INTRODUCTION
Islamic Health & Human Services
Islamic Health & Human Services ( IHHS) was founded by Sharif A. Muhammad in 1991 and incorporated in 1992. Offices were located on W.McNichols in Detroit, Michigan. While the mission of the agency is to provide a full range of social services to the Islamic population, initially most of the services were counseling services.
In 1994, when Judith K. Muhammad, Clinical Psychologist, joined the agency as Clinical Director, mental health services were added. Through the growth of the Clinical portion of the agency under her direction, additional women’s services, family and marital counseling and children’s services were added. In addition, the Zakat project was opened working to provide for the necessities of Muslims without going outside the “community” of Islam.
Sharif Muhammad had long felt an intense need to address the lack of Islamic Medical Services, In March 1995 he wrote a letter to 6 area hospitals identifying the need in the Muslim community for Hospital Services under the laws and traditions of Islam. One hospital responded. Detroit Riverview invited Sharif Muhammad and his wife to attend a meeting with the hospital administrators. At the meeting, Mr Muhammad identified the need for Islamic Health care and, briefly, noted some of the specifics involved. The hospital identified Betty Morris, Director of Discharge Planning to act as head of the hospital team to implement the necessary changes.
In April, 1996, members from the Islamic Council of Scholars ( Mufti Musa, Mufti Akram, Shaykh Muhammad Harun, shaykh Zubair Abdur-Rahman and Shaykh Abdul- Mannan ) toured the hospital from top to bottom and make notes regarding necessary policies, procedures and other changes that would be necessary. The notes were transformed into policies, and policies were put in place and the entire staff attended training, presented by the staff of IHHS.
The process was complete and the hospital received its “accreditation” at the 1st Annual Islamic Health Fair at Cobo Hall in January, 1996.
In June, 1996, Dr. Emad Hammoude, M .D. Joined the staff as Medical Director. Under his Medical Direction services expanded to include Central Home Health Care, Inc., who received their “accreditation” on September 22, 1996, after completion of the same process as did Detroit Riverview Hospital, and completing required training.
Islamic Medical Care is a necessity for Muslims. We are encouraged to seed Medical Treatment Jabir narrated that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:
“ There is a cure for every disease. Whenever an illness is treated with its right remedy, it will, by Allah’s permission, be cured.” (Muslim) And, in seeking this treatment, the prescribed physician is, according to Hadith, same gender Muslim first, then same gender non-Muslim, and then opposite gender Muslim.
As IHHS continues to grow, the goal is to provide development and implementation of Islamic Health Care Services in hospitals, clinics, hospice, home health care agencies, etc., throughout the country.
Also in the plan for this fiscal year is the expanding of the agencies Zakat project to include, under the direction of Dr. Hammoude, the One physician-One Family component.
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Copyright © 1997 IHHS