“Be Patient and Grateful”- Elderly Muslim Women's Responses to Illness and Suffering

Abstract

Muslims arriving as first generation immigrants in Western countries gradually grow old and increasingly appeal to Western healthcare. This study presents and discusses the perspectives of elderly (age ≥55) Muslim women on medicine, illness and suffering. We found that theological considerations, centring around God's almightiness, are central for these Muslim women dealing with illness and suffering in a meaningful way. This study concludes that spirituality is an important dimension of their patient care: it not only makes an impact on these patients' ritual needs (e.g. prayer), but also on the ways they deal with illness, suffering, and concrete medical decision-making. The findings are of particular importance for both Muslim and multi-faith hospital chaplains who might act as spiritual care references in medical teams, by informing physicians and nurses about potential specific sensibilities and perspectives of Muslim patients.