Australian Islamic Medical Association AIMA
By Mustafa Hamimi
On the 17th of August, the Australian Islamic Medical Association (AIMA) and Soulseed collaborated in hosting a networking event at the University of Queensland. Over 85 student healthcare practitioners were in attendance.
A keynote lecture was given by Dr Zohair Abdul-Rahman, titled ‘An overview of Sacred Medicine in healthcare.’ The talk captivated the audience, who were mainly undergraduate students in medicine and allied health. There were several key take-away points from the talk. The first being sacred medicine is an attitude for healthcare practitioners that encourages preventative and therapeutic interventions for patients. As the Prophet Muhammad S.A.W was concerned with the physical health of his companions, healthcare practitioners alike should promote patients in taking up medicinal treatments. Secondly, sacred medicine is an ethical system that when practiced, encompasses principles of Islamic bioethics, palliative care, end of life care, and patient consent. These are all very important aspects of patient care. Another lesson from the talk was regarding the epistemology of medical knowledge in Islam. The Islamic paradigm to learn medicine is to engage in the empirical investigation of knowledge. Regarding medical knowledge, sound reasoning, empirical evidence and clear facts will not contradict the authentic text. Likewise, the authentic text will also not contradict sound reasoning, empirical evidence and clear facts. Lastly, sacred medicine is a form of spiritual practice. The rahma of Allah (S.W.T) is found in the hospitals of the sick and needy. Healthcare practitioners require the firm consciousness of (Allah S.W.T) when practising medicine, and are in a privileged position to be used as a vehicle of Allah (S.W.T) for shifa.
The keynote speech was followed by a talk by Dr Salih Ibn Mohamed, AIMA Queensland Secretary, who introduced AIMA as an organisation, and the nationwide initiatives held across Australia. A short talk by Mustafa Hamimi explained how students can benefit from being part of AIMA, such as networking, career guidance and volunteering. Dr Usama Shahid’s session emphasized the importance of staying steadfast in your deen while at work and demonstrating a high level of integrity. He shared practical tips on how to ensure timely prayers during work hours, particularly for junior healthcare professions who may have little control over their break times. One key strategy is to initiate an early, open conversation with supervisors and senior colleagues about scheduling breaks to align with salah times where possible. Dr Usama also stressed the significance of maintaining a regular habit of making athkar, setting a side time daily to read Quran for spiritual nourishment and cultivating positive qualities at work such as courtesy, punctuality and gratitude.
The evening concluded with a dinner and an opportunities for attendees to networl. Overall, the event was a resounding success and attendees expressed enthusiasm for future collaborations.
