Editorial


The Corona Challenge: Textualism Versus Rationalism in Islam

Saied Soleymani

Journal of Pizhūhish dar dīn va Salāmat (i.e., Research on Religion & Health), Vol. 8 No. SI (2022), 23 September 2022, Page 1-9
https://doi.org/10.22037/jrrh.v8iSI.38523

Following the spread of the Covid-19 virus, the experts in other fields, along with the health experts, have been working hard to cope with the created challenge. These all have happened in an age that has been referred to as the age of enlightening by the Western world, which emphasizes maximum rationalism and reasoning or critical rationalism to make the teachings of revelation look invalid. In this respect, Islam has suggested a kind of moderate rationalism that is accompanied by the absolute rule of wisdom.

Original Article


Predicting the Resilience of Students during the Corona Pandemic based on the Components of Spiritual and Social Intelligence

Ebrahim Solimany, Shadi Pakandish, Azam Mohammadifakhr, Mojtaba Salmabadi

Journal of Pizhūhish dar dīn va Salāmat (i.e., Research on Religion & Health), Vol. 8 No. SI (2022), 23 September 2022, Page 10-22
https://doi.org/10.22037/jrrh.v8iSI.34794

Background and Objective: One of the ways to deal with various disasters such as the coronavirus is to increase resilience. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to predict the resilience of students during the corona pandemic based on the components of spiritual and social intelligence.

Methods: The present study was a correlational study. The statistical population of the study included all male students of Farhangian University of Shahid Bahonar Campus in Birjand in the academic year 2020-2021, out of whom 260 students were selected by convenience sampling method to participate in the research online. They answered the King’s Spiritual Intelligence Questionnaire, Silura et al.’s Social Intelligence Questionnaire and Connor and Davidson’s Resilience Questionnaire. Pearson correlation test and multiple regression were used to analyze the data. In this study, all ethical considerations were observed and no conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Results: The results showed that there was a direct and significant relationship between spiritual intelligence (r=0.572) and social intelligence (r=0.633) with resilience (P<0.01). Also, the results showed that the components of spiritual intelligence including critical existential thinking (P<0.01, β=0.209), presenting personal meaning (P<0.01, β=0.260), transcendent awareness (P<0.01, β=0.319) and development of state of consciousness (P<0.05, β=0.108) and the components of social intelligence including social information processing (P<0.01, β=0.353), social awareness (P<0.01, β=0.259) and social skills (Β<0.205, P<0.01) positively predicted resilience.

Conclusion: According to the results, creating and developing programs to strengthen spiritual and social intelligence to increase the level of resilience of students is recommended.

The Role of Spiritual Capital and Patience in Predicting Students' Emotional Adjustment; A Study during the Spread of Covid-19

Minoo Miri, Pari Daneshvar, Mahboobeh Maleki, Ali Tayarani-Rad

Journal of Pizhūhish dar dīn va Salāmat (i.e., Research on Religion & Health), Vol. 8 No. SI (2022), 23 September 2022, Page 23-34
https://doi.org/10.22037/jrrh.v8iSI.38247

Background and Objective: The coronavirus epidemic is one of the most important human social events of the present century. Its effects have overshadowed the adaptation of all age groups. Therefore, the present study was conducted to examine the role of spiritual capital and patience in predicting the level of emotional adjustment of university students.

Methods: The present study was a descriptive correlational study and involved the use of regression analysis. The statistical population included all male and female students of Farhangian University of Birjand in the academic year 2021-2022, out of whom 242 were selected by convenience sampling. They answered the questionnaires of spiritual capital developed by Golparvar et al., Khormaei et al.’s patience questionnaire and the psychological adjustment questionnaire by Sinha and Singh for data analysis, mean and standard deviation and Pearson and multiple regression correlation tests were used. In this study, all ethical considerations were observed and the authors reported no conflict of interests.

Results: The results showed that the relationship between spiritual capital and emotional adjustment (P<0.01, r=0.598) and the relationship between patience and emotional adjustment (P<0.01, r=0.569) was positive and significant. The components of spiritual capital and patience (37.6%) predicted 35.6% and 37.6% of the variance in emotional adjustment, respectively.

Conclusion: The results of the present study indicate that therapists and researchers should pay more attention to the role of the components of spiritual capital and patience in students' emotional adjustment.

Predicting the Severity of Obsessive-compulsive Disorder Symptoms Based on Corona Anxiety and Islamic Lifestyle in Women

Zahra Solgi, Simindokht Hasanvand

Journal of Pizhūhish dar dīn va Salāmat (i.e., Research on Religion & Health), Vol. 8 No. SI (2022), 23 September 2022, Page 35-48
https://doi.org/10.22037/jrrh.v8iSI.34372

Background and Objective: Obsessive-compulsive disorder and its socio-health consequences are one of the most costly issues in today's society. Therefore, the present study was conducted to predict the symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder based on corona anxiety and Islamic lifestyle in women.

Methods: The method used in this study was descriptive correlational. Out of the women with obsessive-compulsive disorder referring to the psychiatric ward of Farabi Educational and Medical Center in Kermanshah in 2020, 200 couples were selected by available sampling method and completed Alipour et al.’s Corona Anxiety Scale, Hudgson and Rachman’s Obsessive-Compulsive Scale, and Kaviani’s Islamic Lifestyle Scale. Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics, correlation matrix and hierarchical regression. In this study, all ethical considerations were observed and the authors reported no conflict of interests.

Results: The results showed that the severity of obsessive-compulsive disorder symptoms was inversely related to Islamic lifestyle (r=-0.61, P=0.004) and its dimensions (P<0.05). The psychological factor of corona anxiety (r=0.42, P=0.001) and the physical factor of corona anxiety (r=0.27, P=0.015) showed a positive and significant relationship with the severity of obsessive-compulsive symptoms at the level of 0.05. Regression analysis showed that corona anxiety predicts 20% of the variance in obsessive severity. The Islamic lifestyle, independent of the corona anxiety, was able to predict 6% of the variance in the severity of the obsession.

Conclusion: In general, the results showed that the Islamic lifestyle and control of coronary anxiety can be used to reduce severity of the symptoms in obsessive patients.

The Effectiveness of Cognitive-Behavioral Education with a Focus on Religious Principles in Jealousy in Adolescent Girls

Atefeh Heyrat, Zahra Aghajani-Fesharaki, Maryam Safara

Journal of Pizhūhish dar dīn va Salāmat (i.e., Research on Religion & Health), Vol. 8 No. SI (2022), 23 September 2022, Page 49-60
https://doi.org/10.22037/jrrh.v8iSI.34249

Background and Objective: Although cognitive psychology with more than seven decades of history corrects people's irrational beliefs and negative thoughts, few studies have combined this method with Islamic teachings. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of cognitive correction training based on Islamic knowledge on jealousy in adolescent girls.

Methods: The present study is quasi-experimental with a pre-test, post-test control group design and the statistical population of the study included all adolescent girls aged 16 to 18 in secondary school in Isfahan in the academic year 2019-2020. The sample size was 30 participants, who were selected using available sampling method. Samples were randomly assigned to experimental (n=15) and control (n=15) groups. The measuring instrument used in the study was Valizadeh and Azerbaijani’s Jealousy Questionnaire. The experimental group underwent eight one-hour sessions of intervention in cognitive-behavioral training with a focus on religious principles. The control group did not receive any intervention. The collected data were analyzed at two levels of descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation) and inferential statistics (analysis of covariance). In this study, all ethical considerations were observed and the authors reported no conflict of interests.

Results: The results showed that cognitive-behavioral training had an effect on jealousy in adolescent girls and its dimensions on the post-test in the experimental group. The rate of this effect was 24.7% in jealousy and 21.3% in the dimensions of jealousy components, cognitive dimension of jealousy, 18.6% in emotional jealousy and 22.5% in behavioral jealousy. The significance value considered to be lower than 0.01.

Conclusion: Considering that religious beliefs are considered as human values ​​in Iran, cognitive-behavioral training based on religious teachings affects people's behavior and cognition; in this study it changed the level of jealousy in the students. Therefore, they can examine their irrational thoughts and emotions and change the destructive behaviors within themselves.

The Role of Religious Coping and Psychological Hardiness in Predicting the Social Well-being of Payam-e Noor University Students during the Covid-19 Outbreak

Zahra Ghobadimehr, Morteza Ghorbani, omid Mirzaee-Fandokht, Sadegh Ahmadi

Journal of Pizhūhish dar dīn va Salāmat (i.e., Research on Religion & Health), Vol. 8 No. SI (2022), 23 September 2022, Page 61-74
https://doi.org/10.22037/jrrh.v8iSI.34908

Background and Objective: Identifying the effective factors in promoting students' social well-being can be a guide for educating students for the educational system. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the role of religious coping and psychological hardiness in predicting the social well-being of Payam-e Noor university students during the Covid-19 outbreak.

Methods: The statistical population included all students (no=350) of Payam-e Noor University in Hajiabad, South Khorasan, Iran in the academic year 2020-2021. Based on Krejcie and Morgan’s table, 180 students were selected by available sampling method completed Pargament et al.'s Religious Coping Questionnaire, Kiamarei et al.'s Psychological Hardiness Questionnaire, and Keyes and Magyar-Moe’s Social Well-being Subscale online. Pearson correlation test and multiple regression were used to analyze the data. In this study, all ethical considerations were observed and the authors reported no conflict of interests.

Results: The results showed that the correlation of psychological hardiness with social well-being (r=0.585), and the correlation between positive religious coping and social well-being were positive and significant (r=0.498), but the correlation between negative religious coping and social well-being was negative (r=-0.285) (P<0.01). Also, the value of the coefficient of determination showed that religious coping strategies and psychological hardiness explained 38.8% of the variance in social well-being.

Conclusion: According to the results of the study, by planning to improve religious coping strategies and psychological hardiness of students, their social well-being can be increased at all times, especially during the corona pandemic.

Covid-19 Anxiety in Students: The Predictive Role of Mindfulness and Spiritual Experiences

Nahid Baradaran-Bazaz, Mahmoud Shirazi, Gholam Reza Sanagouye-Moharer, Ahmad Usefynezhad, Ali Reza Amirabadizadeh

Journal of Pizhūhish dar dīn va Salāmat (i.e., Research on Religion & Health), Vol. 8 No. SI (2022), 23 September 2022, Page 75-87
https://doi.org/10.22037/jrrh.v8iSI.37763

Background and Objective: Identifying the factors affecting covid-19 anxiety and coping strategies can help reduce it. Therefore, the present study was conducted to examine the role of mindfulness and spiritual experiences in predicting covid-19 anxiety in students.

Methods: This is descriptive-correlational study. The statistical population of the study included all male and female undergraduate students of Farhangian University of Qazvin in the academic year 2020-2021, out of whom 269 were selected by convenience sampling method.  The participants completed Chadwick et al.’s Mindfulness Questionnaire, Andrew's Spiritual Experiences Questionnaire and Alipour et al.’s Covid-19 Fear and Anxiety Questionnaire. Pearson’s correlation and multiple regression were used to analyze the data. In this study, all ethical considerations were observed and the authors of the article reported no conflict of interests.

Results: The results showed a direct and significant relationship between mindfulness (r=-5.541) and spiritual experiences (r=-0.605) and covid-19 anxiety (P<0.01). The results also showed that the components of mindfulness explain 30.6% and the components of spiritual experiences explain 37.5% of the variance in covid-19 anxiety.

Conclusion: Based on the findings, it is recommended to develop and promote certain programs for strengthening mindfulness and spiritual experiences to reduce covid-19 anxiety in students.

The Relationship of Spiritual Well-Being with Depression, and Anxiety among General Population, Hospital Staff, and Health Center Staff during the Coronavirus Pandemic

Mahsa Abdollahpur, Amir Sam Kianimoghadam; Maryam Bakhtiari, Abbas Masjedi-Arani, Maryam Khesali

Journal of Pizhūhish dar dīn va Salāmat (i.e., Research on Religion & Health), Vol. 8 No. SI (2022), 23 September 2022, Page 88-99
https://doi.org/10.22037/jrrh.v8iSI.35922

Background and Objective: In addition to the physical problems, Covid-19 has led to several psychological crises for people worldwide. Among these crises are mental health difficulties such as depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Psychological difficulties could have a significant impact on the spiritual well-being of individuals. The present study investigated the relationship between spiritual well-being and two other variables namely depression and anxiety, in the general population, hospital staff, and health center staff, during the coronavirus pandemic.

Methods: This is a descriptive cross-sectional study. The statistical population of the study included three groups from the general population, and health center and hospital employees, out of whom a sample of 450 participants was selected using the available sampling method. Correlation method was used to check the relationship between the variables. In this study, all ethical considerations were observed and no conflict of interests was reported by the authors.

Results: Pearson’s correlation test results in the general population revealed a significant positive relationship between depression and anxiety (r=0.497, P<0.01). Also, there was a significant negative relationship between spiritual well-being and depression (r=-0.456, P<0.01), but no significant relationship was found in relation to anxiety (r=-0.097, P<0.238). Similar results were obtained in health center staff; there was a significant positive relationship between depression and anxiety (r=0.392, P<0.01), a negative and significant relationship between spiritual well-being and depression (r=-0.519, P<0.01), and no significant relationship between spiritual well-being and anxiety (r=-0.488, P<0.558). In hospital staff participants, depression was significantly and positively correlated with anxiety (r=0.592, P<0.01). Furthermore, there was a significant negative correlation between spiritual well-being and depression (r=-0.225, P<0.002), as well as anxiety (r=-0.194, P<018).

Conclusion: The findings highlighted the urgent need for psychological interventions as well as educational courses to be conducted for various populations to help increase their spiritual well-being, and reduce the symptoms of depression and anxiety that they experience during this stressful conditions caused by the corona pandemic.

Predicting Citizens' Social Resilience to Natural Disasters Based on Religious Attitudes Mediating Coronary Anxiety

Masoumeh Shokri-Khoubestani, Mahdieh Rezaei, Seyyed Mohammad Shobeiri

Journal of Pizhūhish dar dīn va Salāmat (i.e., Research on Religion & Health), Vol. 8 No. SI (2022), 23 September 2022, Page 100-113
https://doi.org/10.22037/jrrh.v8iSI.38581

Background and Objective: In recent years, researchers have paid increasing attention to the concept of resilience against disasters. Natural disasters, which are part of the human life and increase in number and diversity every day, have been raised as a fundamental challenge to achieving sustainable development of human societies. The aim of this study was to predict the social resilience of citizens against natural disasters based on religious attitudes with the mediating role of corona anxiety.

Methods: The present study was applied in terms of purpose and correlational in terms of method of implementation. The statistical population of this study included all citizens of 15th district of Tehran in 2021. From the present statistical population, a sample size of 380 people was selected by stratified random sampling method based on Morgan’s table. Data were collected using the George Religious Attitude Questionnaire, the Connor and Davidson Resilience Questionnaire and the Alipour’s Corona Anxiety Scale. Finally, the collected data were analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficient, regression, and path analysis. In this study, all ethical considerations were observed and the authors reported no conflict of interests.

Results: The results of data analysis showed that religious attitude can predict the positive and safe emotions of citizens and control negative effects. It was also found that corona anxiety could play a mediating role in predicting citizens' social resilience to natural disasters based on religious attitudes.

Conclusion: It can be stated that to promote citizens’ social resilience to disasters, in addition to paying attention to the religious attitude of individuals, experts and thinkers should use programs to reduce anxiety.

Content Analysis Article


Developing a Spiritual Intelligence Training Package with an Islamic Approach in Dealing with Pervasive Diseases such as Covid-19

Mohammad Farhoush

Journal of Pizhūhish dar dīn va Salāmat (i.e., Research on Religion & Health), Vol. 8 No. SI (2022), 23 September 2022, Page 114-128
https://doi.org/10.22037/jrrh.v8iSI.38240

Background and Objective: Corona has caused important changes in people's lives and has increased people's vulnerability to depression and anxiety. Spiritual intelligence is the skill of using spiritual resources to adapt to the conditions and reduce vulnerability. The aim of the present study was to develop a spiritual intelligence training package drawing on Islamic teachings and the achievements of classical psychology in the face of pervasive diseases.

Methods: The method used in this study involved content analysis and text-based analysis. For this purpose, the materials related to spiritual intelligence, including structures, components, scales, and educational packages in classical psychology and Islamic psychology, as well as related verses, narrations, and teachings of Islamic ethics, were collected, exposed to content analysis, and open, central, and abstract coding. Based on this, the structure of spiritual intelligence and then the package of spiritual intelligence were developed with an Islamic approach to face widespread diseases. The author reported no conflict of interests.

Results: Based on the findings, the structure of spiritual intelligence included three components: feeling close to God, spiritual resilience, and spiritual purposefulness. The package of spiritual intelligence with an Islamic approach for dealing with pervasive diseases such as Quaid-19 included 9 90-minute sessions involving 1) establishing a `therapeutic relationship and presenting the goals of the program, 2) familiarity with spiritual intelligence and its role in the face of problems, 3) explaining spiritual purposefulness and its effects, 4) teaching goal-setting skills, 5) explaining the effects of feeling close to God, 6) spiritual motivation skills, 7) explaining spiritual resilience and how to strengthen it, 8) the skills of dealing with obstacles, and flexibility and 9) trust in God and summing up.

Conclusion: The spiritual intelligence program with an Islamic approach has positive spiritual and psychological dimensions.

The Role of Prayer Based on the Quran and Narrations in Promoting Physical and Psychological Health; with an Emphasis on the Covid-19 Crisis

Fatemeh Fayyaz, Ahmad Reza Okhovvat, Mahdi Jafari, Hannaneh Aliakbarzadeh, Sahar Bagheri

Journal of Pizhūhish dar dīn va Salāmat (i.e., Research on Religion & Health), Vol. 8 No. SI (2022), 23 September 2022, Page 129-147
https://doi.org/10.22037/jrrh.v8iSI.34054

Background and Objective: Covid-19 pandemic is a prevalent crisis in the world, which has engaged the countries’ health care system. The psychological effects of this pandemic it is not less than physiological effects if it is not more. Praying is one of the religious behaviours, whose positive effects are confirmed through the psychological, biological and physical pathways. The goal of this review study was to present a definition of prayer, introduce the types and patterns of prayer and explain its effects with a focus on the covid-19 critical conditions.

Methods: This study involved content analysis. For this purpose, the root of "Daw" (prayed) in the verses of the Quran and the narrations of Ahl ul-Bayt was studied through software, and 182 verses with the root of "Daw" and the defining components of prayer were extracted from these verses. The prayers of Alaviyyah, Sajjadiyyah, Fatimiyyah and the supplications of Mufatih al-Janan were also examined. The authors of the article did not report any conflict of interests.

Results: Based on the selected Quranic verses and narrations, the definition of prayer, the classification of different types of prayer, the effects of prayer on physical and mental health, as well as the role of prayer in crises and calamities of life such as the spread of diseases, were extracted. The results showed that prayer is one of the most important and effective strategies in facing various crises in life, and it has various types, including chanting to God, questioning prayers, educational prayers, supplication prayers, and spiritual prayers. Certain conditions, positions and places have been recommended for praying and praying at certain times has a greater effect and are more likely to be answered. Furthermore, the state of one’s faith and spiritual state of the supplicant is also effective in its being answered.

Conclusion: The findings showed that prayer is one of the effective strategies when exposed to crises and threat conditions in life. In designing health interventions, its full capacity should be used. Government in policies, especially in Islamic countries, should use complementary strategies such as prayer for disease prevention, control and treatment.

Review Article


The Role of Belief in the Teachings of Chapter Al-Hamd of the Quran in Dealing with the Corona Virus

Saeed Salimi, Mahdieh Noghreh

Journal of Pizhūhish dar dīn va Salāmat (i.e., Research on Religion & Health), Vol. 8 No. SI (2022), 23 September 2022, Page 148-161
https://doi.org/10.22037/jrrh.v8iSI.37475

Background and Objective: The function of the immune system is to fight against viruses, cancers, infections, and corona disease. Many factors, such as heredity, nutrition, air pollution, toxic gases, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer, and blood pressure, are effective in strengthening and weakening the body's immune system. One of the factors affecting the body's immune system is relaxation and mental, cerebral, and nervous pressures such as fear, sadness, depression, anxiety, and anger. Faith, beliefs, and calming and positive behaviors are influential in strengthening the immune system in the face of cancers, infections, and corona, and one of the ways to reinforce the immune system against the corona virus is faith in the teachings of chapter Al-Hamd of the Quran. Of course, even with strong faith, if they do not observe the health protocols related to the immune system, the body will be weak against viruses and possibly die. Many articles have been written about the coronavirus. Still, so far, no research has been done on the effect of faith in the teachings of chapter Al-Hamd in the face of the corona virus. Therefore, this study tried to explain and prove how faith in the teachings of Surah Hamad affects the strengthening of the immune system in the face of the corona virus.

Methods: The method used in the present study is library based analytical and the keywords faith and belief, mental health, Chapter Al-Hamd, stress and worries, corona, severe fear and their derivations, synonyms, antonyms and Arabic and English equivalents were used for this purpose. Furthermore, Islamic sources such as the Quran, Nahj ul-Balaghah and valid psychology books such as those by Hilgard and Santrock were also used as source. The authors reported no conflict of interests in this study.

Results: Belief in the teachings of chapter Al-Hamd of the Quran causes satisfaction, peace, and happiness and reduction of fears and chronic psychological stress in the brain and the nervous system, and leads to strengthening of the immune system against the corona virus.

Conclusion: One of the ways to strengthen the immune system in the face of Corona is to believe in and practice the teachings of chapter Al-Hamd of the Quran.

The Islamic lifestyle in the Global Corona Pandemic

Seyed Abdollah Mahmoodi, Hassan Jafaripour-Ferdoseh, Mohsen Shamsi

Journal of Pizhūhish dar dīn va Salāmat (i.e., Research on Religion & Health), Vol. 8 No. SI (2022), 23 September 2022, Page 162-175
https://doi.org/10.22037/jrrh.v8iSI.36917

Background and Objective: Corona disease, although a purely medical nature, is a multidimensional phenomenon that has caused rapid changes in the dimensions of human life and the lifestyle of people. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the Islamic lifestyle during the corona pandemic.

Methods: This is a review study. The required data for the study were collected by searching the keywords of "Islamic lifestyle", "Corona", "Covid-19", "Health", "SARS-CoV" and their English equivalents individually and in combination on various databases including SID, MEDLINE, Pubmed, Scopus, and Google scholar. Finally, 110 Persian articles and 12 English articles with Islamic lifestyle, mentioned in their title and one Persian article on lifestyle and corona were found. Summarizing the information, the conceptual framework of the research, i.e. applying the Islamic lifestyle to the Corona pandemic, was focused on. The authors reported no conflict of interests.

Results: In the holy religion of Islam, lifestyle dates back to 1400 years ago and has been referred to as living happily, righteous life and good or pure life. In the Islamic lifestyle, preserving the life of a human being is like helping all human beings, so according to this doctrine, a person with a corona should not travel in the city and spread diseases and death to others. Regarding quarantine, it has been mentioned in some narrations that: If you heard a contagious disease break out in a city, then do not leave the city. Or if you heard a contagious disease break out in a place, do not enter the place.

Conclusion: Due to the availability of valuable health resources and instructions in the Islamic lifestyle to prevent and combat diseases, these theories can be used to prevent the spread or development of other emerging diseases.