RIYADH: Neurologist Fawzia Ba-Mogdam, who specializes in epilepsy and sleep disorders, disagrees with the layman’s understanding that epilepsy is caused by jinni (spirits) and should be treated with recitations from the Holy Qur’an rather than medication. Contrary to the advice given by some religious scholars, epilepsy is a physical condition that should be treated with the help of medical science.
In a seminar organized by King Fahd Medical City under the title “Religious and Medical Viewpoints of Epilepsy,” Ba-Mogdam explained that epilepsy is a medical condition due to excessive neurological activity in the brain, which can cause seizures.
“Believing in the power of Qur’an is not negotiable,” she said. “It surely heals, and it is a part of our daily lives. Spiritual healing is very important, but medical treatment should accompany it. Epilepsy is a medical condition that needs to be controlled.”
The specialist said there is general and partial epilepsy: the former affects the entire body while the latter only attacks parts of the body or functions, like speech.
The neurologist cited a number of cases, some of them fatal, where epilepsy went untreated by doctors because faith healers advised against seeking scientific treatment. Faith healer Sheikh Abdul Muhsen Al-Ahmed, who also spoke at the seminar, underscored his belief that roqia (Qur’an recitation as a medical treatment) has its place alongside medical treatment.
Teenagers, says Ba-Mogdam, suffer symptoms of general epilepsy where they space out for a few seconds, which can go unnoticed by parents or family. Yet teachers complain to parents that the child spaces out a lot in the classroom.
“Although 60 to 70 percent of epilepsy — especially among children — are not identified,” says Ba-Mogdam. “Should this be grounds to establish that it is a supernatural creatures’ doing? When people develop allergies, high blood pressure or even diabetes without clear biological reasons, does that mean they are related to encounters with jinni?”
Diagnosing epilepsy, according to Ba-Mogdam, depends first on taking a full history of the patient and family, and in the second stage, comprehensive diagnostic tests by specialized physicians and technicians should be conducted.
“The medications are not dependable, but they help maintain the brain’s natural condition and control the fits. Not adhering to medicine and not abiding by the physicians’ orders can cause many complications, such as rapid fits and an increase in their severity. It can turn into a chronic case of uncontrollable epilepsy and may lead to death.”
