Quran as a Means of Treating Illness (Part 5 of 5)

* Part 5: Measured Quran recitation for positive disease outcomes, the effect of “Tajweed” rules on memory and emotions

Quran Recitation for Positive Disease Outcomes

Rhyme and rhythm of the Quran promotes positive disease outcomes. “Tajweed’’ compliant recitation (correct pronunciation and intonation) influences human emotions. The fluent and harmonious expression of the Quran fulfills the intrinsic human tendency for a harmonious state of the mind and body. In certain verses of the Quran, Allah, the Exalted refers to it as “cure”. Several studies have demonstrated the effect of the voice of the Quran in resolving stress, physiological, and mental health conditions (Sadeghi, 2011).

These results are in line with the efficacy of sound therapy in alternative medicine. The effectiveness of sound therapy with the Quran has resulted in positive outcomes for restoring fertility, reducing delivery pain, improving heart and respiration rate, and blood-oxygen saturation levels. Patients have also reported reduced physiological response to stress before open-heart surgery. Research supports that slow rhythm reduces sympathetic system activity. Listening to the Quran has been observed to reduce anxiety before the administration of anesthesia in open heart surgery (Sadeghi, 2011).

Quran Recitation and Emotions

The correct pronunciation of the Quran is dictated by “Tajweed” rules which ensure that the recitation is appropriate. This measured recitation produces relaxation through a specific effect on the human heart and the release of hormones and chemicals. Emotions are a central aspect of optimal mental health and influence attention, learning, speech, mood, interpersonal relationships, and motivation. The emotions experienced can be measured through heart rate variations, breathing rate, skin conductance, temperature and muscle tension, blood volume pulse, and brain waves. Research studies indicated calmer and more relaxed patients from ECG and EEG studies (Nayef & Wahab, 2018).

Researchers have also attempted to assess the effectiveness of the Quran rhythm on memory performance among children. Previous studies have indicated the positive effects of music on cognition, memory processing, attention, spatial and reading abilities, and even mental retardation (Hojjati et al., 2014). Results indicated that the group of children who listened to the Quran exhibited much better memory performance when compared to the control group. These results have implications in terms of improving short and long-term memories, and addressing deficits in cognitive, meta-cognitive, and decoding strategies, to address various types of learning, reasoning, and understanding difficulties.

Conclusion

The recitation of the Quran has numerous benefits, from restoring the circadian rhythms to alleviating mental, physical, and spiritual illnesses. Sustained and rhythmic recitation, following correct rules of “tajweed” can bring about positive disease outcomes in the long run and may reduce reliance on pharmacological interventions. An integrated approach to treatment may be undertaken under the case of a licensed healthcare professional.

References

Hojjati, A., Rahimi, A., Farehani, M. D., Sobhi-Gharamaleki, N., & Alian, B. (2014). Effectiveness of Quran Tune on Memory in children. Procedia — Social and Behavioral Sciences, 114, 283–286. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2013.12.699

Nayef, E. G., & Wahab, M. N. A. (2018). The Effect of Recitation Quran on the Human Emotions. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 8(2). https://doi.org/10.6007/ijarbss/v8-i2/3852

Sadeghi, H. (2011). Voice of Quran and health: A review of performed studies in Iran. Quarterly of Quran & Medicine Summer, 1(1), 33–37.