Allah (SWT) said in Surah Mulk in Verse 1 and 2.

"BLESSED BE HE IN WHOSE HAND IS DOMINION AND HE OVER ALL THINGS HAS POWER. HE WHO CREATED DEATH AND LIFE THAT HE MAY TRY WHICH OF YOU IS BEST IN DEED, AND HE IS THE EXALTED IN MIGHT OFT FORGIVING."

Being health is a great blessing from Allah (SWT). Diseases, distress, pain, disability, all come as a trial from Allah and it is He who provides comfort and relief from pain and distress and cures the diseases, or he may cause a person to die and go back to Allah, so he may be blessed in a much better way then his present life in this world. Visiting the sick is a right on one Muslim for another all prophets including Muhammad (PBUH) emphasized visiting the sick as a sick person is very close to Allah (SWT)_ and in a Haidth perhaps Haidth-e-Qudsi
" If you have gone to visit a such and such sick person you would have me there"

Allah has provided a cure for every disease except for old age. Prophet (PBUH) said,
"One should seek the best physician and best medicine to cure the disease. "
In history Muslims have made tremendous strides in the field of medicine and they were the pioneers of establishing hospitals and clinics in Iran. And then all over in the middle and Far East were ever there was Muslim rule (while Europe was still in dark ages). In those hospitals and clinics masjids were incorporated so as to facilitate the five salats every day to be performed at proper times, for patients, visitors, medical staff. The same tradition continues in Muslim countries still today.

After the renaissance in Europe the Christian missionaries established hospitals not only in Europe but also in the remotest corners of the world and have been very successful in doing the dawaah work. In the last several decades the missioners have established hospitals and clinics big and small and they have always have a good size chapel or a prayer room or a quite room or a meditation place.

The sick visit the chapel and so do the relatives for solace and peace and pray for health and happiness. The doctors, nurses and the Para-medical and administrative staff visit the chapel to pray and thank God for the opportunities and the skills help to cure the sick. And regard this service as an act of worship.
There are bibles in the churches and Sunday masses. Patients of all religion Christian, Jews, Muslims Hindus and Buddhists and even the atheist and the agnostics pray and meditate in their own special ways. These chapels are non denominational. And the chapels are usually open seven days a week and 24 hours a day for every one.

Now there are Muslim patients and Muslim men and women who are supposed to make salat five times a day at prescribed times in every day even if they are sick for example if they can not pray standing they can sit down or lie down or pray making signs if they cannot take shower or make ablution with water they can do tayamum or dry ablution with dust, unless they are in a acute distress, or are confused or are in coma. A common observation is that except for a few Muslim and Muslimas most of them when they get sick and admitted to the hospital unfortunately they forget the obligation of salat. Instead rather than asking Allah (SWT) for his help to cure the disease they forget to remember Allah (SWT) and instead they begin to rely on physicians and technology and medicine for the cure the common excuses offered are lack of provision for ablution or shower lack of space lack of privacy. But specially now they don't want to be seen because they would be considered as trouble makers and fundamentalist and will be looked down upon.

This has happened because in the last fifty years we have not introduced Islam in the American or European public life, largely because of ignorance and shyness. I myself feel guilty about it. Muslims have to pray five times a day and what better place would be then to visit the hospital chapel and pray over there. There are rest rooms close by and performing ablution is no problem. Therefore Muslim patients, physicians, nurses and the Para-medical staff (specially in large cities like Chicago, New York, Atlanta) and specially the relatives instead of hanging around the corridors or floors or wards of the hospitals wasting their time instead should go to the chapel and fulfill the obligation of salat.

There is no harm in praying in the chapel as long as there are no pictures or statues in front of you. If there are picture and states in front then find a corner away from or have something between your self and pictures and statues for example the pulpit or chair or even a book (the concept of sutra). The direction of Qiblah is important but not a must for example what a person does when he is traveling and is at a strange place and can not determine the direction of Qiblah and he can pray in any convenient direction as Allah (SWT) is all around us. The carpets Are usually clean you can make sajda on them. However it would be nice if there are some prayer rugs. They should be some headscarves for the ladies and one or two Qurans with tafseer and some non-controversial literature, reading of which both Muslims and Non-Muslims can gain knowledge and comfort.

Chapels at the airport are very good examples. These are interfaith chapels run by the airport ministry which is usually non denominational they have been established for many year in the international airport in America. We have one in Cincinnati. Particularly impressive is the chapel at the Washington Dallas airport, which we have visited many times and prayed there. Outside the chapel is a sign which says Sunday mass 10:00 am and 3:00 pm and alongside it reads khutab and jumma prayers at Friday 2:00pm. Alhamdullilah Muslims offer five times salat inside and outside the chapel space permitting. And of course on Friday there is khutab followed by the Jumma prayers. There are thirty to fifty people at each prayer and sometimes a lot more as there are three to five thousand Muslim workers of all nationalities serving the airport facility. Inside the chapel there are several Qurans Islamic literature books and videos and VHS recorders, there are headscarves for the sisters and direction of Qiblah is well established. The guest book of the chapel is even more interesting while in you find a Christian name largely it has names of Muslim visitors Abdur Rahim, Muhammad Amin, Sadiqa and Neha and Hamida. We always make a point of making salat over there or just sit down read Quran as time allows, and we definitely write remarks of appreciation for the ministry of the chapel. And we contribute twenty to twenty five dollars or more every time to help in the maintenance as this part of dawaah and jihad-fe-sabillillah. Our donations are graciously acknowledged by the ministry and admired a large number of Muslims praying they're keeping the place live and buzzing.

When Muslims pray in any chapel in airport or hospitals and are observed by non-Muslims specially the Christians they admire the ritual of the salat and feel very comfortable and say that when Muslims pray in the chapel they honor the chapel and bring peace and bridges of harmony are built and they admit these Muslims as peace loving people who believe in God and humble themselves on the ground. In a Christian Church they cannot be terrorist or fundamentalists and they do not hate Christian otherwise they would not be praying in the church.

When you go to pray in the chapel you must observe the rules of the chapel just like the rules of the masjid.

1. Remember you are an ambassador of Islam in the chapel show dignified behavior.
2. Should be dressed modestly observing the dress code of the society you live in.
3. Do not liter
4. Do not change the furniture setting s of the chapel, if you have to do so get permission and after you have finished your prayer make sure you leave the setting as it was.
5. Keep the voices low, if you have to recite the Quran in the salat or otherwise so that you do not disturb others present in the chapel. Do not call for Adan.
6. Avoid over crowding; if there is not enough space take turns to pray in the chapel.
7. Avoid vain talk and do not criticize in any way or form the settings or rules and regulations of the chapel.
8. Always write comments of appreciation and thank them for the use of facility.
9. Donate generously no amount is big or small. Donations are usually tax deductibles.
10. Help with providing Islamic literature books and videos etc. and always make note of the nearest Islamic center and telephone and address so if the visitors of the chapel wish to come to the Islamic center they should be welcome. In fact on your special occasion make sure they are specially invited this will provide an opportunity for dialogue and promotion of good will. Visiting the chapels in the hospitals and airports all over America will prove to be insallah a very practical and effective form of dawaah.

To facilitate this process we at the out reach dawaah program in Cincinnati are planning to develop a kit which would consist of a few prayer rugs and a few headscarves at least two Qurans with tafseer and our own video of "A Visit To A Mosque In America" and some non-controversial Islamic literature. We should pack it nicely it should not cost more than 30 to 40 dollars. We will be sending this kit from our Islamic center to all the hospital chapels in the Greater Cincinnati area assume there are fifty hospitals. The total cost would be approximately $1500 to $2000. This would be met by the membership and if the project succeeds the Islamic center can easily donate $100 to $200 to all the hospital chapels for the maintenance and this all would be practical and economical and bring success for generations to come. For comments please call.

Dr. Abdur Rahman
Tel. 1-812-537-0344
Fax 1-812-539-4827
Email: sadrah41@hotmail.com
Comments will be appreciated.

A. Rahman, MD, is Chairman of the Outreach Education Committee of the Islamic Association of Cincinnati, OH.