faqir
17-07-05, 10:55 PM
Dealing With Muslim Cancer Patients
_____
Answered by Ustadha Umm Salah
www.sunnipath.com
Question:
Being a Spiritual Care volunteer at a local hospital, I often help out
in
the palliative ward. There, among others, I also visit the cancer
patients.
I am often asked by my non-Muslim coworkers, how we as Muslims perceive
death, suffering, and illnesses, especially cancer. They ask me whether
we
(Muslims) talk about cancer & other serious illnesses openly or is
there a
stigma attached to it in our culture?
What is and what should be our attitude in general to cancer & towards
cancer patients? What does Islam say about it? How should we as Muslims
deal
with such patients & their families? Could you also please mention if
there
are any special prayers & duas for such illnesses?
_____
Answer:
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
Praise be to Allah. May Allah's peace and blessings bestow upon our
beloved
Prophet, his family, companions, and those who follow them.
Dear Sister,
Dealing with cancer patients of all backgrounds requires much
sensitivity,
patience, and compassion. I am sure that you know this from your work.
I
will do my best to answer all of your questions.
1. How do Muslims perceive death, suffering, and illness?
Allah Most High says, "Wherever ye are, death will find you out, even
if ye
are in towers built up strong and high! If some good befalls them, they
say,
'This is from Allah'; but if evil, they say, 'This is from thee" (O
Prophet)'. Say: 'All things are from Allah'. But what hath come to
these
people, that they fail to understand a single fact?" [Al-Nisa, 4:78]
Death is a reality of life. In the Islamic view, the life of this world
is
fleeting. Death is a transition from the ephemerality of this life to
the
permanence of the Hereafter. Allah The Exalted also says, "What is the
life
of this world but amusement and play? But, verily, the Home in the
Hereafter
-- that is life, indeed, if they but knew." [Al-Ankabut, 29:64]
Our Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, constantly reminded
us of
the reality of death, and the fact that it would overtake everyone. He
said,
"Make much remembrance of the destroyer of pleasures." [Tirmidhi,
Nasa'i,
Ibn Maja, and Ahmad]
A Muslim realizes that this life is a preparation for the life to come.
Allah Most High determines how, where, and when death will befall us.
It is
up to us to make use of the time we've been granted. Suffering is one
of the
tests of Allah. Often, when Allah Most High loves a believer, He will
test
him with calamities, illness, or suffering. The believer welcomes the
decree
of Allah with patience and gratitude, seeing this event as an
opportunity to
draw closer to his or her Lord, and be purified of his or her sins. The
Qur'an says, "Be sure we shall test you with something of fear and
hunger,
some loss in goods or lives or the fruits (of your toil), but give glad
tidings to those who patiently persevere; Who say, when afflicted with
calamity: 'To Allah We belong, and to Him is our return'. They are
those on
whom (descend) blessings from Allah, and Mercy, and they are the ones
that
receive guidance." [Al-Baqarah, 2:155-157]
2. Do we (Muslims) talk about cancer & other serious illnesses openly
or is
there a stigma attached to it in our culture?
From my personal experience, I have noted that while the ulama do not
shy
away from discussing death and disease, many of the laypeople do not
approach these issues with the same openness. I do believe that some
Muslim
cultures frown on the public discussion of disease, particularly
communicable diseases, like HIV. Based on my personal observation in
places
like Iran and Syria, I noticed that doctors refused to talk to patients
about the specifics of their condition, especially if these patients
were
terminally ill. Instead, they preferred to notify the family in an
indirect
manner that the patient did not have long to live. Being a Westerner, I
found this very strange, but perhaps only because we're used to
information-saturated societies. I think that medical care providers
should
be aware of people's cultural sensitivities. If a patient would be
disturbed
to know about his or her condition, then perhaps this information is
best
discussed with the next of kin. If, on the other hand, the patient
wants
full disclosure, then the hospital staff should be willing to be
candid.
3. How do we deal with cancer patients?
I believe that it is important to make cancer patients as comfortable
as
possible. Our Beloved Prophet, peace be upon him, instructed us to
visit the
sick and minister to them. If we follow his sunna, then we see that the
practice of shunning the ill, or attaching stigma to their disease, is
not
the practice of the Prophet, upon whom be peace. While I personally
feel
that patients should be equipped with all the information they need to
understand and combat their illness, I also understand that every
patient
has to be approached with sensitivity toward his or her religious,
ethnic,
and social background. Well before the advent of modern medicine,
Muslim
doctors made great strides in treating sickness. Islam has a well
established medical ethic. The Prophet, peace be upon him, encouraged
us to
seek a cure for our ailments. He even said,"There is no disease that
Allah
has created, except that He also has created its treatment."
[Al-Bukhari,
Volume 7, Book 71, Number 582] We should view cancer as something that
can
be cured, and cancer patients as people who are being tested by Allah.
We
can learn from the fortitude of people afflicted with this disease.
While I personally have never cared for a cancer patient, I would like
to
share my experiences with a wonderful sister who has been living with
cancer
for the past 15 years. I can personally attest to the nur (light) on
this
sister's face. She brightens up a room when she enters. I have never
heard
this sister utter a word of complaint or anger toward Allah Most High.
She
is brave, constant, and steadfast. She has met her illness head on,
undergoing chemotherapy, surgery, and alternative medicine. I have lost
count how many times she has gone to the hospital and been on the verge
of
death, only to rally by the mercy of Allah Most High and return to our
gatherings of dhikr and salawat. Not only has this sister been tested
with
cancer, she lost her son when he died trying to shield children from
gang
cross-fire in a park. This sister's courage astounds me. She bore her
son's
death with a strength and willpower reminiscent of the mothers of
Palestine
and Iraq. This sister has been completely open about the fact that she
is
coping with cancer. She does not view cancer as a stigma. She has been
an
inspiration to me and countless others who have benefited from her
company.
It is because of people like this sister who bear adversity with
beautiful
patience that Allah Most High has blessed our community. It is so
important
to stress that sisters and brothers with cancer need our care, support,
love, and constant attention. It was brought to my attention by a
sister on
SunniPath that the support needed by cancer patients and their families
is
beyond the average person's comprehension. She urges us to devote just
a
little of our attention to the needs of cancer patients and their
families.
Allah Ta'ala, we will be rewarded both for our good deeds and
intentions. I
think it would be helpful to become better educated about this disease
to
erase the stigma attached to it by some in our community. We should
consider
forming networks and support groups for Muslim cancer patients and
their
families.
Shaykh Hamza Yusuf, in a lecture given during the visit of Shaykh
Muhammad
Abu Shusha to Zaytuna Institute, reminded his audience that sick people
have
a right over us. If we don't fulfill this right, we're guilty of
oppression. We should be praying as a community for the sick and
visiting
them. There have been studies done on the relationship between healing
and
prayer. These scientific studies have shown a link between people being
prayed for and experiencing a faster recovery and healing process. If
even
non-Muslims have this kind of access to Allah through prayer, imagine
what
it's like for Muslims!We have an access no one else has. We don't say
this
out of arrogance. This is a gift from Allah, a gift of direct prayer to
Allah and intercession through His Prophet, peace be upon him. Get up
in the
night and pray for the ill. And when you're sick, Allah will have
someone
pray for you. Do it for the sake of Allah. There's a hadith to the
effect
that when you pray for your brother, angels come and ask the same for
you.
Sarte, the French philospher said: Hell is other people. [We
say:]Jannah is
other people. Paradise is other people, people that care for each
other.
There's no meaning for the community if we don't care for each other. I
know
we're all busy but busy is not an excuse. If you have time to go to
Starbucks or read the paper, [then you have time to visit the sick].
[Excerpted from a lecture by Shaykh Hamza Yusuf, entitled Preservation
Amidst Tribulation, at <http://www.zaytuna.org/multimedia.asp>
http://www.zaytuna.org/multimedia.asp. All credit goes to Shaykh
Hamza.]
4. Are there any special duas or prayers to make?
SunniPath has some really useful links, which I will share with you:
I am a <http://www.sunnipath.com/resources/Questions/qa00002294.aspx>
young
woman who is suffering from a serious illness. Is there something I
should
do, spiritually, or recite?
The Prayer
<http://www.sunnipath.com/resources/Questions/qa00001118.aspx>
of Need (Salat al-Hajah) [This is a prayer from the Sunna. You perform
this
prayer when asking Allah to fulfill a special need or desire.]
Increasing
<http://www.sunnipath.com/resources/Questions/qa00005042.aspx>
Faith (Iman)
<http://www.sunnipath.com/resources/Questions/qa00005042.aspx>
O <http://www.sunnipath.com/resources/Questions/qa00000688.aspx%20> n
Death
and Dying
Salat <http://www.sunnipath.com/resources/Questions/QA00002785.pdf>
al-Tibbiyya
Dua for <http://www.sunnipath.com/resources/Questions/qa00003469.aspx>
Healing (Shifa)
Black Seed
<http://www.sunnipath.com/resources/Questions/qa00000417.aspx>
Oil: Use
Finally, there are some online resources for Muslim cancer patients at:
* http://muslimcancersupport.org/ and
* The website of the American Society of Clinical Oncology has a paper
on death and dying from the Muslim perspective at
<http://www.asco.org/ac/1,1003,_12-002867-00_18-0011467099,00.asp?SearchName
s>
http://www.asco.org/ac/1,1003,_12-002867-00_18-0011467099,00.asp?SearchNames
=
And Allah alone knows best.
Umm Salah (Zaynab Ansari)
_____
Answered by Ustadha Umm Salah
www.sunnipath.com
Question:
Being a Spiritual Care volunteer at a local hospital, I often help out
in
the palliative ward. There, among others, I also visit the cancer
patients.
I am often asked by my non-Muslim coworkers, how we as Muslims perceive
death, suffering, and illnesses, especially cancer. They ask me whether
we
(Muslims) talk about cancer & other serious illnesses openly or is
there a
stigma attached to it in our culture?
What is and what should be our attitude in general to cancer & towards
cancer patients? What does Islam say about it? How should we as Muslims
deal
with such patients & their families? Could you also please mention if
there
are any special prayers & duas for such illnesses?
_____
Answer:
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
Praise be to Allah. May Allah's peace and blessings bestow upon our
beloved
Prophet, his family, companions, and those who follow them.
Dear Sister,
Dealing with cancer patients of all backgrounds requires much
sensitivity,
patience, and compassion. I am sure that you know this from your work.
I
will do my best to answer all of your questions.
1. How do Muslims perceive death, suffering, and illness?
Allah Most High says, "Wherever ye are, death will find you out, even
if ye
are in towers built up strong and high! If some good befalls them, they
say,
'This is from Allah'; but if evil, they say, 'This is from thee" (O
Prophet)'. Say: 'All things are from Allah'. But what hath come to
these
people, that they fail to understand a single fact?" [Al-Nisa, 4:78]
Death is a reality of life. In the Islamic view, the life of this world
is
fleeting. Death is a transition from the ephemerality of this life to
the
permanence of the Hereafter. Allah The Exalted also says, "What is the
life
of this world but amusement and play? But, verily, the Home in the
Hereafter
-- that is life, indeed, if they but knew." [Al-Ankabut, 29:64]
Our Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, constantly reminded
us of
the reality of death, and the fact that it would overtake everyone. He
said,
"Make much remembrance of the destroyer of pleasures." [Tirmidhi,
Nasa'i,
Ibn Maja, and Ahmad]
A Muslim realizes that this life is a preparation for the life to come.
Allah Most High determines how, where, and when death will befall us.
It is
up to us to make use of the time we've been granted. Suffering is one
of the
tests of Allah. Often, when Allah Most High loves a believer, He will
test
him with calamities, illness, or suffering. The believer welcomes the
decree
of Allah with patience and gratitude, seeing this event as an
opportunity to
draw closer to his or her Lord, and be purified of his or her sins. The
Qur'an says, "Be sure we shall test you with something of fear and
hunger,
some loss in goods or lives or the fruits (of your toil), but give glad
tidings to those who patiently persevere; Who say, when afflicted with
calamity: 'To Allah We belong, and to Him is our return'. They are
those on
whom (descend) blessings from Allah, and Mercy, and they are the ones
that
receive guidance." [Al-Baqarah, 2:155-157]
2. Do we (Muslims) talk about cancer & other serious illnesses openly
or is
there a stigma attached to it in our culture?
From my personal experience, I have noted that while the ulama do not
shy
away from discussing death and disease, many of the laypeople do not
approach these issues with the same openness. I do believe that some
Muslim
cultures frown on the public discussion of disease, particularly
communicable diseases, like HIV. Based on my personal observation in
places
like Iran and Syria, I noticed that doctors refused to talk to patients
about the specifics of their condition, especially if these patients
were
terminally ill. Instead, they preferred to notify the family in an
indirect
manner that the patient did not have long to live. Being a Westerner, I
found this very strange, but perhaps only because we're used to
information-saturated societies. I think that medical care providers
should
be aware of people's cultural sensitivities. If a patient would be
disturbed
to know about his or her condition, then perhaps this information is
best
discussed with the next of kin. If, on the other hand, the patient
wants
full disclosure, then the hospital staff should be willing to be
candid.
3. How do we deal with cancer patients?
I believe that it is important to make cancer patients as comfortable
as
possible. Our Beloved Prophet, peace be upon him, instructed us to
visit the
sick and minister to them. If we follow his sunna, then we see that the
practice of shunning the ill, or attaching stigma to their disease, is
not
the practice of the Prophet, upon whom be peace. While I personally
feel
that patients should be equipped with all the information they need to
understand and combat their illness, I also understand that every
patient
has to be approached with sensitivity toward his or her religious,
ethnic,
and social background. Well before the advent of modern medicine,
Muslim
doctors made great strides in treating sickness. Islam has a well
established medical ethic. The Prophet, peace be upon him, encouraged
us to
seek a cure for our ailments. He even said,"There is no disease that
Allah
has created, except that He also has created its treatment."
[Al-Bukhari,
Volume 7, Book 71, Number 582] We should view cancer as something that
can
be cured, and cancer patients as people who are being tested by Allah.
We
can learn from the fortitude of people afflicted with this disease.
While I personally have never cared for a cancer patient, I would like
to
share my experiences with a wonderful sister who has been living with
cancer
for the past 15 years. I can personally attest to the nur (light) on
this
sister's face. She brightens up a room when she enters. I have never
heard
this sister utter a word of complaint or anger toward Allah Most High.
She
is brave, constant, and steadfast. She has met her illness head on,
undergoing chemotherapy, surgery, and alternative medicine. I have lost
count how many times she has gone to the hospital and been on the verge
of
death, only to rally by the mercy of Allah Most High and return to our
gatherings of dhikr and salawat. Not only has this sister been tested
with
cancer, she lost her son when he died trying to shield children from
gang
cross-fire in a park. This sister's courage astounds me. She bore her
son's
death with a strength and willpower reminiscent of the mothers of
Palestine
and Iraq. This sister has been completely open about the fact that she
is
coping with cancer. She does not view cancer as a stigma. She has been
an
inspiration to me and countless others who have benefited from her
company.
It is because of people like this sister who bear adversity with
beautiful
patience that Allah Most High has blessed our community. It is so
important
to stress that sisters and brothers with cancer need our care, support,
love, and constant attention. It was brought to my attention by a
sister on
SunniPath that the support needed by cancer patients and their families
is
beyond the average person's comprehension. She urges us to devote just
a
little of our attention to the needs of cancer patients and their
families.
Allah Ta'ala, we will be rewarded both for our good deeds and
intentions. I
think it would be helpful to become better educated about this disease
to
erase the stigma attached to it by some in our community. We should
consider
forming networks and support groups for Muslim cancer patients and
their
families.
Shaykh Hamza Yusuf, in a lecture given during the visit of Shaykh
Muhammad
Abu Shusha to Zaytuna Institute, reminded his audience that sick people
have
a right over us. If we don't fulfill this right, we're guilty of
oppression. We should be praying as a community for the sick and
visiting
them. There have been studies done on the relationship between healing
and
prayer. These scientific studies have shown a link between people being
prayed for and experiencing a faster recovery and healing process. If
even
non-Muslims have this kind of access to Allah through prayer, imagine
what
it's like for Muslims!We have an access no one else has. We don't say
this
out of arrogance. This is a gift from Allah, a gift of direct prayer to
Allah and intercession through His Prophet, peace be upon him. Get up
in the
night and pray for the ill. And when you're sick, Allah will have
someone
pray for you. Do it for the sake of Allah. There's a hadith to the
effect
that when you pray for your brother, angels come and ask the same for
you.
Sarte, the French philospher said: Hell is other people. [We
say:]Jannah is
other people. Paradise is other people, people that care for each
other.
There's no meaning for the community if we don't care for each other. I
know
we're all busy but busy is not an excuse. If you have time to go to
Starbucks or read the paper, [then you have time to visit the sick].
[Excerpted from a lecture by Shaykh Hamza Yusuf, entitled Preservation
Amidst Tribulation, at <http://www.zaytuna.org/multimedia.asp>
http://www.zaytuna.org/multimedia.asp. All credit goes to Shaykh
Hamza.]
4. Are there any special duas or prayers to make?
SunniPath has some really useful links, which I will share with you:
I am a <http://www.sunnipath.com/resources/Questions/qa00002294.aspx>
young
woman who is suffering from a serious illness. Is there something I
should
do, spiritually, or recite?
The Prayer
<http://www.sunnipath.com/resources/Questions/qa00001118.aspx>
of Need (Salat al-Hajah) [This is a prayer from the Sunna. You perform
this
prayer when asking Allah to fulfill a special need or desire.]
Increasing
<http://www.sunnipath.com/resources/Questions/qa00005042.aspx>
Faith (Iman)
<http://www.sunnipath.com/resources/Questions/qa00005042.aspx>
O <http://www.sunnipath.com/resources/Questions/qa00000688.aspx%20> n
Death
and Dying
Salat <http://www.sunnipath.com/resources/Questions/QA00002785.pdf>
al-Tibbiyya
Dua for <http://www.sunnipath.com/resources/Questions/qa00003469.aspx>
Healing (Shifa)
Black Seed
<http://www.sunnipath.com/resources/Questions/qa00000417.aspx>
Oil: Use
Finally, there are some online resources for Muslim cancer patients at:
* http://muslimcancersupport.org/ and
* The website of the American Society of Clinical Oncology has a paper
on death and dying from the Muslim perspective at
<http://www.asco.org/ac/1,1003,_12-002867-00_18-0011467099,00.asp?SearchName
s>
http://www.asco.org/ac/1,1003,_12-002867-00_18-0011467099,00.asp?SearchNames
=
And Allah alone knows best.
Umm Salah (Zaynab Ansari)