Journal of Arak University of Medical Sciences

Spiritual Health and psychosis in the light of Quran

Ebrahim Ebrahimi

This study considers the art of Quran in healing human psychological and spiritual disorders. Since the subject matter of Quran and medicine is human and the objective of both is health and welfare of human body and soul, it is suggested that man can learn how to remedy his psychological pains through Quran. Accordingly, after providing definitions for sick and healthy heart and soul, we will look at some instances of psychiatric disorders and investigate them closely through ideas put forward by scientists. Also, we argue that the origin of these diseases goes back to human motivations, belief system, and social and political matters, while some are related to ethical principles. Then we will focus on the qualities and effects of healthy soul in the view of Quranic verses. Eventually, it will be stated that since human behavioral reactions are the signs of a healthy soul or a psychotic one, those who seek peace in this world and salvation in the afterworld are suggested to prevent and cure psychological problems and create balance in their personality by using commandments given by Quran since the aim of Quran is maintaining balance between different instincts.

A survey of quantitative and qualitative specificities of dermatoglyphic patterns and the fingertips miracle

moussa ahmadian

Dermatoglyphic patterns are formed during the first and the second fetal development trimesters and they remain unchanged afterwards. At the end of the fourth month of fetal development, fingertips are formed along with brain and other derived ectodermia developments. In the 19th century, the mystery of human fingertips was discovered, and it was realized that fingertips consist of tiny network lines in the epiderms of the skin, and are exclusive to every individual, even to twins. In this study, through library research, by reviewing quantitative and qualitative dermatoglyphic patterns, the miracle of fingertips was considered based on Quran and Islamic commandments. Much research has been done comparing individual dermatoglyphic patterns of hands among various races, and the quantitative and qualitative relationship between dermatoglyphic patterns and diseases such as schizophrenia, nervous disorders, Down syndrome, diabetes I, Alzheimer, multiple sclerosis, congenital spinal abnormalities, and psoriasis disease has been shown. Accordingly, finger prints are used for identifying individuals, detecting criminals, and studying disease of genetic background. They can also be used as clues in determining the etiology of diseases. Fingertip sign is unique for every individual. Quran, in response to those who deny the resurrection after decomposition of the body and bones (Saffat, 37: 16), declares that Allah almighty, is not only capable of recreating them, but also is able to make human fingertips again (75: 3-4). The study shows the importance of human’s fingertips as the miracle of human creation, and reveals why Quran emphasizes on them as one indication of resurrection.

Economic mental hygiene in the society in the light of Quran and Hadith

mostafa ahmadifar

As the world is moving at the fastest possible speed toward industrialization, great technical developments, and becoming a place devoid of difficulties and troubles, the issue of illnesses and mental problems still persists as an unpleasant matter which is quite noticeable. This study was done through reviewing the available Quranic books and resources. In such matters, Quran and Hadith are rich in both content and foundation and play a vital role in decreasing and alleviating mental pressures and enhancing and establishing mental health in the society. In this regard, Islam (Quran and Hadith) enjoys and offers recommendations and solutions for fortifying the individual’s mental and spiritual basis in the society in a way that it eliminates the peoples’ economic and mental pressures and strengthens or establishes their economic mental hygiene. In this regard, the solutions and recommendations of Quran and Hadith can be applied to the treatment of the majority of economic mental diseases and their consequences.

The relationship between religious attitude and mental health among students of Arak University of Medical Sciences

farzaneh jahani

Background: Nowadays, scientific religion studies using the commonly accepted methods in human sciences is one of the new, interesting research areas in scientific and academic research. Noticing the importance of religion in student’s mental health, this study was designed and conducted. Materials and Methods: In this Cross-Sectional study, 310 students at Arak University of Medical Sciences were randomly surveyed through demographic, Khodayary Fard’s religious attitude, and GHQ-28 questionnaires. Data were analyzed via descriptive statistics, Chi square, and Pearson-product correlation through SPSS software. In all stages of the research, ethical issues in research were taken into consideration. Results: The mean and standard deviations of age, GHQ, and religious attitude were 21.29±2.22 years, 24.04±9.41, and 81.04±11.9, respectively. In terms of religious attitude, 1.4% (4 students) had weak, 12.5% had moderate, and 86 % (240 students) had strong attitudes. A positive relationship was observed between religious attitude and mental health. Also, there was a significant inverse relationship between religious attitude and age, major, place of living, and mother’s level of education (p<0.05). Conclusion: In this study, the majority of the students had strong religious attitudes and a significant positive correlation was found between the students’ religious attitude and mental health. Improving religious attractions through educational, religious, cultural programs for enhancing the religious attitudes of students is suggested.

The effect of attending the familiarity with Quran workshop on the mental health of nurses at the educational hospitals of Arak University of Medical Sciences

farzaneh jahani

Background: The holy Quran is the curative that after its cure, there is no fear of disease anymore. One of the miracles of Quran is its effect on service and medical care duties. Noticing the key role of nurses in offering health service to patients and the importance of the nurses’ mental health, this study was conducted. Materials and Methods: This educational trial was done on 55 nurses at educational hospitals of Arak University of Medical Sciences through randomized simple-sampling. Before and after intervention, the GHQ-28 questionnaire was completed by the participants. Data were analyzed through descriptive statistics, paired t-test, and Chi square. Results: The mean age of the nurses was 34.45±6.3 years, and 68.2% (30 participants) of them were married and the rest were single. The mean mental health scores before and after intervention were 27.75±9.76 and 22.34±7.83 which indicated a significant difference (p<0.014). Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest that this intervention has been effective in reducing mental health scores and somehow, in improving the nurses’ mental health status. On the other hand, participation in the familiarity with Quran workshop can improve the nurses’ mental health.

The manifestation of the effect of Quran reading on the life of faculty members, students, and clerks at Arak University of Medical Sciences

Rezvan Kamali Nahad

Background: Allah descended the holy Quran to guide the human and for instructing him the principles of life. The holy Quran always guides the human in the best of ways. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to explore the manifestation of Quran reading in the life of faculty members, students, and clerks’ at Arak University of Medical Sciences (AUMS). Materials and Methods: This qualitative study was done through content analysis method, and the data were collected through interviews. The study was initiated with purposive sampling and continued by theoretical sampling 30 individuals were interviewed over a 2 month period at AUMS. The data were analyzed based on the content analysis method. Continuous-comparative analysis was utilized for data analysis. Results: Data analysis showed the manifestation of miracles in life, achieving internal peace, having humanistic communication, decision making based on Quran instructions, being patient and tolerant, behaving based on Quran instructions, and saving as secondary codes of the effect of Quran reading on participants’ life, and “the effect of holly Quran on the whole dimensions of life” as the main code or theme. Conclusion: In this qualitative study, using triangulation sources, the effects of Quran reading on the faculty members, students, and clerks’ life at AUMS were identified more profoundly than the quantitative methods. On the other hand, the effect of Quran reading on all dimensions of the participants’ life, as the theme of this study, is a very important finding which is completely in accordance with Allah’s words in Quran. Therefore, in order to achieve more divine benefits from Quran, reading the holy Quran is recommended to academians and all people, in general, so as to compete for using Quran more.

Honey in Quran and medicine

saeed changizy ashtyani

In the Holy Quran, it is stated that “eating honey has healing for people” “Fihe shefaho lenas”. The word “healing” in Quran has not been used about any other food but honey and one Sura in Quran is dedicated to Nahl (bee). This study investigates the importance of honey from the perspective of Quran and medicine. This review article investigated the therapeutic properties of honey from the perspective of Quran and medicine through text analysis and manual and online search. Medicine has proven that honey due to its low moisture, high osmosis, and high acidity inhibits the growth of infectious agents and creates a sterile coat on the wound. Prophet Mohammad said, “Lam yastashfeo almariz bemasale sharbato olasal”, meaning that nothing cures the sick person the way honey does. Studies have shown that honey is effective in strengthening child development and treatment, prevention, and improvement of skin, respiratory, liver, gallbladder, eyes, ears, and nose diseases and cancer. The application of natural honey to healing diabetic and cutaneous ulcers and the topical application of honey to open wounds can accelerate the healing process. Oral administration of dates honey syrup can enhance the natural progression of delivery and womb contractions which decrease the need for cesarean. It can be concluded from the review of the literature that emphasis of Quran on the use of honey in diet and its reference to the healing property of honey for people has not been without a cause. Modern medicine also verifies the curative properties of honey for many diseases.

Ablution wisdom in the view of Quran, Hadith, and medicine

Mostafa Delavar

Abstract There are secrets to the orders and rules of God that have manifested in religion or religious practices. Cleanliness and hygiene, especially through ablution, are essential issues in worshiping God. Physical cleanliness is viewed as the way for reaching inner decency. There are two types of benefits to ablution: moral/spiritual and health. The immaculate man is favored by God and as God states in Quran: “immaculate and clean man can benefit from the content of Quran”. Washing hands and face, at least three times daily, has significant effects on physical hygiene and washing the head and feet in water stimulates the nervous system in these organs. Today, it is a proven fact in neurophysiology that neural stimulation raises the level of awareness. One of the health benefits laid in ablution is that the body parts washed in ablution make up 20% of the body surface area but a major portion of brain cortex is stimulated by this simple act. Ablution, in addition to inner purity and spiritual refinement, increases physical cleanliness, triggers the central nervous system stimulation, and raises the awareness level.

The nature of brain death from the viewpoint of Quran and Hadith

Background: Today, medicine regards brain death as absolute death a fact that its acceptance, especially by those who are emotionally connected with the patients with a beating heart and a normal face while he is breathing and seems to be fast asleep, is very difficult. Some religious leaders do not view this state as absolute death and do not relate it to death. Consideration of this issue is of great importance in legal, political, social, ethical, philosophical, and medical debates and several international conferences have been held on this controversial issue. There are different stances and viewpoints with regard to the nature of brain death. It goes without saying that if brain death is not regarded as absolute death, organ transplantation from patients with brain death who are a great source of organ provision will face major difficulties. By dividing life into such stages as complete physical life, constant vegetative life, singular organ life, and cellular life and elaborating on each stage, such conclusion can be reached that death occurs in three stages: 1) Cardiac and pulmonary death, 2)death of brain cells minutes after deoxygenation, and 3) death of body cells which differs from organ death. Such an order exists in natural death but in brain death, death starts from the second stage and eventually leads to the death of cells. There are, however, stages akin to deep coma. This study, in addition to explaining brain death and its differences with deep coma and other similar states, comes to the conclusion that brain death is equal to absolute death and can be treated as real death. This study investigates brain death in medicine by taking such concepts as sleep, coma, vegetable life, and cardiac death into consideration. Then it deals with the relationship between sleep and death as well as the reality of death so as to provide ample evidence for realization of death in the view of religion and compare it with the medical concept of death. According to this hypothesis, brain death is equal to absolute death. This study is a descriptive-analytical review of internet databases and library resources.

Sleep health care and the blessings of early rising in the view of onventional and complementary medicine in health system

seyed mohhamad ali shariat zadeh

Sleep is one of the basic needs of human and any disorder in its natural flow in addition to creating psychological problems can reduce the individual performance. There are descriptions and references about sleep and its features in Quran. In Naba Surش sleep has been referred to as a weakness that indicates a disease state. However, the conditions for the occurrence of sleep can be inferred from Kahf Sura, verse 11, which states: “a major quality of sleep is that one cannot estimate its duration”. In several other verses, sleep is said to be similar to temporary death. Substances such as endorphins, cortisol, and encephalin cause euphoria and have direct impacts on different parts of the body including skeletal muscles that lead to muscle comfort during the day. The amount of secretion of these materials into the body in the morning hours significantly increases. Therefore, waking up early in the morning can bring about euphoria and can have positive impacts which last till the end of the day. According to the findings released by the International Agency for Research on Cancer World Health Organization, men and women who work night shifts are at a greater risk of developing breast cancer and prostate cancer, respectively. Night sleep is a divine blessing that God has endowed people and God in verse 23 of Rome Sura refers to sleep as “one of the signs revealed to people” and asks people to search and investigate about it so as to realize to what extent night sleep can contribute to human perfection and success

Millennium development goals (combating diseases, AIDS, and malaria) from the perspective of Quran and Islam

farkhonde amin shokravi

Background:Today, in spite of quick and amazing human advancements in prevention treatment, and control of diseases and their positive effects on the community, lack of reliance on the instructions of prophets on spirituality and ethics of human relationships has led to health, social, ethical, and environmental crises that have resulted in spread of emerging diseases such as AIDS. Therefore, the way out of this crisis is the return to the instructions of prophets and religions, especially Islam. This article explains the role of Islam instructions in achieving millennium development goals in the fight against malaria and AIDS. Materials and Methods: In this review article, through access to reliable sources in the form of a descriptive article, practical strategies of Islam for achieving millennium development goals for fighting diseases, AIDS, and malaria are investigated. In so doing, by applying appropriate keywords to electronic and manual search in reliable Islamic and medical resources, data were collected and the central research question was addressed. Results: Based on the results of the reviewed studies, instructions and ideas of Islam on reconstructing the environment, preservation of natural resources, observing personal health, priority of health to treatment, abstinence from risky sexual behaviors, and so forth have practical implications for malaria and AIDS control and prevention so that if there had been commitment to Islam, AIDS as an emerging disease might never have developed. Conclusion: Noticing the availability of resources and instructions in Islam on health and medicine for prevention and fight against diseases, such ideas can be utilized for preventing the emergence and development of other new diseases. Hence, Islamic instructions can be presented to the world as practical strategies for achieving millennium development goals.

Religious experiences in the view of neurology

Masomeh sofian

Background: Recent advances in biology and medicine have revolutionized human knowledge on the brain and neurology. This has resulted in the emergence of psychological theories on religious beliefs and experiences in different cultures. This review article deals with religious experiences from a neurologic perspective. Materials and Methods: Functional imaging techniques such as SPECT, positron emission tomography (PET), and functional MRI (fMRI) allow for the study of brain functions of religious individuals. Religious acts activate a circuit in the brain site which is known as religious circuit that involves the amygdale, the hippocampus, the limbic system, the anterior temporal lobe, the orbito-frontal, and dorsomedial and dorsolateral prefrontal cortices. The religion circuit is regulated by serotonin and dopamin. Long-term religious exercises, such as meditation, activate the frontal lobes which give human beings greater control over the functions of the “self”. The word “self” has been referred to as the nafs in Quran which consists of ‘that which incites to evil’ (alnafs al-ammara), ‘the nafs that blames’ (al-nafs al-lawwama), and ‘the serene self’ (al-nafs al-mutma’inna). Conclusion: Survival of ethical behaviors belonging to the inhibitory behavior depends on the formation of brain connections which can only be obtained through consistent long-term religious exercises.

An investigation of the effect of pork consumption on human health from the perspective of Quran and medicine

maryam maleki

Background: Eating and drinking according to health instructions is a major factor in health. Islam recommendations regarding nutrition ensure not only physical health but also mental health. While advising Muslims to consume meat as much as their body requires, Islam forbids certain types of meat. This study is to investigate the effect of pork consumption on human health from the perspective of Quran and medicine. Materials and Methods: Relevant Quranic verses and Hadith and the existing literature were reviewed and described through the use of specific keywords. We utilized relevant materials from the Holy Quran and Hadith and also conducted a literature search through specific related keywords. Results: In four Surahs of Quran and Hadith from the infallible Imams, pork consumption is forbidden. The presence of a group of amines, carcinogenic agents, high fat, and a high level of growth hormones turns pork into a sutoxin product. In addition, the presence of significant zoonotic diseases, quick decay, and easy contamination are other reasons which make pork consumption harmful for human. Conclusion: Noticing the significant role of nutrition in physical and mental health, divine religions have pronounced recommendations on using decent and healthy nutrition and refraining from using the unhealthy materials. Pork is one of these unhealthy and unusable materials which unfortunately, due to lack of sufficient awareness, is still consumed by some.

Dream analysis as a method of understanding and treatment from the perspective of Quran and psychology

saied moosavipour

Background: Quran views sleep as a divine sign with deep meaning and interpretation. The aim of this study was to investigate the content of dreams from the perspective of Quran and psychology, as an appropriate method for understanding human characteristics and presenting a proper treatment approach. Materials and Methods: The present study is a descriptive, content analysis one. First a collection of psychology and interpretation books on this issue were considered. Then 75 students at Arak University of Medical Sciences were asked to report their dreams on daily or weekly basis which totaled 5688 dreams over a 6.5 month period. The dreams were analyzed using content analysis method and descriptive statistics, including the number of dreams, age, mean, and frequency of the reported parameters. Results: Noticing the nature of dreams, the interpretation of their content and concepts is of significance to the understanding of human traits and provision of treatment methods. The content of the reported dreams were, respectively, indicative of a high percentage of ethnic (93.33%), university and professors (89.33%), family (88%), religious beliefs (86.66%), friends (86%), nightmares (66.66%) returning to the past (61.33%), lucid dreaming (42.7%), and neurosis (41.33%). Conclusion: In the view of commentators on divine verses and psychologists, the elements present in the content of dreams can be utilized in obtaining a better understanding of the unconscious stream of human mind, knowing more about human beings, and treating mental disorders. The difference between these two perspectives, religious and psychological, is in dreams known as "true dreams" which are emphasized in Quran and Islamic sources, while psychology has failed to recognize them.

The effect of online Quran teaching on physicians’ general and professional ethical conduct

mahin hossini

Background: Nowadays, the question of how the moral aspects of health can be put into the framework of patient-physician relationship has turned into a current debate in the area of medicine and patients’ rights. This study was conducted to examine the effect of virtual education through sending emails to physicians on their application of Islamic and Quranic codes of ethics. Materials and Methods: In this interventional study, 75 general practitioners and specialists in Kermanshah were selected through non-randomized simple sampling method. The means of data collection were physicians’ ethical conduct checklist and a questionnaire which was prepared by the researcher according to the ethical traits extracted from Quran and Hadith. Concepts extracted from Islamic resources were sent to the physicians email addresses 3 times a week. Data were analyzed through dependent t-test using SPSS software version15. Results: The major findings of the study indicated the positive effects of online Quran teaching on enhancing the application of the ethical codes of conduct and stabilizing the professional codes of ethics. Conclusion: Although improving professional ethical conduct requires long-term training programs, the findings of this study indicated that religious education can be effective in using the general codes of ethics.

The efficacy of religious training (prayer) on the improvement of the schizophrenic patients’ quality of life at Sina Psychiatric Hospital (Bakhtiari Province, 2011)

Masoud Nikfarjam

Background and aim: Schizophrenia is a chronic illness, and one of the major health problems in the world. So the select of different treatment methods that is appropriate for community culture is very important and necessary issue. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of religious training (prayer) on quality of life of schizophrenic inpatients. Materials and methods: 62 schizophrenic inpatients were assigned randomly to two groups: experimental and control. Data were collected via Schizophrenia Quality of Life Scale (SQLS). After two months religious training (prayer) for experimental group (three times a week), all of the subjects were assessed again. Findings: The findings showed that, before intervention there was no significant difference between two groups (t=-1/78, p=0/08). After intervention (religious training), there was significant difference in experimental group (t=2/09, p=0/04). Despite the difference in experimental group, there was no significant difference in control group (t= 1/50, p= 0/14). Conclusion: This study showed that, religious and spiritual training can be increase the satisfaction of quality of life schizophrenic patients.