent upon our communities. If some people are establishing a communal obligation, the responsibility is lifted from everyone else. However, if no one is establishing it, all the Muslims share in the sin.⁵ In our case, we have alhamdulilah, Muslim organizations on the scene, but they are also asking for our help. They need our participation for the will of our community to be represented in the healthcare debates.

As a community, let us take this Ramadan to better understand the beautiful guidance we have within Islam. Let us understand the statements of the Prophet (saw) not only as commanding excellence in perfecting our souls, but also as commanding excellence in perfecting our civilization. Islam encourages organization and structure, as this hadith could not be implemented without it. Taking care of the needs of large numbers of people means Muslims must be organized and trained to fulfill the humanitarian, social, economic, political, educational and spiritual needs of the societies in which we live. This is what it means to wish well for one another! Subhan Allah, Ramadan is not only a month to purify ourselves spiritually, but also to prepare ourselves for living and conveying the moral message of Islam in all aspects of our lives. May Allah help us!

Please see video and call the number:

http://pol.moveon.org/healthcare_cantwait/?id=17194-2566375-ICjt5lx&t=2

Related Articles:

Muslim Physicians on the Front Line of National Health Care Battle:

http://www.masnet.org/views.asp?id=5404

MAS Freedom Legislative Agenda, Article III:

http://masnet.org/takeaction.asp?id=5360

The healthcare debate raging around the country centers on partisanship and the limitations of the government. As Muslims, the question is not one of the public debt or pulling oneself up via bootstraps, but of social responsibility. Stories of the Prophet Muhammad (S) and sahabahs donating for charity and ensuring the well-being of the Muslim ummah paint a picture of how proactive the leaders of a community should be.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported in 2008 that 46.3 million Americans age 18-65 are not covered by any form of healthcare. Yet if “society is responsible to God for the welfare of the individual,” as Hammudah Abdalati, author of Islam in Focus, puts it, why have Muslims not stepped up to the plate to change the status quo? According to Islamic code, a person is entitled to “security and care, should he become disabled” (Abdalati). By default, Muslims should encourage a governing body with these same priorities.

Under the America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009, the millions of uninsured Americans will qualify for a public option. Regulations for the private sector will also apply to government-provided care, which will be funded solely by premiums. A summary provided by the House Committee on Ways and Means, Energy and Commerce, and Education and Labor proposes that the public option operate on a “level playing field.”

Additionally, private insurers will be unable to “engage in discriminatory practices” or “exclude coverage of treatments for pre-existing health conditions,” establishing a minimum quality standard for coverage (H.R. 3200). The goals of this bill include “affordability… competition… prevent[ion] of waste, fraud, and abuse.”

“The individual is responsible for the common welfare and prosperity of his society,” Abdalati preaches, and so does the healthcare proposal. The issue boils down to our duty as citizens of this country, and as Muslims. The community should be the proponent of reform and change, rather than a roadblock to the well-being of the public.

Sources:

FactCheck.org
CDC.gov
OpenCongress.org
Islam in Focus by Hammudah Abdalati