The Influence of Islamic Religious Rituals on Psychological Health in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Introduction: The prevalence of psychological factors and illnesses within society ‎compels the medical community to employ diverse therapeutic interventions, aiming to ‎elevate the standard of healthcare and enhance overall quality of life. Islamic rituals, ‎given their close association with the enhancement of mental health, merit integration ‎into the comprehensive biopsychosocial model of therapy for psychiatric patients. Objectives: In the ‎present study I aim to investigate the correlation between Islamic rituals and ‎psychological factors. Methods: This is a cross-sectional, observational, survey-based ‎study including 377 individuals. Data were collected through an online questionnaire ‎from a sample in Saudi Arabia. Results: Most respondents were males aged 18–40, half ‎of whom were married, were primarily Saudi nationals residing in the western region, ‎holding university degrees and being employed. Participants who were female, ‎unmarried and had a low monthly income reported high scores in psychological factors. ‎Over the preceding month and most of the time, 28.4% of the individuals reported ‎feeling anxious, 25.2% experienced depressive feelings and 23.3% felt psychological ‎stress. Participants who agreed with persisting in humble prayer, maintaining regular ‎sunnah prayer, consistently reading the Qur’an and engaging in daily remembrance ‎‎(Azkar) exhibited significantly low scores in psychological factors. Conclusion: Over ‎three-quarters of the surveyed population exhibited psychological factors, and ‎engagement in Islamic religious practices, such as prayer and reading the Qur’an and ‎Azkar, demonstrated a positive impact on these psychological factors. These findings ‎provide valuable insights for psychiatrists, guiding the enhancement of psychiatric ‎management modalities and the promotion of a positive quality of life.