Spiritual support for patients is one of the guidelines used to help patient who is going through a difficult and volatile experience, in which he needs spiritual support in order to overcome this experience, by benefiting from the content of the Holy Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet as one of the contributions to correcting wrong ideas and perceptions, and providing him with religious and spiritual knowledge to improve his spiritual compatibility with these circumstances guided by religious worship and values (such as: faith, piety, trust, patience, certainty, contentment, and tranquility).
Accordingly, the definition of spiritual support for patients is: A science concerned with using religious texts and spiritual concepts in addressing a patient and those in a similar position in a way that contributes to the success of the treatment plan and fulfills their religious and spiritual needs.
Objectives of spiritual support for patients:
- Reinforcing the Islamic values and principles of faith of the patient that enable him to overcome pressures and helping him spiritually to overcome the medical crisis and stand by him in his ordeal.
- Achieving spiritual stability for the patient through upright spiritual construction, by strengthening a position, belief or behavior that contributes to improving the patient's spiritual state.
- Satisfying the patient's spiritual needs in doctrinal and jurisprudential aspects.
- Strengthening the patient's trust in Allah, reminding him of the importance of trust and submission to God Almighty while taking legitimate reasons.
- Contributing to treating the patient's spiritual disorders and behavioral deviations and trying to change his negative thoughts about them and replace them with more positive ones.
- Promoting health and preventing diseases through adherence to Islamic principles.
- Contributing to improving the quality of life for patients and their families.
- Supporting in achieving the Ministry of Health's goals in strengthening health economics.
- Contributing to raising the level of patient satisfaction.
Patients targeted by spiritual support:
Spiritual support is provided to patients and families of patients who need it. The most famous specialties in which spiritual support is needed are oncology patients, palliative care patients, addiction patients, mental health patients, and long-term patients. In addition, spiritual support is provided to all categories of patients, each according to his needs. For example, a kidney patient needs spiritual support due to the pain he suffers from and may need answers to his religious questions. A patient in the obstetrics and gynecology department needs answers to the legal rulings on blood and postpartum bleeding, with a need for spiritual support in cases of miscarriage or fetal death. In intensive care units and emergency departments, there is a clear and obvious need for spiritual support, whether for patients or their families, and other patients.