Muslim culture entails the customs and traditions adopted by Muslims in accordance with Quran for them to live a respectable life. The Muslim culture is diversified since Muslims are found in different nations worldwide. Most beliefs and practices are Universal for all Muslims regardless of where they reside. Cultural and religious beliefs define the behavior, beliefs, and attitudes of Muslims towards health practices. Muslims are at risk of diseases but they are faced with hindrances in getting proper health care in America ( Sheikh & Gatrad, 2008). This hindrance is caused by gender preference, modesty, misconception of causes of diseases which emerge from Muslims customs and traditions. Health care practitioners should incorporate the Islamic beliefs while providing care for Muslims to ensure the provision of suitable care and services. This essay will discuss various beliefs and practices in Islamic culture.
Muslims believe that they should be handled with privacy and modesty. They believe they should be handled by a healthcare practitioner of the same gender, should not be physically exposed, hijab should not be removed for women, a health care provider should not touch a Muslim patient of opposite gender, a health care provider should not look directly into the eyes of an opposite-sex Muslim patient, male Muslim patients should have the part between navel and knee covered. Islamic religious beliefs give beard a very substantial symbol, therefore it should not be shaved without the patient's permission. Moreover, it is only a male health care provider who can shave it. Muslims believe that the left hand is dirty and therefore giving something to the patients, feeding and administering drugs should be done using the right hand.
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In Islamic customs and traditions, a family is divided into three forms. They include the primary family which consists of a husband, wife, their children, servants and other relations. The intermediate family which consists of the entire homeland and the human family which consists of every human on earth. These families have different roles in Islamic culture. Men are the protectors of their families while women are supposed to submit to their husbands.
Muslims use the Arabic language for communication and therefore their communication styles are linked to Arabic. The Arab-Islamic communication method is deductive, implicit and high context. Muslims assume that everyone understands the background information and therefore do not explain the content while communicating. Muslims tend to use implied and hidden messages while communicating instead of providing clarity in their messages. They state general statements but do not elaborate while communicating. Muslims believe in privacy. This is depicted in their homes, their furniture arrangements and décor. They discourage physical contact between people of opposite-sex in order to enhance their privacy. Time is a very crucial resource for Muslims. According to the holy book, if believers consider their time as a blessing and utilize it consciously then they should expect to live a successful life.
In Islamic culture, there are foods and drinks that are considered to be unlawful. Muslims are forbidden from consuming such food and drinks as it is considered as a sin ( Jallad, 2008). Unlawful foods and drinks include carrion, alcohol, pig meat, blood, stimulants, and any food connected to blasphemy. Meat is considered haram if the slaughtering was not in accordance with Islamic laws. Muslims fast on special days such as Ramadan. Islam culture advocates for a good diet since food is made for health. However, during fasting, some people with health issues are excepted. Islam prohibits pain in living things. Muslims believes that God will relieve them of any pain. They do not advocate for sedative medicines especially those that control the consciousness of the patient. Except for the serious cases where necessity allows the law to be broken.
During childbirth, a woman is supposed to see Allah as the healer. She should pray and read Quran for spiritual guidance. The woman can also use holy water possessing spiritual healing powers. After birth, the child is protected from evil eyes by Adhan, a prayer said on the child’s right ear by the father. Before breastfeeding, tahneek is performed. The decision of the name to be given to the infant is made after consulting the family elders. During hospitalization, relatives visit the mother and the infant as a symbol of care. For enduring childbirth pain, mothers are accorded with honor and respect in the Muslim Culture.
According to Islamic culture, death refers to a transition from one form of life to another. The holy book teaches that life on earth is a test and people will be rewarded in accordance the life one lived on earth. Therefore, death should be accepted as part of Gods plan. Muslims prefer meeting death at home rather than hospital whereby the dying person is visited by relatives and friends and they pray for his afterlife welfare ( Blais, Hayes, Kozier & Erb, 2015). In hospitals, Muslims visit the dying person and encourage him/her with Quran verses and prayers. They pray facing Mecca. After death, the body is placed facing Mecca, with the mouth and ears closed and limbs straightened. To avoid family distress, the body is buried on the same day. According to Islamic teachings, breaking the bone of the dead may cause pain and therefore, postmortem examinations are not encouraged. Moreover, postmortem would be unnecessarily delaying the burial.
Muslims believe in prophets. Their teachings are derived from Quran. Before starting their day, Muslims should pray five times per day in addition to other informal prayers. For formal prayers, everyone is required to wash hands up to elbow, faces, heads, and feet up to ankles. This implies that they have erased all sinful thoughts and concentrate only on God. Muslims use Mosques for prayers and worship. All mosques have a place where Muslims can prepare themselves for prayers. As a sign of respect to Allah, women must have their heads covered. They believe that God is the sole perfect being. Muslims pray facing Mecca direction and they pay during certain times of the day. They take off their shoes before praying to show respect to Allah. Women put on clothing that covers their body from head to toe. Beards are important religious symbols. Muslims fast and pray during Ramadan.
I learned that Muslims visit their hospitalized relative and friend as a symbol of care. They are also obliged to read Quran and pray for them. In my line duty, I will ensure I give them enough time and allow them to turn the hospital bed in their prayer direction.
Conclusion
While working in a culturally diverse environment, healthcare providers should be acquainted with the knowledge of the customs and traditions of their patients. The relationship between a patient and healthcare provider is of paramount importance in nursing. However, this relationship is influenced by family patterns, health beliefs and practices, time and space orientations, communication styles, childbirth and perennial care, pain responses, death and dying, religious practices and other ethnic issues. It is the responsibility of a healthcare provider to respect the culture of his/her patients for maintenance of a good relationship which aids in giving proper nursing care. For instance, Muslims believe that the left hand is unclean, healthcare providers should respect that belief and use right hand while caring for them.
References
Blais, K., Hayes, J. S., Kozier, B., & Erb, G. L. (2015). Professional nursing practice: Concepts and perspectives (p. 530). NJ: Prentice Hall.
Jallad, N. A. (2008). The concepts of al-halal and al-haram in the Arab-Muslim culture: a translational and lexicographical study. Language design: journal of theoretical and experimental linguistics , 10 , 077-86.
Sheikh, A., & Gatrad, A. R. (Eds.). (2008). Caring for Muslim patients . Radcliffe Publishing.
