The Role of Psychiatrists and Muslim Faith Healers in Mental Health Issues

Abstract

Following the announcement of Traditional and Complementary Medicine Act 2013, Muslim faith healers are slowly gaining grounds to make their practice mainstream. One of the major characteristics of Muslim faith healers is the strong inclination to attribute mental illnesses to Jinn possession (demonic possession). Unlike other traditional healers, Muslim faith healers’ primary mode of treatment is Ruqyah, an incantation or generally considered as ‘Du’a or prayers. This article is a sharing by a psychiatrist who has been actively engaging with faith healers in order to understand the world of faith healing including the attitude and knowledge of both the healers and clients while attempting to educate them on modern psychiatry based on bio-psycho-socio-spiritual paradigm. The methodology: 1) Involvement in symposium, seminar and focused group discussion, either as participant or as speaker. 2) Collaborating with local spiritual leader to conduct workshop on mental illness in mosques. 3) Writing articles in scientific and popular publications with and without faith healers as the collaborators. 4) Appearing in radio advocating and discussing about the dilemma of mental illness issue from the religious perspectives, and 5) Participate in workshop conducted by Muslim faith healers. As a result, several issues come to the author’s attention. The divisions of Muslim faith healers are rather complicated, for example Malay traditional healers or bomoh should not be categorized in the same group as Muslim faith healers. The oft-quoted ‘Islamic Medicine’ is problematic in view that it is laced with elements of local cultural value and practice which are not necessarily authentically Islamic. Since Malays make up the biggest community in Malaysia, one has to differentiate between Islam and Muslim. Majority of Muslims misunderstood the term Ruqyah as a form of healing exclusively done by the Muslim faith healers. In conclusion, psychiatrists should engage more proactively with faith and spiritual healers in order to curb stigmatization and delay in seeking psychiatric care and treatment.

Retracted Article: Ruqyah and Its Use among Patients with Cancer

“…As a form of dua and incantation, asking from the only all over powering Allah, for the healing of any ailments, Prophet Muhammad (SAW) taught his companions various forms of ruqyah, originating from the hadith and the Quran. 34 Some other specialties and training are not needed to practice ruqyah. Patients themselves or their relatives or friends without applying to Muslim faith healers or spiritual healing centers can perform ruqyah.…”

Mental illness and help-seeking behaviours among Middle Eastern cultures: A systematic review and meta-synthesis of qualitative data

“…Muslims often seek the help of religious leaders such as Sheikhs or Imams due to their influential positions within the community [ 30 ]. So, the instinctive act of seeking help from religious leaders may be overshadowing the resourceful utilization of mental healthcare services [ 17 ], particularly due to the common belief that mental illness may occur as a result of supernatural doings.…”

The Integration of Islamic Values in Daily Clinical Practice among Healthcare Professionals: A Scoping Review

“…As per this review's objective, the participants' primary concern is healthcare professionals (HCPs). It has been spotted that the HCPs involved in this review were: 11 studies on doctors 10,11,14,15,[32][33][34]37,39,42,43 , seven studies on nurses 26,29,31,35,36,38,41 , seven studies on general HCPs 16,19,[23][24][25]44,45 , and only one study on pharmacists 33 , and medical academicians 16 . Other participants included in this review were other healthcare stakeholders involved directly with practicing Islamic values in clinical settings, such as patients 12,13,15,28 , health volunteers, and Shariah officers 21 .…”

“…There are three salient aspects of spiritual care: motivation and advice, religious guidance and practical prayer demonstration, and essential psychotherapy and spiritual intervention. 14,17,18 Although spiritual or pastoral care is usually done by a chaplaincy specialist, to achieve comprehensive and holistic patient care, healthcare professionals must also embrace and practice all three aspects of spiritual care.…”