Health, Spirituality and Medical Ethics

Background and Objectives: Health preservation focuses on risk and protective factors across all countries. Islam, as a comprehensive way of life for humanity, offers valuable insights into these factors. This study aimed to investigate the determinants of health from the perspective of the Holy Quran.

Methods: All verses of the Quran were reviewed. Verses directly or indirectly referring to health determinants were identified and categorized into two groups: factors recognized by empirical health sciences and those beyond them. The first group was classified based on the World Health Organization’s framework, while the second was analyzed using thematic content analysis.

Results: A total of 744 codes (health-influencing factors) were identified across 420 verses. The verses confirmed factors aligned with scientific literature, including age, sex, genetics, biomedical factors, material circumstances, behavioral factors, psychosocial factors, and political and socioeconomic contexts. Additionally, other verses highlighted divine will, divine trials, religious injunctions, Islamic governance, faith in God, prayer, the unseen realm, Satan, remembrance of God, the Quran, knowledge, and miracles as health determinants, categorized under three main themes: divine will, religious injunctions, and the unseen realm.

Conclusion: Religion, through its injunctions, can influence health via pathways outlined in empirical scientific frameworks. Beyond religious directives, the existence of the unseen realm and divine will is a paramount factor influencing human health.