THE IMPACT OF ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE ON THE SPREADING OF ISLAMIC DA’WA:THE RESULTS OF A CASE STUDY ON DARUL AL-SYIFA AT BANGI

Abstract

ABSTRAK

Artikel ini melaporkan satu kajian kes ke atas Darul al-Syifa di Bangi, Malaysia bagi memastikan kesan perubatan alternatif terhadap penyebaran Islam (dakwah), peningkatan tahap kepercayaan dan pengetahuan agama Islam di kalangan pesakit. Kajian ini bertujuan mendefinisikan perubatan alternatif dan konsep yang relevan dan hukum syarak; mengenal pasti ciri-ciri bagi kejayaan pengamal perubatan itu dalam mengubati pesakit dan mengajak mereka memeluk Islam; mengenal pasti peranan pengamal dan meningkatkan paras kefahaman agama pesakit; dan mengukur kesan perubatan alternatif terhadap penyebaran Islam. Kajian itu cuba menjawab empat soalan: Bagaimana membuktikan impak perubatan alternatif terhadap penyebaran Islam? Adakah kesannya positif atau negatif? Bagaimana untuk mengukur kesannya? Adakah ia mempunyai impak terhadap peningkatan kepercayaan pesakit dan tahap pengetahuan agama pesakit? Satu kaji selidik telah diedarkan kepada para pesakit, pengamal dan lembaga pengarah Darul al-Syifa. Kajian ini menunjukkan paras pengetahuan pesakit mengenai perubatan alternatif, paras kedatangan untuk rawatan, sejauh mana mereka dipengaruhi oleh cara penyebaran pengamal di samping pengetahuan saintifik pengamal dan cara teratur rawatan serta cara menarik pesakit kepada Islam. Kajian ini juga mengenal pasti kesan perubatan alternatif terhadap penyebaran Islam berdasarkan kes kajian yang mengenal pasti objektif Darul al-Syifa, kaedah dakwah dan mengkaji sama ada perubatan alternatif sesuai dan menepati ajaran Islam. Hasilnya menunjukkan perubatan alternatif boleh menambah kepercayaan pesakit semasa dan selepas rawatan. Kajian ini juga mengenal pasti perbezaan di antara perubatan alternatif dengan perubatan moden. Para penyelidik itu merumuskan perubatan alternatif mempunyai kesan ke atas peningkatan paras kepercayaan di kalangan pesakit. Mereka juga mendapati sebahagian besar pesakit merasakan tahap kepercayaan mereka telah meningkat.

ABSTRACT

The article reports the results of a case study conducted on Darul al-Syifa at Bangi, Malaysia to discover the impact of alternative medicine on the dissemination of Islam (dakwah), the increase in the level of faith and religiosity among the patients. The aim of the study is to define alternative medicine and the relevant concepts and legal provisions; identify the characteristics for the practitioner’s success in treating patients and inviting them to Islam; determine the practitioner’s role in increasing the patients’ religiosity; and measure the impact of alternative medicine on the dissemination of Islam. The study attempts to answer four questions: How to prove the impact alternative medicine has on the dissemination of Islam? Is the impact positive or negative? How to measure this impact? Does it have an impact on increasing the patients’ faith and religiosity? A questionnaire was distributed to the patients, practitioners, and management board of Darul al-Syifa.The study shows the patients’ level of knowledge about alternative medicine, their turnout for treatment, the extent to which they have been influenced by the practitioners’ propagation in addition to the scientific knowledge of the practitioners, and their proper treatment and invitation to Islam. The study also identifies the impact of alternative medicine on the dissemination of Islam based on the case study which identifies the objectives of Darul al-Syifa, the methods for dakwah, and investigates whether alternative medicine meets the requirements of the Islamic religion. Results show that alternative medicine can increase the patients’ faith during and after treatment. A clear cut distinction between alternative medicine and modern medicine has been drawn. Thus, findings of the study reveal that alternative medicine has a positive impact on the dakwah. The researchers conclude that alternative medicine has an impact on the increase in the level of faith among patients. They also found that a large proportion of patient’s feel that their level of faith has grown.