Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Islamic Perspectives on Vulnerable Groups

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Religious Perspectives on Human Vulnerability in Bioethics

Part of the book series: Advancing Global Bioethics ((AGBIO,volume 2))

Abstract

The paper briefly introduces the question of human rights in Islamic tradition and examines how the tradition treats four major vulnerable groups. First, the paper shows how juridical interpretations of the timing of God´s infusion of the soul greatly influence the legal status and vulnerability of children before and after birth. Second, the paper constrasts the perspectives of the “Western” and Islamic bioethics traditions regarding a woman´s “informed consent.” Third, it shows how Islamic tradition regards disability neither as a blessing nor a curse, but rather as a morally neutral and inevitable part of the human condition. Finally, the paper looks at three main aspects related to the vulnerability of the elderly: palliative care, hospices and the dying process.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    The Holy Koran (1983).

  2. 2.

    As for the laws of Muslim states on abortion and their relations with the positions of the local juridical-religious authorities, see Atighetchi D. Islamic Bioethics: Problems and Perspectives. pp. 111–133.

  3. 3.

    Atighetchi (2007, pp. 43–46).

  4. 4.

    Atighetchi (2002, pp. 34–35).

  5. 5.

    See the Code in www.pmdc.org.pk/ethics.htm.

  6. 6.

    Abu Zikri (1976).

  7. 7.

    Resolution No. 38 (13/4). Council of the Islamic Fiqh Academy, Fourth Session, Jeddah, 1408 Jamada Tani H. (February 1988); Recommendations, FIRST e), in FIQH ACADEMY, Resolutions and Recommendations of the Council of the Islamic Fiqh Academy 1985–2000, Jeddah, IRTI-IDB, 2000.

  8. 8.

    Moazam (2000), Lawrence and Rozmus (2001).

  9. 9.

    Aluffi Beck-Peccoz (1990, 1997).

  10. 10.

    Rahman (1989, p. 70).

  11. 11.

    Endrawes et al. (2007).

  12. 12.

    University of Southern California, www.cmje.org/religious-texts/hadith/Muslim.

  13. 13.

    Hasnain et al. (2008).

  14. 14.

    Utz (2012, pp. 15–31); Al-Habeeb (2010).

  15. 15.

    Utz (2012, pp. 19–22)

  16. 16.

    Utz (2012, p. 18).

  17. 17.

    Sooki et al. (2011).

  18. 18.

    Osman M.A. and F. Aboul-Fotouh (2012).

  19. 19.

    Haque and Kamil (2012).

  20. 20.

    Atighetchi (2007, pp. 49–50, 274–283).

  21. 21.

    Daneshpour (2012).

  22. 22.

    Hasnain et al. (2008, pp 38–39).

  23. 23.

    Hasnain et al. (2008, pp 38–39).

  24. 24.

    Dharamsi and Maynard (2012).

  25. 25.

    Osman M. Ali and F. Aboul-Fotouh (2012, p. 41).

  26. 26.

    Jana-Masri and Priester (2007); Abu Raiya et al. (2007).

  27. 27.

    Utz (2012, p. 15).

  28. 28.

    Osman M. A. and F. Aboul-Fotouh (2012).

  29. 29.

    Amer and Jalal (2012, pp. 111–112).

  30. 30.

    Amer and Jalal (2012, pp. 113–114).

  31. 31.

    Daneshpour (2012, p. 122).

  32. 32.

    Daneshpour (2012, p. 122).

  33. 33.

    Jacquet (2009, pp. 190–192).

  34. 34.

    Jacquet (2009, p. 140).

  35. 35.

    Jacquet (2009, pp. 135–136).

  36. 36.

    Jacquet (2009, p. 141).

  37. 37.

    Jacquet (2009, p. 141).

  38. 38.

    Silbemann (2010).

  39. 39.

    Atighetchi (2007 p. 272).

  40. 40.

    Atighetchi (2007 p. 273).

  41. 41.

    There is an enormous bibliography on these subjects. I mention only: Babgi AA (2010). Pain Coping Behaviors of Saudi Patients suffering from Advanced Cancer: A Revisited Experience. Asian Pacific J. Of Cancer Prevention 2,MECC Supplement: 103–6; Daher M. Pain Relief is a Human Right, ibidem: 97–101.

  42. 42.

    Isbister and Bonifant (2001).

  43. 43.

    Schultz et al. (2012).

  44. 44.

    Sooki et al. (2011).

References

  • Abu Raiya, H., and K. I. Pargament, et al. 2007. Lessons learned and challenges faced in developing the psychological measure of Islamic religiousness. Journal of Muslim Mental Health 2 (2): 133–154.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Abu Zikri, A. 1976. Ethics in obstetric practice. Journal of the Kuwait Medical Association 10:191–196.

    Google Scholar 

  • Al-Habeeb, T. A. 2010. A pilot study of faith healers’ view on evil eye, jinn possession and magic in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Saudi Society of Family and Community Medicine 10 (3): 31–38.

    Google Scholar 

  • Aluffi Beck-Peccoz, R. 1990. La modernizzazione del diritto di famiglia nei paesi arabi. Milan: Giuffrè Editore.

    Google Scholar 

  • Aluffi Beck-Peccoz, R. (ed.) 1997. Le Leggi del diritto di famiglia negli stati arabi del Nord-Africa. Turin: Edizioni della Fondazione Giovanni Agnelli.

    Google Scholar 

  • Amer, M. M, and B. Jalal 2012. Individual psychotherapy/counseling. In Counseling Muslims, ed. S. Ahmed and M. M. Amer, 87–117. London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Atighetchi, D. 2002. Islam, Musulmani e Bioetica. Rome: Armando Editore.

    Google Scholar 

  • Atighetchi, D. 2007. The Koran and modern science. In Atighetchi D. Islamic Bioethics: Problems and Perspectives, 327–351. New York: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Atighetchi, D. 2009. Islam e Bioetica, 217–220. Rome: Armando Editore.

    Google Scholar 

  • Castro, F. 1981. Sistema sciaraitico, “siyāsa šar†iyya” e modelli normativi europei nel processo di formazione degli ordinamenti giuridici dei paesi del Vicino Oriente. In Il mondo islamico tra interazione e acculturazione, ed. A. Bausani and S. Amoretti, 165–202. Rome: Università di Roma - Istituto Studi Islamici.

    Google Scholar 

  • Castro , F. 1985. La codificazione del diritto privato negli Stati arabi contemporanei. Rivista di Diritto Civile I: 377–447.

    Google Scholar 

  • Castro, F. 1990. Diritto Musulmano, in Digesto delle discipline privatistiche 6, 1–66, 14–15. Torino: UTET.

    Google Scholar 

  • Daneshpour, M. 2012. Family systems therapy and post modern approaches. In: Counseling Muslims, ed. S. Ahmed and M.M. Amer, 119–134, 120–121.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dharamsi, S., and A. Maynard 2012. Islamic-based interventions. In: Counseling Muslims, ed. S. Ahmed and M. M. Amer, 135–160. London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Endrawes, G., L. O’Brien, and L. Wilkes 2007. Mental illness and Egyptian families. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing 16:178–187.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Haque, N., and A. Kamil 2012. Islam, Muslims and mental health. In Counseling Muslims, ed. S. Ahmed and M. M. Amer, 3–14, 11. London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hasnain, R., L. Cohon Shaikh, and H. Shanawani 2008. Disability and the Muslim perspective: An introduction for rehabilitation and health care providers, 31. Buffalo (New York): University of Buffalo, CIRRIE.

    Google Scholar 

  • International Human Rights. 1993. p. 325. Wien.

    Google Scholar 

  • Isbister, W. H., and J. Bonifant 2001. Implementation of the World Health Organization. Analgesic ladder in Saudi Arabia. Palliative Medicine 15:135–140.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jacquet, I. 2009. La vieillesse au Maroc. Louvain-la-Neuve: Academia Bruylant.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jana-Masri, A., and P. E. Priester 2007. The development and validation of a Qur’an-based instrument to assess Islamic religiosity: The religiosity of Islam scale. Journal of Muslim Mental Health 2 (2): 177–188.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lawrence, P., and C. Rozmus 2001. Culturally sensitive care of the Muslim patient. Journal of Transcultural Nursing 12 (3): 228–233, 230.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moazam, F. 2000. Families, patients and physicians in medical decision making: A Pakistani perspective. Hasting Center Report 30 (6): 28–37, 30.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Osman, M. Ali, and F. Aboul-Fotouh 2012. Traditional mental health coping and help-seeking. In: Counseling Muslims, ed. S. Ahmed and M. M. Amer, 33–47, 35. London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rahman, F. 1989. Health and medicine in the Islamic tradition, 70. New York: Crossroad.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schultz, M., and K. Baddarni, et al. 2012. Reflections on palliative care from the Jewish and Islamic Tradition. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine 3. doi:10.1155/2012/693092.

    Google Scholar 

  • Silbemann, M. 2010. Opioids in Middle Eastern populations. Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 11.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sooki, Z., and K. Sharifi, et al. 2011. Role of Quran recitation in mental health of the elderly. Quarterly of Quran & Medicine 1 (1): 17–23.

    Google Scholar 

  • The Holy Koran. (trans: Yusuf AA). 1983. Maryland: Amana Corporation.

    Google Scholar 

  • Utz, A. 2012. Conceptualizations of mental health, illness and healing. In: Counseling Muslims, ed. S. Ahmed and M. M. Amer, 15–31, 21. London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Islamic Bioethics, Faculty of Theology, Lugano, Switzerland

    Prof. Dariusch Atighetchi

Authors
  1. Prof. Dariusch Atighetchi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Dariusch Atighetchi .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Ateneo Pontificio Regina Apostolorum, School of Bioethics, Rome, Italy

    Joseph Tham

  2. Ateneo Pontificio Regina Apostolorum, School of Bioethics, Rome, Italy

    Alberto Garcia

  3. UNESCO Chair in Bioethics and Human Rights, Rome, Italy

    Gonzalo Miranda

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2014 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Atighetchi, D. (2014). Islamic Perspectives on Vulnerable Groups. In: Tham, J., Garcia, A., Miranda, G. (eds) Religious Perspectives on Human Vulnerability in Bioethics. Advancing Global Bioethics, vol 2. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-8736-9_16

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation