Suffering in the Islamic tradition and its meaning for intercultural medical ethics

Abstract

There have always been illnesses that become a source of sorrow, pain, and suffering for human beings, from ancient times until today. Cultural traditions have attempted to give these existential experiences a variety of meanings. In this process, interpretations often exceeded physically perceptible feelings. In this paper, we will describe and discuss the theological roots and meanings of the term suffering in the Islamic tradition. For this purpose, firstly the terms used in the literature in relation to suffering and their epistemological roots will be examined. Secondly, philosophical and Sufistic grounds for suffering found in the Islamic literature will be presented and their effect on the generation of juridical verdicts in Islamic ethics will be discussed. Lastly, the concept of suffering in medical ethics will be analyzed and its implications within an intercultural framework discussed...