The present work aimed to identify and describe the Malaysian Muslim community's understanding of health and cosmetic products related to the sunnah of Prophet Muhammad which are available in the Malaysian market. The demographics of this understanding are examined with respect to gender, age, marital and working status, highest level of education, and monthly income earned. A survey was conducted in 2017. A structured questionnaire pertaining to such products was used to capture the relevant data. This survey implemented a multistage design stratified by state, proportionate to the size of the state population, and was representative of the Malaysian population. Data analysis of the results was carried out using frequency and Chi-square analysis with the help of Statistical Packages for Social Science (SPSS) version 22.0. The paper concluded that the community's understanding of the term 'prophetic products' is that it refers to various products that Prophet Muhammad used and/or spoke of approvingly such as dates, raisins, pomegranates, honey, and others. It was observed that these ingredients were strongly identified in public perception as prophetic health and cosmetic products and that there is consequently great demand for these among Malaysians. This factor was identified through various elements. First, the combination of things recognized as prophetic items such as dates, raisins, pomegranates, honey, and others within the product. Second, the labeling of merchandise as prophetic products. Prophetic health merchandise was more popular among Malaysians than were cosmetic products.
Diseases involving the nervous system drastically change lives of victims and commonly increase dependency on others. This paper focuses on senile dementia from both the neuroscientific and Islamic perspectives, with special emphasis on the integration of ideas between the two different disciplines. This would enable effective implementation of strategies to address issues involving this disease across different cultures, especially among the world-wide Muslim communities. In addition, certain incongruence ideas on similar issues can be understood better. The former perspective is molded according to conventional modern science, while the latter on the analysis of various texts including the holy Qur'an, sunnah [sayings and actions of the Islamic prophet, Muhammad (pbuh)] and writings of Islamic scholars. Emphasis is particularly given on causes, symptoms, treatments and prevention of dementia.
Religion has become more prominent in shaping attitudes and behavior, but little empirical information is available on the impact of religious behavior in shaping individual Muslims' health-related lifestyle behaviors in developing countries. The present study explores the relationship between religious behavior and the health-related practices of Malaysian Muslims. A convenience sample of 176 Malaysian Muslims was collected through a self-administered questionnaire. Structural equation modeling was used to develop the model. Result shows that health-related actions are strongly influenced, both directly and indirectly, by the health-related lifestyle choices consumers engaging in on a daily basis in accordance with Islamic teachings.
In recent years, researchers have identified that coping strategies are an important contributor to an individual's life satisfaction and ability to manage stress. The positive relationship between religious copings, specifically, with physical and mental health has also been identified in some studies. Spirituality and religion have been discussed rigorously in research, but very few studies exist on religious coping. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between religious coping methods (i.e., positive and negative religious coping) and self-care behaviors in Iranian medical students. This study used a cross-sectional design of 335 randomly selected students from Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Iran. A data collection tool comprised of the standard questionnaire of religious coping methods and questionnaire of self-care behaviors assessment was utilized. Data were analyzed using a two-sample t test assuming equal variances. Adjusted linear regression was used to evaluate the independent association of religious copings with self-care. Adjusted linear regression model indicated an independent significant association between positive (b = 4.616, 95% CI 4.234-4.999) and negative (b = -3.726, 95% CI -4.311 to -3.141) religious coping with self-care behaviors. Findings showed a linear relationship between religious coping and self-care behaviors. Further research with larger sample sizes in diverse populations is recommended.
People with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) commonly pose problems to their family as well as to society because of their vulnerable health and economic conditions. Contrarily, PLWHA encounter social discrimination and adverse realities while finding it difficult to continue in their jobs. These complex phenomena interact to push them into a low economic status. A microfinance program can hopefully assist poor patients to cope with the negative economic consequences of this disease. But the conventional market-oriented microfinance institutions show reluctance to serve this group of people due to the possibilities of having credit risk. In this paper, we propose an alternative microfinancing technique that can provide a better economic life of the PLWHA while absorbing the credit risks. A comprehensive model is designed using specific Islamic financial instruments in conjugation with household economic portfolio theory. Critical realism method was adopted to construct this model. We concluded that the application of Islamic microfinance can enhance income of HIV patients while reducing the productivity-loss. This model can be useful to the microfinance practitioners and policymakers for addressing a different market segment, diversifying products, and formulating policy.
A module entitled 'SayangKU' (MyLove), based on the Islamic perspective, was developed as an instrument to assist adolescents that involved in premarital sexual activity. The module comprises four phases: Love of God (Allah), Love of the Prophet, Love of Oneself, and Love of the Ummah (world). From analysis of Rasch, the value of item reliability was .80 and an individual reliability was .95. Dimensionality value was more than 40 % variance explained by measures, and level of agreement among experts was 86.88 %. The posttest shows the better result from pretest and proves the effectiveness of the module.
The Malaysian official Islamic authorities have issued a "fatwa" (Islamic ruling) regarding smoking practice which prohibits Muslims from smoking because of its potential harm to health. Since the prevalence of smoking among Malaysian students is high, this study was designed to explore the perceptions and opinions of Malaysian Muslim students towards smoking in International Islamic University of Malaysia. A prospective, cross-sectional study was conducted among School of Science students in International Islamic University Malaysia. Convenience sampling approach was used to recruit 323 students based on sample size calculation. A content- and face-validated questionnaire was used to collect the data from the participants. Non-smokers highly supported the fatwa on smoking forbiddance than smokers (94 vs 64.3 %, p = 0.001). A significant proportion of non-smokers believed that Islam prohibits smoking because of its potential harm (94.9 vs 71.4 %, p = 0.001). Majority of smokers agreed that addiction is the main barrier towards smoking cessation (78.6 vs 61.5 %, p = 0.019). The results showed positive influences of Islamic beliefs on the non-smokers. Further studies are required to validate these findings by surveying other universities of Malaysia.
This paper reports on the psychometric properties of the Religious Orientation Scale (ROS) with a sample of 311 Iranian patients who were suffering from cancer between September and December 2020. A cross-sectional study design was used, and convenience sampling was employed. Reliability was evaluated by internal consistency Cronbach's alpha, McDonald's omega, and average inter-item correlation. The exploratory factor analysis showed that the ROS had 15 items and two factors (religious identity and personal identity) that explained 43.2% of the total variance of religious orientation in Iranian patients with cancer. Construct validity was assessed by means of confirmatory factor analysis. The internal consistency and composite reliability were acceptable. The results indicate that the ROS can produce reliable and valid data on religious orientation in a sample of Iranian patient with cancer.
The Buddhist Tzu Chi Silent Mentor Program promotes the donation of one's body to science as a selfless act by appealing to the Buddhist ethics of compassion and self-sacrifice. Together, faculty, families, and donors help medical students to learn the technical, spiritual, emotional, and psychological aspects of medicine. Students assigned to each "Silent Mentor" visit the family to learn about the donor's life. They see photos and hear family members' stories. Afterwards, students write a brief biography of the donor which is posted on the program website, in the medical school, and on the dissection table. In this paper, we: (1) summarize the Silent Mentor Program; (2) describe findings from an assessment of medical students who recently completed a new version of the program in Malaysia; and (3) explore how healthcare settings could benefit from this innovative program.
Islamic healing is frequently referred to as the treatment of choice by many Muslim cancer patients in Malaysia. Despite its widespread use, there is limited information relating to patients' healing preferences. With rising cancer rates in the country, this issue has become a concern to public health policy makers. The purpose of this study was to understand why cancer patients seek Islamic healing. This qualitative study utilized in-depth interviews with 18 cancer patients. The findings indicate three main reasons: (1) recommendations from family, friends and doctors; (2) belief in Islamic healing and (3) the perceived ineffectiveness and dissatisfaction with conventional treatments. Islamic healing will likely continue to be popular complementary cancer treatment in Malaysia as it is grounded in strong cultural and religious beliefs.
This study examined the mediating effects of psychological strain (Strain Theory) as a possible explanation for the relationship between religiosity and suicidality among Chinese young adults. A questionnaire was administered that included the Religious Orientation-Revised Scale (RO-RS), Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised (SBQ-R), and Psychological Strains Scale (PSS). Using cluster sampling, we recruited 13,250 college students across seven provinces in China. Both univariate and multivariate analyses were used to identify the main determinants of suicidality. We further explored the mediation effect of psychological strains on the relationship between religion and suicidality. We found that non-believers obtained the lowest PSS. Believers of Islam and other religions obtained higher RO-RS scores compared to non-religious participants. Psychological strain imposed a complete effect between religiosity and suicidality. A positive relationship between religion and suicidality was present among the participants of the study. Individuals who are affiliated with a religion are considered as a marginalized population in China, which may lead to psychological strains, further increasing the risk of suicidality.
This study examined the psychometric properties of the Spiritual Coping Strategies Scale-Chinese version (SCSS-C) in Taiwanese adults. A convenience sample of 232 participants in Taiwan completed an online survey, and 45 of the 232 participants completed the SCSS-C again over a 2 week interval. The content validity index of the SCSS-C was 0.97. Parallel analysis and exploratory factor analysis results revealed two factors (religious coping and non-religious coping). The internal consistency of the SCSS-C was satisfactory (α = 0.88 to 0.92). Test-retest reliability was satisfactory (r = 0.68 to 0.89). The psychometric properties of the SCSS-C were found to be acceptable for use in Taiwanese adults.
A religious approach is one of the matters emphasized in counseling today. Many researchers find that there is a need to apply the religious element in counseling because religion is important in a client's life. The purpose of this research is to identify aspects of the Islamic approach applied in counseling clients by counselors at Pusat Kaunseling Majlis Agama Islam Negeri Sembilan (PKMAINS). In addition, this research also analyses the Islamic approach applied in counseling at PKMAINS with reference to al-Quran and al-Sunnah. This is a qualitative research in the form of case study at PKMAINS. The main method used in this research is interview. The research instrument used is interview protocol. The respondents in this study include 9 counselors who serve in one of the counseling centers in Malaysia. This study also uses questionnaire as an additional instrument, distributed to 36 clients who receive counseling service at the center. The findings of the study show that the Islamic approach applied in counseling at PKMAINS may be categorized into three main aspects: aqidah (faith), ibadah (worship/ultimate devotion and love for God) and akhlaq (moral conduct). Findings also show that the counseling in these aspects is in line with Islamic teachings as contained in al-Quran and al-Sunnah.
Some Malaysian scholars believe that the theoretical basis and models of intervention in Islamic counseling practices in Malaysia are deficient and not eminently identified. This study investigated and describes the nature of current Islamic counseling practices including the theories and modules of Islamic counseling that are been practiced in Malaysia. This qualitative research has employed data that mainly consist of texts gathered from literatures and semi-structured interviews of 18 informants. It employed grounded theory analysis, and the result shows that most of the practitioners had applied integrated conventional counseling theories with Islamic rituals, references, interventions and ethics. Some had also applied Islamic theories and modules formulated in Malaysia such as iCBT, al-Ghazali counseling theories, Cognitive ad-Deen, KBJ, Prophetic Counseling and Asma Allah al-Husna Counseling Therapy.
This article is a concept paper that reviewed the main principles of Islamic creed (aqīdah) related to counselling. Islamic creed has been regarded as the root of Islam; thus, it should be the fundamental composition of Islamic counselling. The objectives of this review are to demonstrate the relationship between counselling and Islamic creed and to establish a guideline for the practitioners of Islamic counselling when consulting with their clients in matters related to creed. The review was conducted by suggesting methods to incorporate Islamic creed into three stages of counselling process. The major references for this review were the verses in the Qurān, the Prophet Tradition (hadith) and literatures on Islamic counselling. This review revealed that there is a strong relationship between counselling and Islamic creed and there are six aspects of Islamic creed associated to counselling that should be observed by the Islamic counselling practitioners.
The present study aimed to explore the use of meaning-making coping mechanisms (existential, spiritual and religious coping) among ethnic Malay cancer patients in Malaysia and to investigate the impact of culture on their choice of coping methods. Twenty-nine participants with various kinds of cancer were interviewed. Four kinds of coping resources emerged from analyses of the interview transcripts: (1) relying on transcendent power, (2) supernatural or mystical beliefs, (3) finding oneself in relationships with others and (4) nature. In this article, the two first resources are in focus. The present findings suggest that Malay culture, which is imbued with Islamic belief, strongly influences cancer patients' coping methods and ways of looking at their experience of being cancer patients.
Ibadah is one of the important components in Islamic teachings other than aqidah (belief) and akhlaq (moral). Its importance is determined through the purpose for creation of humans, namely to be devoted to Allah. In the context of counseling discipline, however, the element of ibadah or worship (submission) of Allah is not applied in the counseling process and is not recognized as one of the spiritual therapies able to help the client know his true potential in decision-making and problem-solving. Hence, the purpose of this study is to determine the importance of applying ibadah in counseling and its implications to the client. This study selects survey research as the method to collect data from clients. A set of questionnaire instruments was constructed and distributed to 30 clients selected through convenience sampling. Data obtained from research questionnaire are then analyzed using descriptive statistical technique. Research outcome finds that application of ibadah is very important in counseling and has four implications for the client: the client is able to control his behavior, gain peace of mind, control his emotions and becomes increasingly diligent in ibadah.
This study examines how Salat (prayer) in Islam moderates the relationship between job stress and life satisfaction among Muslim nursing staff. The researchers sampled 335 nursing staff employed at the University of Malaya Medical Centre in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Their ages ranged from 21 to 60 years. The findings indicate the job stress was associated negatively with life satisfaction; there is a strong positive and significant correlation, respectively, between Salat and life satisfaction and that Salat reduces stress and increases the life satisfaction of Muslim nurses. Thus, Salat has a moderating effect on job stress and life satisfaction of Muslim nurses.
This study seeks to measure religiosity in an Islamic context and to assess its effects on the personal well-being of Muslims. The determinants of religiosity included under this research are prayer, beliefs, and worship. This research also attempts to examine the coping strategies Muslims use to deal with life problems and changes such as prayer, supplication, trust and reliance on God, remembrance of death, and concept of life after death. Today, many scales of religiosity are being put into use among Muslims. This study measures religiosity and its effects on the well-being of Muslim academicians. The researchers used 315 Muslim female of academic staff as respondents, working in Research Universities in the Klang Valley such as University of Malaya, National University and Putra University area of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Their ages ranged from 30 to 60 years. The results of this study show that there exists a positive yet significant correlation between personal well-being and religiosity. The well-being also shows significant positive correlations with beliefs and worship and prayer.
Presently, there is increased in research on job strain and the effects of religiosity on employee well-being. Despite increased recognition of religiosity as a moderator of well-being, limited research has focused on Islamic perspective of moderating job strain. This study examines the moderating effects of Islamic personal religiosity on the relationship between job strain and employee well-being in Malaysian universities. One hundred and seventeen (117) Muslim academic and administrative staff from four public universities were sampled. Data were collected via questionnaires, and our findings show that the effect of job strain on well-being is significant for employees and that personal religiosity of employees contributed to alleviating job strain and enhancing well-being. Thus, the study concludes that Islamic personal religiosity moderates the relationship between job strain and employee well-being.