An Analysis of Gender and Health in Islam

Abstract

Background: The history of women’s health has been widely debated in jurisprudence and hadith and in general in religious thought, and the great jurists of Islam have addressed it in their practical treatises of the past; thus, attention has been paid to these topics in their books on health and Islam. Objectives: This study was conducted to show the subject of the body and its health, especially that of the female body, based on religious verses and traditions, and to emphasize its importance as a religious duty. Methods: This research has been done by using religious techniques, the Holy Quran, and the narrations of the infallible and their interpretation and explanation. It has also been used in social medicine and medical history of philosophy. Books on women’s psychology have also been taken into consideration. Results: Our results revealed that the Holy Quran and Islamic traditions have special respect and status for women. Female sex personality is taken into note. It is highly recommended for men to observe women and their gender on various occasions. Conclusions: In this study, the philosophy of baths, especially women’s baths, men’s and women’s cleansing, women’s special health, women’s menstruation, women’s menopause, pregnancy, and childbirth were examined from the perspective of the Quran and Islamic traditions. Overall, studies have shown that Islam has paid particular attention to these issues.