Public Health and its Connection to my Muslim Identity

Sam Jarada – Ihya Publications

Introduction

Since secondary school, my passion for science has bloomed. I had science teachers who cultivated this enthusiasm when I decided to become a doctor (specifically a psychiatrist). I initially had this pathway in mind because I wanted to help people, which led me to pursue medical school and strive academically from then on. This goal didn’t become a reality, so what happened? I didn’t score high enough on the BMAT and UCAT, nor did I succeed in the interview stage.Also, I undertook a voluntary hospital experience, which made me realise that becoming a doctor wasn’t my path. Yet I still want to contribute and help people through medicine, which led me to explore public health during my first year of undergraduate studies. What I found out back then was that it was my path because I could help many people and look beyond biology to see what impacts their health. So you might be wondering: how does public health tie to Islam? I will explain by drawing on the common values that both share.

The need to preserve life

In Islam, preserving or minimising the loss of any life is seen as a sacred duty, meaning that Muslims have a moral imperative to take care of their own mental and physical health, along with the health of people around them, whether it’s directly in their communities or in other environments; this is a common value shared with public health, whereby interventions, particularly those focused on prevention (e.g. vaccines), are developed to ensure populations are in good health and prevents lives lost due to disease.This shows how I don’t have to give up public health or Islam because they’re not opposed to one another. In this case, they’re incredibly similar because of their shared value of preserving life, though their approaches to achieving this differ. For me, diving deep into public health and Islam helped me understand both, leading me to be a better Muslim and to develop my public health career.

The role of community

In Islam, communities are responsible for upholding the health and well-being of their members through consistent care, which involves providing aid to those who are disabled, sick, or elderly and preventing disease. This aligns with public health, although it’s more complex due to the limitations of developing interventions, such as funding and policies, which Muslim communities may not encounter in the same way.As I explained further in my previous article, “A Journey of My Muslim Identity”, I emphasised that my identity was shaped by the communities I joined at university. In the public health context, my master’s degree allowed me to understand how communities influence health outcomes. Therefore, developing a communal identity is an inseparable part of human nature, as loneliness has detrimental consequences for a person’s health and well-being.

Connecting physical and spiritual health

In Islam, there’s a close connection between physical and spiritual health, whereby Muslims are encouraged to maintain and care for their physical health so that their spiritual health can flourish, and vice versa. For public health, this isn’t immediately obvious, but I’ll give it a try to articulate: having a sense of purpose in life improves spiritual health, which in turn fosters physical health and well-being.Through this value, I’d say my spiritual health has improved over time, as I take time to reflect on the words of the Qur’an and other Islamic texts and articles to strengthen not only my faith but also my knowledge. Additionally, my physical health has improved slowly but surely over time, as I've come to realise that my body is something I can’t take for granted. Since fast food and a sedentary lifestyle are not options for me, I make an effort to become more active.

Justice and Equality

Now saving one of the key values of both till last. Islam underlines the significance of upholding justice and equality in every aspect of life, from autonomy to fundamental human rights. This is similar to public health, where everyone should have access to healthcare regardless of ethnicity, income, or other socioeconomic and individual factors. In theory, implementing justice and equality would benefit everyone, but in practice, it’s challenging due to the modern world's incredible complexity.On an individual level, justice and equality powerfully resonate with me as a Muslim and as a public health professional due to the genocides in Gaza, Sudan, Yemen and the Rohingya, among many other atrocities occurring worldwide, with the latter (Sudan, Yemen and the Rohingya) needing more awareness too. During my master’s degree, one module that stood out to me was Global Health Challenges and Governance, which prompted me to reflect on my personal values.This module prompted me to lead the Global Health Injustices Series, where I discussed Palestine, Sudan, Yemen, Syria and Lebanon (in collaboration with a classmate), Kashmir and Bangladesh and the Rohingya (in cooperation with a good friend) and then a reflection of them all through a health and a global sociopolitical context. Writing these articles has shaped my perspective on public health as a profession and on what I can do as a Muslim, leading me to focus on opportunities to advocate for justice and equality.

Conclusion

Looking at all the values I listed above, there’s a clear connection between public health as a career pathway and my Muslim identity. I cannot separate them because the values deeply resonate with me, and I see that I can bring different skills, knowledge, and experience to excel as a public health professional. Ultimately, though, I see pursuing public health as another essential part of myself, as Allah has guided me towards, and I’m incredibly excited to embark on this professional endeavour, with its ups and downs, while maintaining my faith. One specific public health career path I’ve had in mind is social epidemiology, where I would focus on how societal, systemic, and economic structures impact health outcomes and uphold equity for all, something I want to explore further as it connects with me personally.