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A Model of Spirituality for Ageing Muslims

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The spiritual eyesight improves as the physical eyesight declines.

–Plato.

Abstract

Spirituality’s influence on general well-being and its association with healthy ageing has been studied extensively. However, a different perspective has to be brought in when dealing with spirituality issues of ageing Muslims. Central to this perspective is the intertwining of religion and spirituality in Islam. This article will contribute to the understanding of the nature of Islamic spirituality and its immense importance in the life of a practicing ageing Muslim. Consequently, it will help care providers to include appropriate spiritual care in the care repertoire of a Muslim care recipient. It is assumed that the framework for a model of spirituality based on Islamic religious beliefs would help contextualise the relationship between spirituality and ageing Muslims. Not only challenges, but also the opportunities that old age provides for charting the spiritual journey have underpinned this model.

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Notes

  1. The first number indicates a chapter in the Qur’an; the second denotes a verse in that chapter.

  2. Muslims base their laws on the Qur’an and the Sunnah. The Qur’an is their holy book containing God’s message revealed in Arabic to Prophet Muhammad (When their prophet’s name is mentioned, Muslims use the phrase “peace be upon him” to show their respect. They are also encouraged to use a similar salutation when other prophet’s names are mentioned) over 1400 years ago in Makkah (Mecca), Saudi Arabia, by Archangel Jibril (Gabriel). Sunnah includes the specific words, habits, practices, and silent approvals of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Muslims refer to Sunnah for guidance and direction on issues of daily lives which are not directly addressed in the Qur’an.

  3. For further elaboration on this, see Spilka (1993).

  4. “Dwelling relates to inhabiting a sacred space to feel at home and secure in its symbolic universe”, Dein (2005).

  5. For further elaboration on this, see Abdalla and Patel (2010).

  6. For an analysis of the theoretical polarization of the concepts of religion and spirituality, see Zinnbauer et al. (1999).

  7. For further elaboration on this, see Sawatzky (2002, p. 6).

  8. For a detailed analysis on substantive and functional perspectives, see Bruce (1996).

  9. Jinns are sapient beings that Allah created from smokeless fire before creating human beings. They are physically invisible to humans but live in a parallel world. They can be either Muslims or non-Muslims.

  10. For more on this concern, see Sue (1992).

  11. Akin to a product life cycle, the four stages of life can be seen as birth, growth, maturity, and decline.

  12. For more on the interconnectivity of these domains, see Fisher (2011).

  13. Despite disputes among Muslim scholars in the Middle Ages in regard to predestination and man’s free will, the most authoritative writings on this by prominent Muslim scholars Ibn Taymiyya (d. 728/1328) and his disciple Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya (d. 751/1350) take the view that Allah, while Omnipotent, does not force man to do anything; He has, instead, granted man free will to exercise choices, which then makes man responsible for his actions. For more on this, see Perho (2001) and Bori and Holtzman (2010).

  14. See, for example, 15:19-20, 6:141 (The Qur’an).

  15. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary (undated), transform means “to change (something) completely and usually in a good way”.

  16. For a detailed analysis of life review process and its implications in later life, see Butler (1963).

  17. “Exceeding usual limits, extending or lying beyond the limits of ordinary” (Merriam-Webster).

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Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge the encouragement received from Rev’d Professor Elizabeth MacKinlay, Centre for Ageing and Pastoral Studies, School of Theology, St Mark’s National Theological Centre, Charles Sturt University, Australia, to develop a model for Muslim spirituality.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

    Mahjabeen Ahmad

  2. School of Communication, International Studies and Languages, University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia

    Shamsul Khan

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  1. Mahjabeen Ahmad
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  2. Shamsul Khan
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Correspondence to Shamsul Khan.

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Ahmad, M., Khan, S. A Model of Spirituality for Ageing Muslims. J Relig Health 55, 830–843 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-015-0039-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-015-0039-0

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