Filed under: Latino/Caribe, Sept/Oct Volume - 2008 | Tags: El Gilani Methodology, Medicine, Quranic Psychiatry
In an interview with the Islamic Post, Dr. Syed Muzaffar Hassan explains his affinity with Qur’anic therapies and for El Gilani Methodology.
Dr. Syed Muzaffar Hassan works from his family clinic in the Dominican Republic through which he hopes to assist afflicted persons. (IP File Photo)
Islamic Post Interview
Q. Salaam Alaykum, I greet you with peace, Dr. Syed Muzaffar Hassan, please tell me the name of your clinic.
A. The name of my clinic is Centro de Salud Familiar, when translated from Spanish this means the Family Health Center. It is located in the Dominican Republic.
Q. Do patients come to you with long term or short term illnesses?
A. As a general practitioner, I treat almost all types of patients, long term and short term illnesses. I treat all types of ailments from the simple flu to life-threatening diseases and psychological problems.
Q. How do you explain to non-Muslims the healing effect of zikr, the remembrance of the Almighty Creator?
A. I explain to my patients that both health and sickness are blessings of Allah the Most High, but that sickness itself is a very weighty blessing. Because we are very weak and have difficulty bearing this blessing, we must remember the Almighty Creator, do His zikr, and ask His Merciful Divine help to bear this blessing. We can also ask His Divine help to lessen the burden for us due to our weakness. The mode of action, or the real healing effect of zikr of the Almighty is only known by Him and His Beloved Holy Last Messenger Muhammad, peace be upon him, and also His sacred friends, who are known in Islam as awliyaa.’ My belief is that if Allah the Most High put so much healing power in something man-made like Tylenol, so that people may get relief from headaches and fever, than what can we say about zikr of the Most High, who is the ultimate Creator of all?
Q. How do your patients view your being Muslim?
A. Alhamdulillah, Allah deserves all praise as they respect me very much.
Q. How do you explain the same to Muslim patients?
A. For my Muslim brother, I remind him that Allah the Most High says in Holy Qur’an (5:3), “Today, I have perfected for you your deen (way of life) and completed my favor upon You and granted you Al Islam as a deen.”
Al Islam means total submission to Allah, and total submission can only be achieved by following our Beloved Holy Last Messenger, Muhammad, peace be upon him. In Sahih Muslim it is narrated from Abi as-Zubayr, reporting from Jaber bin Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with them) that the Holy Messenger, peace be upon him, said, “Each disease has a remedy, if the remedy is suitable for the disease, the sick person recovers by the permission of Allah the Great and Almighty.”
The Holy Last Messenger Muhammad, peace be upon him, would use various medicinal remedies and also advised the sick persons of his family and companions to use these as well.
Allah the Most High says in Holy Qur’an (33:21), “Surely in the Messenger of Allah is a beautiful pattern of conduct to follow for anyone whose hope is in Allah and the Last Day, and who engages much in the zikr of Allah.” We now have the psychology of the mo’min, the believer who practices his faith, and also the psychology of God-fearing men who are both led by that pattern of men and of leaders, the Holy Last Messenger, Muhammad, peace be upon him.
The bodily diseases are more or less similar to the diseases of the heart, which are referred to as psychological diseases, in that Allah the Most High has determined a remedy for each disease as its opposite.
Nowadays, it is common thinking that we have to take care of our physical and “psychological” health, but we are forgetting about the root of all health or illness, which is the heart. Our beloved Holy Last Messenger, Muhammad, may the peace of Allah be upon him and his family, has told us, “There is a piece of flesh in the body. If that piece of flesh is sound, the whole body is sound; but if that piece of flesh is corrupted, the whole body is corrupted. Indeed that (piece of flesh) is the heart.”
According to commentators of the Holy Qur’an, in reference to, “Is one who was dead, and then we gave life and made for him a light by which to walk among the people, like one who is in darkness from which he cannot exit?” (6:122), the “one who was dead” refers to a person having a dead heart. The Holy Last Messenger, Muhammad, peace be upon him, has said, “The difference between the one who remembers Allah and the one who does not is as the difference between the living and the dead.”
The mo’min is one whose heart is alive, while the disbeliever is one whose heart is effectively dead. The hypocrite, however, is one whose heart is diseased, as Allah the Most High has said (2:10), “In their hearts is a disease, then Allah increases for them the disease.”
That the heart starts beating in approximately the eighth week after conception, before the brain is fully fashioned, demonstrates that the heart is not controlled by the central nervous system. Heart activity is self-initiated in a small accumulation of tissues situated in the right atrium of the heart, a natural pacemaker. Many in the West have long proffered that the brain is the center of consciousness, but Allah the Most High has told us in the Holy Qur’an that it is the heart. There are those who “have hearts with which they do not understand.” (7:179).
One can say that Islam, in essence, is a program to restore purity and calm to the heart through the remembrance of the Almighty. “Most surely in the remembrance of Allah the hearts find contentment.” (13:28) Islam provides the methods by which our hearts can become sound and safe again.
These methods have been a subject of brilliant and insightful scholarship for centuries in the Islamic tradition. After being introduced to EGM, or El Gilani Methodology, by my good friend Muhammad Ahmad al Hajji, I have come to see EGM as a set of formalized therapies extending back to the Holy Last Messenger, Muhammad, peace be upon him, the scientific demonstration of which, in modern times, has been conducted by El Sheikh Syed Mubarik Ali Shah Gilani.
Q. Please give examples of zikr you have prescribed.
A. I never recommend any zikr or prescribe any zikr to any non-Muslim patients, but what I observe is that when I prescribe any treatment or employ any treatment while I am doing my zikr, the patients’ recovery is expedited, and in a very short period of time.
Q. Have you seen your patients draw closer to Allah the Most High in some way?
A. Only Allah the Most High and His Holy Last Messenger Muhammad, peace be upon him, know best. What I observe in my non-Muslim patients is their curiosity and interest in Islam is peaked. They ask questions about my manner of praying. As far as my Muslim patients, I observed that, before treatment, some were living their life contrary to the teachings of Islam. After the treatment they received, which incorporated some zikr, they not only were cured but also showed their nearness to Islam by ceasing to disobey many commands of the Almighty in their daily lives.
Q. Please describe the Islamic cultural background which inspired your love of al Islam as a way of life.
A. It is a great blessing of Allah, Glorified and the Most High is He, and the mercy of the Mercy to All of the Worlds, who is the Holy Last Messenger Muhammad, peace be upon him, that I was born in a Muslim family and received my Islamic education at home in Pakistan. My childhood and some part of my adult life were spent with people who had great light and spiritual guidance in Islam. The Almighty has given me much through the recitation of Durood o Salaam, the sending of abundant peace and blessings upon the Holy Last Messenger Muhammad, peace be upon him. Other than this, I am nothing. All knowledge is from the Almighty and His Blessed Messenger, peace be upon him, the Mercy to all of the Worlds.
Q. Thank you Syed Dr. Muzzafar Hassan. I understand you have made your clinic available as an avenue to treat afflicted persons?
A. Yes, and may Allah bless our small Muslim community here with the ability to invite more people to the way which brings peace to the souls and bodies, al Islam. All praise is due to Allah and peace and blessings be upon His Beloved Messenger, Muhammad.
Filed under: August Volume 1 - 2008, International, Science | Tags: Dr. Jemille, El Gilani Methodology, Gilani, Medicine, Psychology, Quranic Psychiatry, Spirituality
Dr. Jemille Wasi, Islamic Post Contributing Writer
If you have been reading the Islamic Post in the last few months you would have seen that I have been writing on the subject of El Gilani Methodology (EGM). Starting in the April 2008 edition of the Islamic Post, I began a series whose intended purpose was to formally introduce EGM to those who may not know exactly what it is. This final article serves as a conclusion or summary to the entire series.
The history of EGM is an important factor in understanding the Methodology. At the time of the inception of El Gilani Methodology, many psychiatrists from all around the globe were meeting at a World Health Organization (WHO) conference in Egypt in hopes of finding a way to standardize treatment approaches to mental disease. The idea was to pool the practices of many cultures to come up with one general approach. Meanwhile, EGM was reaching acclaim in Pakistan. Due to success in the subcontinent, the Methodology soon began to garner attention on a larger scale.
As a result, El Sheikh Gilani, the developer of the method, formalized the process into a system.
One of the psychiatrists present at the WHO conference, Dr. Usama Radi, believed that aspects of Quranic therapy could be beneficial to WHO’s worldwide treatment approach. Recognizing that El Sheikh Gilani of Pakistan was an authority on such matters, Dr. Radi contacted El Sheikh to enlist his assistance in proving the science behind the healing with chapters from the Holy Quran.
A special research facility was set up in the psychiatry wing of a hospital in Taif, Saudi Arabia. Scientific experimentation commenced on many subjects suffering from a variety of psychiatric maladies. The effectiveness of the method was noted immediately by all who were present including world renowned psychiatrists from a variety of different countries.
Upon further examination however, those in attendance with formal western psychiatric training began to feel that the foundation of the method was incongruent with their beliefs. They began to find fault and attempted to “fit” the results into something that made sense to them.
The “radical” idea that human flesh is a covering for the true spiritual beings that we are, was in total contradiction to the belief system of the psychiatrists involved, who thought that our extraordinary physical bodies merely house our minds –which are but impressive centers made of neurotransmitters and complex tissue. Moreover, the psychiatrists came to realize that EGM gives mankind a firm understanding that he is a spiritual creature whose deeds and actions determine his place in the universe, as opposed to being an animal governed by his carnal desires and primal urges.
In protecting their unfounded, materialist dogma, the resistance of these psychiatrists escalated to the point where they began to oppose anything to do with the Methodology. Even after viewing miracles never before seen, with their own eyes, they continued to ignore the scientific results of EGM in order to return to the “safe” world of theory and conjecture to which they had become accustomed. Consequently, this great scientific breakthrough was ignored. No longer were attempts made to incorporate the Methodology into the global treatment strategy for which it had originally been sought.
The psychiatrists conjured up an objection that EGM had no structure, and was not scientifically based. They claimed the Methodology required no formal training for those who wished to practice it, only some sort of special powers being necessary to be considered for training.
None of these objections have basis in fact. EGM is a unique branch of Divine science with a complete doctrine and manual for practice. Therapists are formally trained at one of the few Quranic Science Institutions and must receive certification before implementing the Methodology into practice.
The training is often more rigorous and detailed than Western psychiatric programs because of the subject matter being dealt with.
Once the program is complete, students go through an intense period of testing that can often last for many months before they can be certified. An extra caveat to this is that therapists MUST adhere to the same spiritual and moral standards that are required by patients receiving EGM treatment.
If a person meets the prerequisites, he or she is an acceptable candidate for training in the Methodology.
In conclusion, the current condition of the approach to mental disease is dismal, at best, in regards to patient care. If the present psychiatric movement continues to ignore the true spiritual nature of mental disorders, the trend of mental illness will continue until there will be no hope for those suffering from psychiatric maladies. Let’s pray that it will not come to that!
As always, only from Allah (Glorified and the Most High is He) can we be healed!
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Dr. Jemille graduated in 1998 with honors from Longwood University, with a Bachelors in Chemistry. In June 2006, he received a Medical Degree from International Quranic Open University (I.Q.O.U.). In September 2006, he received his M.D. from Eastern Virginia Medical school. Dr. Jemille is scheduled, this year, to participate fully as a physician at St. Francis Family Residency Program.
For any comments or concerns send an email to Dr. Jemille:
Jemille23@gmail.com
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Dr. Jemille Series: The Introduction to El Gilani Methodology Intro| Part 1| Part 2 | Part 3
Filed under: International, Science | Tags: Dr. Jemille, El Gilani Methodology, Gilani, Medicine, Psychology, Quranic Psychiatry, Spirituality
Dr. Jemille Wasi, Islamic Post Contributing Writer
“I am at my wits end!”
This is the thought that invaded my mind as I listened to my patient tell her story. She is a 19 year-old European-American woman who had experienced a multitude of abuse starting around age 11. Over the years these events have taken their toll.
The patient has been suffering from depression since the age of 13 years old. Since being diagnosed at that age, she had tried nearly all of the available mainstream methods of combating depression including counseling, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), and of course antidepressive medications.
Upon hearing the shopping list of medications she had tried, I was in shock because she was so young. Of all of the antidepressants available, she had tried all but 2. Additionally, I believe she had even experimented with “off-label” methods, including teas and acupuncture.
As I sat there listening to her, she began sobbing and asked that I help her. I thought, “How can I be of any help to her?” She had already exhausted most of the available medical options; and as a proponent of EGM (El Gilani Methodology) I wanted to suggest the Methodology as an option; but the hospital system in which I am employed has “standard of care” guidelines for us to follow and this modality is not contained therein.
The solution became clear: I must try to convince physicians and patients that this methodology should be mainstream and considered standard of care.
The best way to prove the worth of EGM is to inform that the Methodology is a scientifically proven method of treating psychiatric maladies. This next series of articles should do just that.
Although this methodology has its roots in ancient times, El Gilani Methodology (EGM) became an established treatment system in the last 30 years. In the 1960s the founding researcher of EGM, Dr. Mubarik Gilani, was known all throughout his country, Pakistan, for his ability to heal patients with Divine words. In 1968 Dr. Gilani invented EGM as a FORMAL treatment strategy, due to the increased demand and success of the informal method.
Between 1965 and 1972, the World Health Organization (WHO) carried out a major international effort directed at the standardization of psychiatric diagnoses, classifications, and statistics; WHO involved authorities from some 30 countries.
At a WHO conference in 1976 one such expert was a Dr. O. Radi, the director of Psychiatric Hospital Shahar Taif in Saudi Arabia, who recognized the significance of Quranic Psychiatry. He proposed to continue research into this premise and present the findings at the next conference. The idea was to exhibit modern, documented, scientific evidence to continue the research so that discussion of the subject became reasonable.
Dr. Radi started out trying to find a competent Sufi scientist in Saudi Arabia but was unable to locate one. His search led him to Dr. Mubarik Gilani whose healing methodology (EGM) was increasing in acclaim in Pakistan. He told the researcher that he had a problem to solve and that if he would help him, it would be a major scientific breakthrough. Dr. Gilani agreed to run the project as an honorary Professor of Psychiatry at the Taif hospital.
A special wing at the Shahar Hospital was constructed specifically for this research endeavor.
Dr. Gilani ran the team which included Dr. Radi, Dr. M. Gaber, and Lady Dr. Mahmuda. Dr. Radi selected, diagnosed, and approved the patients to be admitted. Drs. Gaber and Mahmuda were the observers and interpreters, and also recorded the data from the experiments.
All trials were conducted under controlled situations and test results were meticulously analyzed. Additionally a team of psychiatrists various countries around the world was at hand to directly observe the methodology.
The following Professors of Psychiatry were present:
1. Dr. D Leigh, Hon. General Secretary, International
Psychiatrists’ Federation, London (Maudsley Hospital)
2. Dr. O. Shaheen, Professor of Psychiatry, Cairo, Egypt
3. Dr. A. Okasho, Professor of Psychiatry Cairo, Egypt
4. Dr. U. Alhaj, Professor of Psychiatry, Khartoum, Sudan
5. Dr. R. Chaudhry, Professor of Psychiatry, Lahore, Pakistan
6. Additional physicians not mentioned heralded from the U.S. and Saudi Arabia.
The researcher was able to heal a multitude of patients suffering from a variety of disease states including epilepsy, schizophrenia, psychosis, neurosis, depressive states, insomnia, night terrors, and chronic joint pain with edema. Additionally Dr. Gilani gave regular lectures to all of the psychiatrists on Quranic topics.
The institute was opened to any and everyone who wanted to attend and observe; and, as is the Sufi tradition, no fees or salaries were accepted for any treatment provided, it being the practice to render any services merely for the pleasure of our Creator and Sustainer.
EGM continues to have worldwide success and the offer is always open to conduct experiments in the methodology wherever there is the need and desire for such assistance.
An in-depth look into the Methodology follows in the next edition of the Islamic Post.
As always, only from Allah, the Most Glorified is He and On High, can we be healed!
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Dr. Jemille graduated in 1998 with honors from Longwood University, with a Bachelors in Chemistry. In June 2006, he received a Medical Degree from International Quranic Open University (I.Q.O.U.). In September 2006, he received his M.D. from Eastern Virginia Medical school. Dr. Jemille is scheduled, this year, to participate fully as a physician at St. Francis Family Residency Program.
For any comments or concerns send an email to Dr. Jemille:
Jemille23@gmail.com
–
Dr. Jemille Series: The Introduction to El Gilani Methodology Intro| Part 1| Part 2 | Part 3
Filed under: International, July Volume II - 2008, Science | Tags: EGM, El Gilani Methodology, Gilani, Medicine, Psychology, Quranic Psychiatry, Spirituality
By Dr. Jemille Wasi, Islamic Post Contributing Writer
In the last issue of the Islamic Post, I introduced the second in a series of articles whose objective was to provide a more detailed introduction into El-Gilani Methodology. The first article [an introduction] highlighted the historical aspects of EGM. In the second article, I described the method itself and some of the requirements involved in its practice. The purpose of this current editorial is to expand on the idea of psychiatric diagnosis being the primary area of focus for this treatment system.
A central theme of Sufi psychiatric science, and the basis of EGM, is that the body is a product of the soul. Man is a spiritual being with a physical form.
This differs from the prevailing mainstream dogma that the soul is a product of the body. In modern psychiatry, man is divine and our consciousness, mind, and souls are derived from our physical self. In essence, this means that we are physical bodies with a spiritual soul.
Some modern psychiatrists go as far as to exclude the notion of a “soul” altogether; so much so, that inquiries into the non-corporeal facets of human existence negate the current laws of medical and physical sciences. These conventional, modern beliefs comprise the core obstacle that is hindering the curative treatment of psychiatric ailments. Moreover, these principles led to the error of attributing mental disease to physical phenomena, which in turn, has led to the employment of physical means, i.e., regimens of drug and other therapies, to cure mental disease. These measures do not provide a cure, and have yielded minimal results in even controlling the symptoms of mental disorders. This symptom control is not identical in all cases treated with the same modality, and the effectiveness varies on a case-by-case basis.
Because EGM is based on Sufi scientific codes, and because Sufi science revolves around the reality of the soul, EGM has been used primarily for psychiatric ailments. In fact, the effectiveness of EGM in curing psychiatric maladies is due in part to the truth of the first-mentioned idea: we are spiritual beings with physical forms.
All aspects of Sufi psychiatry revolve around the purification of the soul from characteristics such as lust, greed, anger, jealousy, and other inner pollutants. Possession of these traits spiritually, manifests physically in various forms. The only way to remove these inner pollutants is from the inside out. Another facet of this is that a person’s negative actions or deeds can serve to strengthen these characteristics spiritually; so care also needs to be taken in performing good deeds, as part of the inner cleansing. This cleansing process is essential to curing mental disorders.
For the last 40 years, El-Gilani Methodology has enjoyed tremendous international success in curing mental diseases, as well as other diseases that are based on one’s deeds, and the condition of one’s soul, such as AIDS. There are many scientifically proven cases of the effectiveness of this method documented in the book, Quranic Psychiatry by His Eminence, Sheikh Syed Mubarik El Gilani. Not surprisingly, the only entities that decrease the effectiveness of EGM are the ineffective physical means currently used to treat mental disorders. These modalities work similar to how negative actions and bad deeds work in obstructing the cleansing process.
Because EGM focuses on the root of the problem with mental disease, it can effectively stand alone as a treatment option. One can see that eliminating the concept of the soul as the primary form with an associated physical vehicle, destroys the true essence of the etiology of mental disease at its very root. In order to progress in this field, one has to first acknowledge the above-mentioned Sufi principle, in order to truly understand the mystery of mental disease, its causes, signs, symptoms, and remedies.
As always, only from Allah, Glorified is He and the Most High, can we be healed!
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Dr. Jemille graduated in 1998 with honors from Longwood University, with a Bachelors in Chemistry. In June 2006, he received a Medical Degree from International Quranic Open University (I.Q.O.U.). In September 2006, he received his M.D. from Eastern Virginia Medical school. Dr. Jemille is scheduled, this year, to participate fully as a physician at St. Francis Family Residency Program.
For any comments or concerns send an email to Dr. Jemille:
Jemille23@gmail.com
–
Dr. Jemille Series: The Introduction to El Gilani Methodology Intro| Part 1| Part 2 | Part 3
Filed under: International, July Volume I- 2008, Science | Tags: Dr. Jemille, EGM, El Gilani Methodology, Gilani, Medicine, Psychology, Quranic Psychiatry, Spirituality
By Dr. Jemille Wasi, Islamic Post Contributing Writer
In the April 2008 edition of the Islamic Post, I introduced the first of a series of articles whose purpose was to establish El Gilani Methodology (EGM) as a viable, proven treatment option for those suffering from a multitude of disease processes. In that article I focused on introducing the historical background of EGM and the events that were transpiring that necessitated its development. Now we turn our attention to the components of the methodology itself.
Lines of Holy Quran have been used since times past as a means to cure disease. The Holy Last Messenger Muhammad (peace be upon him) used a compilation of 34 such ayaats (known as the Manzil) to cure mental disease. After the Holy Last Messenger (peace be upon him), Sufi scientists used the 6 Ayaats of Shifaa, healing various ailments.
EGM was developed from the mold of the practices of the early sufis, including the ultimate sufi, the Holy Last Messenger Muhammad (peace be upon him).
EGM is a standardized systematic approach that institutes the application of the healing properties of the Holy Quran for the general population at large. It centers on the use of the projection of a highly concentrated visual image of the name of Allah ta’ala, who is the Most High, and the name of the Holy Last Messenger (peace be upon him).
Originally it consisted of audiotapes of the method’s founder reciting various ayaats. Although El Sheikh still dispenses treatment, the method now also consists of highly trained therapists administering prescribed therapies on an individual basis, often in person, to the afflicted individual.
Patients are given specific prescriptions for the disease process. Some aspects of each prescription are generic for a particular ailment, but some parts of the treatment regimen are customized to an individual patient.
As is the case with most formal systems of medicine, the practitioners must take courses specific to the method. This often occurs at one of the many campuses of the International Quranic Open University. Students must pass examinations in order to become qualified therapists and receive certifications. Another facet of the training is that students must adhere to the same principles as the patients, which include a belief in one God, following the Ten Commandments, performing good deeds, and shunning the committing of sinful acts. Once a fully competent therapist, one is released to provide services to all that seek assistance. For difficult cases, the more accomplished therapists are available to render services.
EGM has met some resistance in the past which, I believe, is due to the fact that it is often mistakenly grouped with forms of non-traditional medicine. Unlike these practices, this is a medical system that includes a medical code, texts, and formally trained therapists.
A book called Treatment of Mental Disorders: A Review of Effectiveness, edited by Norman Sartorius, describes how various forms of indigenous medicine often showed greater success rates in healing diseases than did commonly used practices. Westermeyer had reached this same conclusion in a previous study in 1979.
Although EGM is applicable to all forms of disease, its primary focus is the treatment of mental disease. Upon further review of this unique methodology, one will find that it focuses on the true nature of many diseases. If given the proper audience one will find the results of instituting this treatment strategy effective in curing many of the incurable diseases that afflict mankind!!
As always…only from Allah ta’ala can we be healed!
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Dr. Jemille graduated in 1998 with honors from Longwood University, with a Bachelors in Chemistry. In June 2006, he received a Medical Degree from International Quranic Open University (I.Q.O.U.). In September 2006, he received his M.D. from Eastern Virginia Medical school. Dr. Jemille is scheduled, this year, to participate fully as a physician at St. Francis Family Residency Program.
For any comments or concerns send an email to Dr. Jemille:
Jemille23@gmail.com
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Dr. Jemille Series: The Introduction to El Gilani Methodology Intro| Part 1| Part 2 | Part 3
The Islamic Post Blog 