The Concept of Islamic Spiritualism in Dealing with Plague and Infectious Disease Outbreaks

• Published in: CSR, Sustainability, Ethics and Governance
• Main Author: Ismail-Ahmad M.; Mustafa Busu Z.; Ahmad M.M.A.; Junoh N.; Yusof N.; Musa M.F.
• Format: Book chapter
• Language: English
• Published: Springer Nature 2024
• Online Access: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85201938820&doi=10.1007%2f978-3-031-53877-3_38&partnerID=40&md5=3333dbde4ed6747020d5a73ce791074c

The spread of infectious diseases raises concerns among the population. Therefore, the government is making diligent efforts to protect the healthy community from getting infected, treat confirmed patients, and safeguard medical personnel from the dangers of infection and transmission. The transmission of infectious disease outbreaks exposes the community to highly dangerous and easily contagious germs, such as COVID-19. They are at risk of deadly disease outbreaks. Hence, particularly for Muslims, they need to be consistently prepared for the prevention of the spread of infectious diseases as prescribed in the Quran and Sunnah. This descriptive study employed the narrative review method to critically analyze selected literature which was obtained from the Scopus database. The results of the analysis identified fourteen (14) articles featuring discussions on the topic of the concept, relevance, and importance of spirituality and religious beliefs in managing plague and infectious disease outbreaks. The emphasis on health and adherence to religious doctrines is a crucial aspect of nurturing one’s faith as a Muslim. Every Muslim is obliged to safeguard themselves by following the teachings of their religion, as it is a responsibility inherent in being a Muslim. A virtuous Muslim and believer will uphold their health from both the physical and spiritual dimensions, aiming to shape themselves into a true believer. Simultaneously, this approach can serve as a defense mechanism against the spread of infectious disease outbreaks which evidently has impacted Muslims all over the world, particularly in the aspect of health and livelihood. In this study, the spiritual concept in addition to religious teachings as well as practices are highlighted as the main approaches to preventing and curbing infectious disease outbreaks. Hence, it is recommended that Muslims must consistently and persistently take good care of themselves, physically and spiritually in their effort to safeguard themselves from any diseases and illnesses. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2024.