Prayer and contemplative practice الصلاة والذكر

وَٱلَّذِينَ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا هَبۡ لَنَا مِنۡ أَزۡوَٰجِنَا وَذُرِّيَّٰتِنَا قُرَّةَ أَعۡيُنࣲ وَٱجۡعَلۡنَا لِلۡمُتَّقِينَ إِمَامًا

those who pray, ‘Our Lord, give us joy in our spouses and offspring. Make us good examples to those who are aware of You’

وَقَالَ رَبُّكُمُ ٱدۡعُونِيٓ أَسۡتَجِبۡ لَكُمۡۚ إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يَسۡتَكۡبِرُونَ عَنۡ عِبَادَتِي سَيَدۡخُلُونَ جَهَنَّمَ دَاخِرِينَ

Your Lord says, ‘Call on Me and I will answer you; those who are too proud to serve Me will enter Hell humiliated.’

ٱلَّذِينَ إِذَا ذُكِرَ ٱللَّهُ وَجِلَتۡ قُلُوبُهُمۡ وَٱلصَّٰبِرِينَ عَلَىٰ مَآ أَصَابَهُمۡ وَٱلۡمُقِيمِي ٱلصَّلَوٰةِ وَمِمَّا رَزَقۡنَٰهُمۡ يُنفِقُونَ

whose hearts fill with awe whenever God is mentioned, who endure whatever happens to them with patience, who keep up the prayer, who give to others out of Our provision to them

رِجَالࣱ لَّا تُلۡهِيهِمۡ تِجَٰرَةࣱ وَلَا بَيۡعٌ عَن ذِكۡرِ ٱللَّهِ وَإِقَامِ ٱلصَّلَوٰةِ وَإِيتَآءِ ٱلزَّكَوٰةِ يَخَافُونَ يَوۡمࣰ ا تَتَقَلَّبُ فِيهِ ٱلۡقُلُوبُ وَٱلۡأَبۡصَٰرُ

men who are not distracted, either by commerce or profit, from remembering God, keeping up the prayer, and paying the prescribed alms, fearing a day when hearts and eyes will turn over

ٱتۡلُ مَآ أُوحِيَ إِلَيۡكَ مِنَ ٱلۡكِتَٰبِ وَأَقِمِ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَۖ إِنَّ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ تَنۡهَىٰ عَنِ ٱلۡفَحۡشَآءِ وَٱلۡمُنكَرِۗ وَلَذِكۡرُ ٱللَّهِ أَكۡبَرُۗ وَٱللَّهُ يَعۡلَمُ مَا تَصۡنَعُونَ

[Prophet], recite what has been revealed to you of the Scripture; keep up the prayer: prayer restrains outrageous and unacceptable behaviour. Remembering God is greater: God knows everything you are doing

إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنُ أَن يُوقِعَ بَيۡنَكُمُ ٱلۡعَدَٰوَةَ وَٱلۡبَغۡضَآءَ فِي ٱلۡخَمۡرِ وَٱلۡمَيۡسِرِ وَيَصُدَّكُمۡ عَن ذِكۡرِ ٱللَّهِ وَعَنِ ٱلصَّلَوٰةِۖ فَهَلۡ أَنتُم مُّنتَهُونَ

With intoxicants and gambling, Satan seeks only to incite enmity and hatred among you, and to stop you remembering God and prayer. Will you not give them up

and those who say ‘Our Lord! Grant us in our spouses and our offspring read plural dhurriyyātinā or singular dhurriyyatinā a joyful sight for us so that we see them obedient to You and make us paragons of virtue for the God-fearing’.

And those who do not bear witness to falsehood, and if they pass by some evil play or evil talk, they pass by it with dignity (72)And those who, when they are reminded of the Ayat of their Lord, fall not deaf and blind thereat (73)And those who say: "Our Lord! Bestow on us from our wives and our offspring the comfort of our eyes, and make us leaders of those who have Taqwa. (74) More Attributes of the Servants of the Most Gracious These are further attributes of the servants of the Most Gracious. They do not bear witness to falsehood, including lies, immorality, disbelief, foul speech and false words. 'Amr bin Qays said, this refers to gatherings of sexual immorality. It was said that the Ayah, لَا يَشْهَدُونَ الزُّورَ (And those who do not bear witness to falsehood,) refers to giving false testimony, which means lying deliberately to someone else. It was recorded in the Two Sahihs t

And your Lord has said ‘Call on Me and I will respond to you in other words worship Me and I will reward you — judging this to be the meaning by what follows. Surely those who disdain to worship Me shall enter sa-yadkhulūna or passive sa-yudkhalūna ‘they shall be admitted into’ Hell utterly humiliated’ abased.

And your Lord said: "Call upon Me, I will answer you. Verily, those who scorn My worship they will surely enter Hell in humiliation! (60) The Command to call upon Allah By His grace and kindness, Allah encourages His servants to call upon Him, and He guarantees to respond. Sufyan Ath-Thawri used to say: "O You Who love most those who ask of You, and O You Who hate most those who do not ask of You, and there is no one like that apart from You, O Lord." This was recorded by Ibn Abi Hatim. Similarly; the poet said: "Allah hates not to be asked, and the son of Adam hates to be asked." Qatadah said that Ka'b Al-Ahbar said, "This Ummah has been given three things which were not given to any nation before, only to Prophets. When Allah sent a Prophet, He said to him, 'You are a witness over your nation.' But you have been made witnesses over mankind; it was said to the Prophets individually,

Men whom neither trade nor buying diverts from the remembrance of God. He does not say that they do not trade and they do not buy. He says, “whom neither trade nor buy- ing diverts from the remembrance of God.” If it is possible to combine the two, there is no objec- tion, but this is like something that cannot be done, except for the great ones, over whom affairs flow while they have been taken from them. This is the attribute of men whose outward occupation does not hold them back from remem- bering God. Their outwardness is with people while their inwardness is witnessing the names and attributes of the Real. They are men whose seeking is the equitable, whose remembrance is the evidence, and whose love is the path. In their eyes this world is small. They are men whose watch- word is the remembrance of God, whose blanket is God's love, whose place and settledness is the threshold of Go

Satan desires only to precipitate enmity and hatred between you through wine and games of chance when you partake of them because of the evil and discord that result therefrom; and to bar you by your being preoccupied with them from the remembrance of God and from prayer — He has specifically mentioned it prayer so as to magnify it. So will you then desist? from partaking of them? In other words Desist!

حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ بَشَّارٍ، حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ عَجْلاَنَ، عَنِ الْقَعْقَاعِ، عَنْ أَبِي صَالِحٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ "‏ رَحِمَ اللَّهُ رَجُلاً قَامَ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ فَصَلَّى وَأَيْقَظَ امْرَأَتَهُ فَإِنْ أَبَتْ نَضَحَ فِي وَجْهِهَا الْمَاءَ رَحِمَ اللَّهُ امْرَأَةً قَامَتْ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ فَصَلَّتْ وَأَيْقَظَتْ زَوْجَهَا فَإِنْ أَبَى نَضَحَتْ فِي وَجْهِهِ الْمَاءَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

Narrated AbuHurayrah: The Prophet (ﷺ) said: May Allah have mercy on a man who gets up at night and prays, and awakens his wife; if she refuses, he should sprinkle water on her face. May Allah have mercy on a woman who gets up at night and prays, and awakens her husband; if he refuses, she would sprinkle water on his face

حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ كَثِيرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنْ مِسْعَرٍ، عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الأَقْمَرِ، ح وَحَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ حَاتِمِ بْنِ بَزِيعٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُوسَى، عَنْ شَيْبَانَ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الأَقْمَرِ، - الْمَعْنَى - عَنِ الأَغَرِّ، عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ، وَأَبِي، هُرَيْرَةَ قَالاَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ "‏ إِذَا أَيْقَظَ الرَّجُلُ أَهْلَهُ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ فَصَلَّيَا أَوْ صَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ جَمِيعًا كُتِبَا فِي الذَّاكِرِينَ وَالذَّاكِرَاتِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ وَلَمْ يَرْفَعْهُ ابْنُ كَثِيرٍ وَلاَ ذَكَرَ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ جَعَلَهُ كَلاَمَ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ ‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ رَوَاهُ ابْنُ مَهْدِيٍّ عَنْ سُفْيَانَ قَالَ وَأُرَاهُ ذَكَرَ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ ‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ وَحَدِيثُ سُفْيَانَ مَوْقُوفٌ ‏.‏

Narrated AbuSa'id and AbuHurayrah: The Prophet (ﷺ) said: If a man awakens his wife at night, and then both pray or both offer two rak'ahs together, the (name of the )man will be recorded among those who mention the name of Allah, and the (name of the) woman will be recorded among those who mention the name of Allah. Ibn Kathir did not narrate this tradition as a statement of the Prophet (ﷺ), but he reported it as a statement of Abu Sa'id. Abu Dawud said: This tradition has been narrated by Ibn Mahdi from Sufyan and I think he mentioned the name of Sufyan. He also said: The tradition transmitted by Sufyan is a statement of the Companion (and not that of the Prophet)

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ حَاتِمِ بْنِ بَزِيعٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُوسَى، عَنْ شَيْبَانَ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الأَقْمَرِ، عَنِ الأَغَرِّ أَبِي مُسْلِمٍ، عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ، وَأَبِي، هُرَيْرَةَ قَالاَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ "‏ مَنِ اسْتَيْقَظَ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ وَأَيْقَظَ امْرَأَتَهُ فَصَلَّيَا رَكْعَتَيْنِ جَمِيعًا كُتِبَا مِنَ الذَّاكِرِينَ اللَّهَ كَثِيرًا وَالذَّاكِرَاتِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

Narrated AbuSa'id ; AbuHurayrah: The Prophet (ﷺ) said: When a man himself wakes at night and wakens his wife and they pray two rak'ahs together, they are recorded among the men and women who make much mention of Allah

أَخْبَرَنَا يَعْقُوبُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى، عَنِ ابْنِ عَجْلاَنَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي الْقَعْقَاعُ، عَنْ أَبِي صَالِحٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ "‏ رَحِمَ اللَّهُ رَجُلاً قَامَ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ فَصَلَّى ثُمَّ أَيْقَظَ امْرَأَتَهُ فَصَلَّتْ فَإِنْ أَبَتْ نَضَحَ فِي وَجْهِهَا الْمَاءَ وَرَحِمَ اللَّهُ امْرَأَةً قَامَتْ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ فَصَلَّتْ ثُمَّ أَيْقَظَتْ زَوْجَهَا فَصَلَّى فَإِنْ أَبَى نَضَحَتْ فِي وَجْهِهِ الْمَاءَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

It was narrated that Abu Hurairah said:"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'May Allah (SWT) have mercy on a man who gets up at night and prays, then he wakes his wife and she prays, and if she refuses he sprinkles water in her face. And may Allah (SWT) have mercy on a woman who gets up at night and prays, then she wakes her husband and prays, and if he refuses she sprinkles water in his face

حَدَّثَنَا الْعَبَّاسُ بْنُ عُثْمَانَ الدِّمَشْقِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا الْوَلِيدُ بْنُ مُسْلِمٍ، حَدَّثَنَا شَيْبَانُ أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الأَقْمَرِ، عَنِ الأَغَرِّ، عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ، وَأَبِي، هُرَيْرَةَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ قَالَ ‏ "‏ إِذَا اسْتَيْقَظَ الرَّجُلُ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ وَأَيْقَظَ امْرَأَتَهُ فَصَلَّيَا رَكْعَتَيْنِ كُتِبَا مِنَ الذَّاكِرِينَ اللَّهَ كَثِيرًا وَالذَّاكِرَاتِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

It was narrated that Abu Sa’eed and Abu Hurairah said that the Prophet (ﷺ) said:‘When a man wakes up at night and wakes his wife, and they pray two Rak’ah, they will be recorded among the men and women who remember Allah much.”

حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ، عَنْ مَالِكِ بْنِ أَنَسٍ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِي عُبَيْدٍ، مَوْلَى عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ عَوْفٍ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ قَالَ ‏"‏ يُسْتَجَابُ لأَحَدِكُمْ مَا لَمْ يَعْجَلْ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قِيلَ وَكَيْفَ يَعْجَلُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ ‏"‏ يَقُولُ قَدْ دَعَوْتُ اللَّهَ فَلَمْ يَسْتَجِبِ اللَّهُ لِي ‏"‏ ‏.‏

It was narrated from Abu Hurairah that :the Messenger of Allah (saas) said: "It is necessary that you do not become hasty." It was said: "What does being hasty mean, O Messenger of Allah?" He said: "When one says: 'I supplicated to Allah but Allah did not answer me

@QB@ الأول @QE@ أن يستعد لها يوم الخميس عزما عليها واستقبالا لفضلها فيشتغل بالدعاء والاستغفار والتسبيح بعد العصر يوم الخميس لأنها ساعة قوبلت بالساعة المبهمة في يوم الجمعة

والأفضل في أوقات السحر الإشتغال بالصلاة والقرآن والدعاء والذكر والإستغفار

واذا اجتمع مع الدعاء حضور القلب وجمعيته بكليته على المطلوب وصادف وقتا من أوقات الاجابة الستة وهي الثلث الاخير من الليل وعند الأذان وبين الأذان والاقامة وادبار الصلوات المكتوبات وعند صعود الامام يوم الجمعة على المنبر حتى تقضى الصلوة وآخر ساعة بعد العصر من ذلك اليوم وصادف خشوعا في القلب وانكسارا بين يدي الرب وذلاله وتضرعا ورقة واستقبل الداعي القبلة وكان على طهارة ورفع يديه إلى الله تعالى وبدأ بحمد الله والثناء عليه ثم ثنى بالصلوة على محمد عبده صلى الله عليه وسلم ثم قدم بين يدي حاجته التوبة والاستغفار ثم دخل على الله والح عليه في المسئلة وتملقه ودعاه رغبة ورهبة وتوسل اليه باسمائه وصفاته وتوحيده وقدم بين يدي دعائه صدقة فان هذا الدعاء لا يكاد يرد أبدا ولا سيما ان صادف الادعية التي أخبر النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم أنها مظنة الاجابة أو أنها متضمنة للأسم الأعظم فمنها ما في السنن وفي صحيح بن حبان من حديث عبد الله بن بريدة عن أبيه رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم سمع رجلا يقول اللهم إني أسالك باني أشهد أ

فهذا مقصود الصلاة على الميت وهو الدعاء له والاستغفار والشفاعة فيه

فلهذا كان هذا الدعاء سيد الإستغفار وهو متضمن لمحض العبودية فأي حسنة تبقى للبصير الصادق مع مشاهدته عيوب نفسه وعمله ومنة الله عليه فهذا الذي يعطيه نظره إلى نفسه ونقصه

الورد السابع: من اصفرار الشمس إلى أن تغرب، وهو وقت شريف. قال الحسن البصري رحمه الله: كانوا أشد تعظيما للعشي من أول النهار، فيستحب في هذا الوقت التسبيح والاستغفار خاصة.

Effect of Ramadan fasting on glycaemic parameters & body mass index in type II diabetic patients: A meta-analysis.: Background & objectives: There has been an ongoing debate about the impact of Ramadan fasting (RF) on the health of these individuals who fast during Ramadan. The aim of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the relationship between RF and glycaemic parameters in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients. Methods: Search terms were decided and databases such as MEDLINE EBSCO, Google Scholar and EMBASE were searched for eligible studies. Standardized mean differences and 95 per cent confidence interv

A systematic review of religious beliefs about major end-of-life issues in the five major world religions.: Objective: The objective of this study was to examine the religious/spiritual beliefs of followers of the five major world religions about frequently encountered medical situations at the end of life (EoL). Method: This was a systematic review of observational studies on the religious aspects of commonly encountered EoL situations. The databases used for retrieving studies were: Ovid MEDLINE In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations, Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid EMBASE, Ovid PsycINFO, Ovid Cochrane Central

A systematic review on efficacy and safety of the current hypoglycemic agents in patients with diabetes during Ramadan fasting.: The fasting in the holy month of Ramadan is passionately practised among the Muslims population around the world. Patients with diabetes are generally considered to have various risks with fasting. The recent pharmacologic and technical advances in the management of diabetes may have enabled these patients to practice safe fasting. The purpose of this review is to scientific evidence on the safety and efficacy of the current hypoglycemic agents during Ramadan. METHODS: An extensive Electronic se

The effect of observing religious or faith-based fasting on cardiovascular disease risk factors: A systematic review and meta-analysis.: Aims: Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading cause of death worldwide. Fasting is common in many religions and is associated with health benefits. This systematic review to compares the impact of different religious fasting practices, on risk of cardiometabolic diseases. Data synthesis: The search covered five databases following PRISMA guidelines to identify papers published in English from inception to March 2023 (updated January 2024). Inclusion criteria were healthy adults in observat

Private prayer as a suitable intervention for hospitalised patients: a critical review of the literature.: Aim: This critical review seeks to identify if there is evidence that private (personal) prayer is capable of improving wellbeing for adult patients in hospital. Background: The review was conducted in the belief that the spiritual needs of hospitalised patients may be enhanced by encouragement and support to engage in prayer. Design: Systematic review. Method: A systematic approach was used to gather evidence from published studies. In the absence of experimental research involving this type of

Impact of Ramadan-focused diabetes education on hypoglycemia risk and metabolic control for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: A systematic review.: Background: Ramadan fasting is regarded as a form of worship amongst Muslims. However, patients with a high risk of diabetic complications are advised to avoid fasting, as the practice is associated with significant impacts on several health factors for type 2 diabetic patients, including glycaemic control. Thus, a lack of focused education before Ramadan may result in negative health outcomes. Aim: To evaluate the impact of a Ramadan-focused diabetes education programme on hypoglycaemic risk an

Total sleep time in Muslim football players is reduced during Ramadan: a pilot study on the standardized assessment of subjective sleep-wake patterns in athletes.

Ramadan is a period in which Muslims fast during daylight hours and is associated with disturbances in sleep-wake behaviour and adverse effects on physical and mental health in normal volunteers. Studies using athletes are rare and remain equivocal as to whether Ramadan influences sleep-wake patterns. Notably, the standardized assessment of subjective sleep quality and daytime sleepiness in athletes has not been established. This study employed the Arabic version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Insomnia Severity Index, and Epworth Sleepiness Scale in nine football players aged 20-35 years (mean ± s: 26 ± 4) one week before and during the last week of Ramadan. Compliance rates with self-administration were high (71%) and the results demonstrated a robust decline in total sleep time (before Ramadan: 6.6 ± 2 h; at the end of Ramadan: 5.3 ± 1 h; P < 0.05, effect size 0.81). Compared w…

matched on Islam (mesh)

Women's sexual empowerment and contraceptive use in Ghana.

Pervasive gendered inequities and norms regarding the subordination of women give Ghanaian men disproportionately more power than women, particularly in relation to sex. We hypothesize that lack of sexual empowerment may pose an important barrier to reproductive health and adoption of family planning methods. Using the 2008 Ghana Demographic Health Survey, we examine the association between women's sexual empowerment and contraceptive use in Ghana among nonpregnant married and partnered women not desiring to conceive in the next three months. Increasing levels of sexual empowerment are found to be associated with use of contraceptives, even after adjusting for demographic predictors of contraceptive use. This association is moderated by wealth. Formal education, increasing wealth, and being in an unmarried partnership are associated with contraceptive use, whereas women who identify as b…

matched on Religion (mesh)

Addressing spirituality within the care of patients at the end of life: perspectives of patients with advanced cancer, oncologists, and oncology nurses.

Purpose: Attention to patients' religious and spiritual needs is included in national guidelines for quality end-of-life care, but little data exist to guide spiritual care. Patients and methods: The Religion and Spirituality in Cancer Care Study is a multi-institution, quantitative-qualitative study of 75 patients with advanced cancer and 339 cancer physicians and nurses. Patients underwent semistructured interviews, and care providers completed a Web-based survey exploring their perspectives on the routine provision of spiritual care by physicians and nurses. Theme extraction was performed following triangulated procedures of interdisciplinary analysis. Multivariable ordinal logistic regression models assessed relationships between participants' characteristics and attitudes toward spiritual care. Results: The majority of patients (77.9%), physicians (71.6%), and nurses (85.1%) believe…

matched on Religion (mesh)

Health promotion in megachurches: an untapped resource with megareach?

Unlabelled: INTRODUCTION. In the United States, megachurches (churches with 2,000+ attendance) represent a community institution with extensive reach within the population. Despite this potential for reach, the current health promotion practices of megachurches are unknown. This study aimed to document current health promotion activities and resources for health promotion in megachurches. Method: Staff at megachurches were recruited to take an online survey of health promotion programs, health promotion-related beliefs, barriers, and existing resources. Results: Respondents (n = 110 churches) indicated that churches were primarily Baptist (23.6%) or nondenominational (21.1%), had 2,500 to 4,999 congregation members (44.5%), primarily White congregation members (83.5%), and 31 to 60 employees (45.4%). Churches reported 4.73 ± 2.54 activities/year, most commonly reporting clubs or teams re…

matched on Religion (mesh)

Religious practices, beliefs, and mental health: variations across ethnicity.

Objectives: We examined whether Black Americans and Hispanic Americans experienced greater mental health benefits from religious involvement than White Americans, and whether these benefits would be mediated through three psychosocial factors--social support, meaning, and forgiveness. Methods: Utilizing data from a probability sample of Chicago-based adults (n=3103), ethnicity-stratified multivariate regression models estimated the association of religiosity with depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and major depressive disorder (MDD). Models controlled for potential confounders and psychosocial mediators. Results: Contrary to our hypotheses, religiously involved Black Americans and Hispanic Americans did not experience greater mental health benefits than their White counterparts. For White Americans alone, service attendance was inversely related to depressive symptoms, anxiety sympto…

matched on Religion (mesh)

Illness appraisal, religious coping, and psychological responses in men with advanced cancer.

Purpose: Patients experience diverse psychological responses to cancer. Appraisals and coping have been shown to predict psychological responses to stressors. For men with advanced cancer, appraisal of cancer's impact on their lives (illness appraisal) and religious coping may be particularly important predictors of psychological responses. We examined the relationships among illness appraisal, religious coping, and positive and negative psychological responses while controlling for disease and patient characteristics. Method: Eighty-six men with advanced cancer completed measures, including constructed Meaning of Illness Scale, Brief Religious Coping Scale, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, mini-Mental Adjustment to Cancer Scale, and Posttraumatic Growth Inventory. Treating oncologists completed questions about disease status and estimated the chances of the patient surviving 6 mon…

matched on Religion (mesh)

Mevlana Jalāl-ad-Dīn Rumi and mindfulness.

The use of mindfulness-related methods for the treatment of a variety of psychological, somatic and interpersonal problems has increased dramatically in the last decade. Almost all mindfulness-based therapies include the practice of meditation in addition to various cognitive and/or behavioral techniques. The source of inspiration for mindfulness has traditionally been Buddhism, while Islamic thought has not been present in this development despite the similarities in philosophy and a growing need for mental health support among Muslim populations throughout the world. It is in this context that Sufism and especially Rumi's teachings seem to be promising both in terms of research on consciousness and in terms of culturally sensitive methods of healing. The aim of the present article is to highlight the commonality of mindfulness-based therapies and Rumi's religious philosophy. Introducin…

matched on Islam (mesh)

An exploration of knowledge, attitudes and behaviours of young multiethnic Muslim-majority society in Malaysia in relation to reproductive and premarital sexual practices.

Background: The increasing trend of premarital sexual experience and unintended pregnancies in Malaysia warrants sustained and serious attention. The sensitivities of sex-related issues in a Muslim-majority country create various types of barriers to sexual and reproductive health information, support and practices. This study aims to gain understanding of knowledge, attitudes and behaviours of young women in Malaysia concerning reproductive, contraception and premarital sexual practices. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed, using an anonymous self-administered questionnaire carried out among 1695 female university students in a public university in Malaysia. Results: Respondents had low scores for knowledge of reproduction and pregnancy (median=4, of maximum score 10), contraceptive uses (median=6, of maximum score 16) and contraceptive availability (median=3, of maximum scor…

matched on Islam (mesh)

Association of violence against women with religion and culture in Erbil Iraq: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Violence against women by intimate partners is still a public health problem. The study aims at finding out the prevalence of violence among women residing in Erbil city (Muslim culture) and in Ankawa sub-district (Christian culture), finding out the role of religion and culture on the prevalence, and finding out some other factors (like occupation of husband and wife, age at marriage, woman agreement for marriage, illegitimate relations of husband) that might be associated with violence. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out in Erbil during the second half of the year 2011. Two groups were considered; group one (G1) included women residing in Ankawa sub-district (representing Christian culture), and group two (G2) included women residing in Erbil city (representing Muslim culture). A convenience method of sampling was used to collect the sample (250 women of each …

matched on Religion (mesh)

Women's decision making regarding choice of second trimester termination method for pregnancy complications.

Objective: To describe how women terminating a pregnancy for fetal or maternal complications decide between surgical (dilation and evacuation [D&E]) and medical abortion. Methods: A qualitative study was conducted among women who underwent D&E or medical abortion before 24 weeks of gestation for fetal anomalies or pregnancy complications at an academic medical center where both methods are offered. Women were interviewed by phone 1 week after the procedure about their counseling experiences and reasons for choosing a particular method. Data were analyzed by 3 researchers using a grounded theory approach, and interviews were stopped upon thematic saturation. Results: Of the 21 women, 13 (62%) chose D&E and 8 (38%) chose medical abortion. Key themes that emerged from the interviews were valuing the ability to choose the method, and the importance of religious beliefs, abortion attitudes, a…

matched on Religion (mesh)

The relationship between religious coping, psychological distress and quality of life in hemodialysis patients.

Objective: No studies have evaluated the relationship among religious coping, psychological distress and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with End stage renal disease (ESRD). This study assessed whether positive religious coping or religious struggle was independently associated with psychological distress and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in hemodialysis patients. Methods: This cross-sectional study recruited a random sample of 170 patients who had ESRD from three outpatient hemodialysis units. Socio-demographic and clinical data were collected. Patients completed the Brief RCOPE, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the World Health Organization Quality of Life instrument-Abbreviated version (WHOQOL-Bref). Results: Positive or negative religious coping strategies were frequently adopted by hemodialysis patients to deal with ESRD. Religious str…

matched on Religion (mesh)

Muslim women's physician preference: beyond obstetrics and gynecology.

When Emirati (Muslim) women (n = 218) were asked about their preferred physician (in terms of gender, religion, and nationality) for three personal clinical scenarios, a female was almost exclusively preferred for the gynecological (96.8%) and "stomach" (94.5%) scenarios, while ±46% of the women also preferred a female physician for the facial allergy scenario. Only 17% considered physician gender important for the prepubertal child scenario. Just over half of the women preferred a Muslim physician for personal examinations (vs. 37.6% for the child). Being less educated and having a lower literacy level were significant predictors of preferred physician religion for some personal scenarios, whereas a higher education level was a significant predictor for physician gender not mattering for the facial allergy scenario. Muslim women's preference for same gender physicians, and to a lesser e…

matched on Islam (mesh)

Explaining radical group behavior: Developing emotion and efficacy routes to normative and nonnormative collective action.

A recent model of collective action distinguishes 2 distinct pathways: an emotional pathway whereby anger in response to injustice motivates action and an efficacy pathway where the belief that issues can be solved collectively increases the likelihood that group members take action (van Zomeren, Spears, Fischer, & Leach, 2004). Research supporting this model has, however, focused entirely on relatively normative actions such as participating in demonstrations. We argue that the relations between emotions, efficacy, and action differ for more extreme, nonnormative actions and propose (a) that nonnormative actions are often driven by a sense of low efficacy and (b) that contempt, which, unlike anger, entails psychological distancing and a lack of reconciliatory intentions, predicts nonnormative action. These ideas were tested in 3 survey studies examining student protests against tuition …

matched on Islam (mesh)

Acculturation and psychological distress among non-Western Muslim migrants--a population-based survey.

Background: Political and social developments point at increasing marginalization of Muslim migrants, but little is known about its consequences for the mental health of this particular group. Aim: To explore the relationship between acculturation and psychological distress among first-generation Muslim migrants from Turkey and Morocco in the Netherlands. Methods: A cross-sectional study. Respondents were interviewed in their preferred language. Acculturation was measured with the Lowlands Acculturation Scale (LAS) and psychological distress with the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10). Data were complete for 321 subjects and analyzed with multivariate linear regression. Results: Less skills for living in Dutch society was associated with distress (p = 0.032). Feelings of loss were related to distress among Moroccans (p = 0.037). There was an interaction between traditionalism and…

matched on Islam (mesh)

Spirituality and religiousness as predictive factors of outcome in schizophrenia and schizo-affective disorders.

Spirituality and religiousness have been shown to be highly prevalent in patients with schizophrenia. This study assesses the predictive value of helpful vs. harmful use of religion to cope with schizophrenia or schizo-affective disorder at 3 years. From an initial cohort of 115 outpatients, 80% were reassessed for positive, negative and general symptoms, clinical global impression, social adaptation and quality of life. For patients with helpful religion at baseline, the importance of spirituality was predictive of fewer negative symptoms, better clinical global impression, social functioning and quality of life. The frequencies of religious practices in community and support from religious community had no effect on outcome. For patients with harmful religion at baseline, no relationships were elicited. This result may be due to sample size. Indeed, helpful spiritual/religious coping c…

matched on Religion (mesh)

Religious coping strategies in patients diagnosed with breast cancer in the UK.

Objectives: The use of religious/spiritual coping strategies may be particularly prevalent when dealing with the stress of a cancer diagnosis. There has, however, been very little research conducted on this topic outside the USA. Existing measures of coping largely ignore the complexity of religious/spiritual coping and its potential to be adaptive as well as maladaptive. The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence of various religious coping strategies in a UK cancer sample. Method: A longitudinal design assessed religious coping strategies in patients newly diagnosed with breast cancer at the time of surgery and at 3 and 12 months post surgery. We recruited 202 patients of which, at 12 months, 160 remained. A non-religious coping measure was included for comparison. Results: The use of religious coping strategies was overall common; up to 73% of patients used positive religious…

matched on Religion (mesh)

Nutrition-related health management in a Bangladeshi community.

The British Bangladeshi community is one of the youngest and fastest growing ethnic minority groups in the UK. Many report poor socio-economic and health profiles with the existence of substantial health inequalities, particularly in relation to type 2 diabetes. Although there is compelling evidence for the effectiveness of lifestyle interventions in the prevention of type 2 diabetes, there is little understanding of how best to tailor treatments to the needs of minority ethnic groups. Little is known about nutrition related lifestyle choices in the Bangladeshi community or the factors influencing such decisions. Only by exploring these factors will it be possible to design and tailor interventions appropriately. The Bangladeshi Initiative for the Prevention of Diabetes study explored lay beliefs and attitudes, religious teachings and professional perspectives in relation to diabetes pre…

matched on Islam (mesh)

Social and cultural construction of obesity among Pakistani Muslim women in North West England.

Objective: The present qualitative study explored health perceptions, diet and the social construction of obesity and how this relates to the initiation and maintenance of a healthier diet in UK Pakistani women. Design: Pakistani women in Greater Manchester participated in focus group and one-to-one discussions. Semi-structured interviews employing fictional vignettes and body shape images were used to explore the participants' beliefs and practices regarding diet, overweight/obesity and the risk of type 2 diabetes. Transcripts were analysed using phenomenological and sociological approaches. Setting: Interviews took place either in local community and Pakistani resource centres or in private homes. Subjects: First- and second-generation women who were both active in the community and housebound. The women spoke English and/or Urdu. Results: The fifty-five participants lacked the motivat…

matched on Islam (mesh)

The magnitude of reciprocity in chronic pain management: experiences of dispersed ethnic populations of Muslim women.

Dispersed ethnic populations believe their health to be worse than the ethnic majority group in Sweden. Most studies in rehabilitation exclude dispersed ethnic populations who can not read or speak the national language although this group seems to be in need of rehabilitation to a larger extent than privileged majority groups. The aim of the study was to examine the experience of living with musculoskeletal pain and experience of health care among dispersed ethnic populations of Muslim women. The method used was inspired by Grounded Theory in this study. Interviews were made with five first-generation Muslim immigrant women who had come to Sweden via Iraq as refugees. Two interviews were performed with interpreters. A preliminary core category 'The magnitude of reciprocity' based on three categories emerged from the analysis: (1) Impact of pain, (2) Managing pain and (3) Facing health c…

matched on Islam (mesh)

The influence of culture on end-of-life decision making.

In their research, scholars have documented racial and ethnic differences in end-of-life care preferences, which have translated into cultural barriers. However, few studies have explained the racial differences. In the present study, focus groups with semi-structured follow-up interviews were utilized to elicit explanations for variance in decision making in a sample of Black and White community-dwelling residents. Participants identified specific cultural beliefs, values, and communication patterns that can be used to promote cultural competency among practitioners who provide care at end of life.

matched on Religion (mesh)

Spirituality, religiosity, and spiritual pain in advanced cancer patients.

Context: Spirituality, religiosity, and spiritual pain may affect advanced cancer patients' symptom expression, coping strategies, and quality of life. Objectives: To examine the prevalence and intensity of spirituality, religiosity, and spiritual pain, and how spiritual pain was associated with symptom expression, coping, and spiritual quality of life. Methods: We interviewed 100 advanced cancer patients at the M.D. Anderson palliative care outpatient clinic in Houston, TX. Self-rated spirituality, religiosity, and spiritual pain were assessed using numeric rating scales (0=lowest, 10=highest). Patients also completed validated questionnaires assessing symptoms (Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale [ESAS] and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale), coping (Brief COPE and Brief R-COPE), the value attributed by the patient to spirituality/religiosity in coping with cancer (Systems of Belief …

matched on Religion (mesh)

Does negative religious coping accompany, precede, or follow depression among Orthodox Jews?

Background: Cross sectional research suggests that negative religious coping (e.g., anger at God and religious disengagement) strongly correlates with depression and anxiety. However, causality is difficult to establish as negative coping can accompany, cause, or result from distress. Among Orthodox Jews, some studies have found correlations between negative religious coping and anxiety and depression, while others found that high levels of negative coping related with decreased distress. We therefore examined longitudinal relationships between negative coping and depressive symptoms among Orthodox Jews. Methods: Participants (80 Orthodox Jews) completed the Jewish Religious Coping Scale and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies' Depression Scale at two times. Using Structural Equation Modeling, we compared four models describing possible causal patterns. Results: Negative religious copin…

matched on Religion (mesh)

Mental health, not social support, mediates the forgiveness-alcohol outcome relationship.

Religiousness and spirituality are important to most Americans, and evidence suggests that they may contribute to both addiction and recovery. Forgiveness is a specific dimension of religiousness and spirituality that may enhance recovery, but the mechanism(s) through which it operates is unknown. We hypothesized that higher levels of forgiveness would be associated with higher levels of mental health and social support, which, in turn, would be associated with improved alcohol-related outcomes. Baseline and 6-month longitudinal data from a sample of 149 individuals with alcohol use disorders seeking outpatient substance abuse treatment were analyzed through multiple-mediation statistical techniques. While previous research has shown direct associations among forgiveness, alcohol-related outcomes, mental health, and social support, this study found that the direct associations between fo…

matched on Religion (mesh)

Quality of life measures in Islamic rectal carcinoma patients receiving counselling.

Aim: This prospective study was conducted to compare changes in the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and religious practices of patients who underwent surgery for rectal cancer. Method: We prospectively followed 93 Muslim patients after surgery for colorectal carcinoma: abdominoperineal excision (APE, n = 50), sphincter-saving resection (LAR, n = 22) or anterior resection including sigmoid colectomy (AR, n = 1). The HRQoL was measured pre- and postoperatively at 15-18 months with the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36) and a modified version of the American Society of Colorectal Surgeons (ASCRS) Fecal Incontinence questionnaire. Life standards, including religious practice, were measured using the Ankara University Life Standard Questionnaire. Results: No difference was detected in any SF-36 Health Survey HRQoL domain among the groups, although there were dif…

matched on Islam (mesh)

Six-month changes in spirituality and religiousness in alcoholics predict drinking outcomes at nine months.

Objective: Although spiritual change is hypothesized to contribute to recovery from alcohol dependence, few studies have used prospective data to investigate this hypothesis. Prior studies have also been limited to treatment-seeking and Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) samples. This study included alcohol-dependent individuals, both in treatment and not, to investigate the effect of spiritual and religious (SR) change on subsequent drinking outcomes, independent of AA involvement. Method: Alcoholics (N = 364) were recruited for a panel study from two abstinence-based treatment centers, a moderation drinking program, and untreated individuals from the local community. Quantitative measures of SR change between baseline and 6 months were used to predict 9-month drinking outcomes, controlling for baseline drinking and AA involvement. Results: Significant 6-month changes in 8 of 12 SR measures were…

matched on Religion (mesh)