Islamic Moral Values and End-of-Life Care: Examining the Intersection of Religious Beliefs and the U.S. Health Care System

Authors

Cortney Hughes Rinker, George Mason UniversityFollow
Oliver Pelland, George Mason UniversityFollow
Serena Abdallah, George Mason UniversityFollow

Abstract

End-of-life care is a central aspect of health care in the United States. Given the country’s diverse population, it is crucial to understand different religious perspectives on policies, standards of care, and medical practices. Religious beliefs impact the ways that end-of-life care is perceived and administered to patients of different faiths. This article examines Islamic approaches to end-of-life care within the context of the US health care system. Drawing on data collected through a literature review and interviews with Muslim physicians, imams, and scholars with extensive knowledge of Islam, four areas are identified in which end-of-life recommendations in the US medical care system parallel Islamic moral values: care for aging parents, time spent in the hospital, use of medication, and the preparation of advance directives. We argue that individuals’ Islamic beliefs and the initiatives and policies for end-of-life care in the United States are not oppositional and provide insight into how our Muslim participants turn theological perspectives and ethics into health practices.

Relational Format

journal article

Accessibility Status

Searchable text

Recommended Citation

Rinker, Cortney Hughes; Pelland, Oliver; and Abdallah, Serena (2017) "Islamic Moral Values and End-of-Life Care: Examining the Intersection of Religious Beliefs and the U.S. Health Care System," Southern Anthropologist: Vol. 37: No. 1, Article 2.
Available at: https://egrove.olemiss.edu/southern_anthropologist/vol37/iss1/2