Skip to main content

REVIEW

Int J Public Health, 31 August 2022
This article is part of the Special Issue HEALTH IN ALL SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS View all 38 articles

The Impact of Listening to, Reciting, or Memorizing the Quran on Physical and Mental Health of Muslims: Evidence From Systematic Review

Wan Nor Atikah Che Wan Mohd RozaliWan Nor Atikah Che Wan Mohd Rozali1Ismarulyusda Ishak
Ismarulyusda Ishak1*Arimi Fitri Mat LudinArimi Fitri Mat Ludin2Farah Wahida IbrahimFarah Wahida Ibrahim1Nor Malia Abd WarifNor Malia Abd Warif1Nur Aishah Che RoosNur Aishah Che Roos3
  • 1Center for Toxicology and Health Risk, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  • 2Center for Healthy Ageing and Wellness, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  • 3Faculty of Medicine and Defence Health, National Defence University of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Objectives: Listening to or memorizing the Quran has been suggested to affect the psychosocial health and well-being of Muslims. Muslims who memorized Quran have a higher quality of life (QoL) and lower anxiety and stress. Hence, this systematic review was conducted to evaluate the studies that assessed the effect of listening to, reciting, or memorizing the Quran on physical and mental health.

Methods: This review was performed on articles published from the inception and April 2021. Databases including ProQuest, PubMed and Web of Science were searched on 19 April 2021. Keywords such as “Quran”, “al- Quran,” “al- Kareem,” “Holy Quran,” “memori,” “Tahfiz,” “Huffaz,” “listening” and “reciting” were used for databases searching. The risk of bias was assessed using Cochrane risk of bias tool and Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI). Only 20 articles were included in data synthesis out of a total of 230.

Results: The findings revealed that listening to, reciting or memorizing the Quran had a favorable effect on depression, anxiety, physiologic parameters, quality of life, quality of sleep and intelligence quotient.

Conclusion: The current evidence suggests that, listening to, reciting or memorizing the Quran may be useful as an intervention to improve physical and mental health.

Introduction

Quran is the Holy book for Muslims. Listening, reciting, and memorizing are activities closely associated with Quran. These activities are particularly akin to listening, singing, and memorizing a song or music. Indulging in music improves individual mood by the release of endorphins via the stimulation of alpha brain waves [1]. Thus, it raises the stress threshold, eliminates negative emotions, and induces a sense of relaxation [2]. It is postulated that listening, reciting, and memorizing Quran may offer similar benefits. Other benefit includes activating and enhancing memory capacity as well as ensuring mental health [3].

Quran memorization is important for practicing Muslims. Memorizing necessitates mental fortitude on the part of the person doing it. The practise of memorizing something learned and sharpening memory through memorization is the most effective way to maintain memory sharpness and brain intelligence [4]. The most common memorization technique is repeated pronunciation or rote learning. This repetition technique increases the brain’s ability to form and retain memories as time passes and the number of sentences memorized increases. The greater the amount of memorizing activity, the greater the brain’s ability to process, remember information and build memory. The body’s neurochemical system is secreted, and the body’s immunity is increased as a result of song appreciation. Aside from that, stress decreases by lowering levels of cortical secreting hormones and cortisol [5].

Memorization is a learning process that involves memory formation, memory storage, memory access and memory reflecting behaviors. Memory is divided into three stages: registration, storage and recall [6]. The human brain is a complex organ. It entails billions of physiological and chemical interactions that result in an experimentally observable neuroelectric activation known as an electroencephalogram (EEG) [7].

Religious practices such as memorizing the Quran are thought to be associated with physical and mental health [8], suggesting it will eventually affect the quality of life (QoL). It leads us to the question whether there is any effect of listening to or reciting or memorizing Quran towards physical and mental health. Therefore, the aim of this systematic review is to evaluate the impact of listening to, reciting or memorizing the Quran on physical and mental health.

Methods

In this systematic review, databases including ProQuest, PubMed and Web of Science were searched on 19 April 2021. Keywords such as “Quran,” “Qoran,” “al- Quran,” “Koran,” “al- Kareem,” “Holy Quran,” “memori*,” “Tahfidz,” “Tahfiz,” “Huffaz,” “Hafiz,” “listening,” “reciting,” “reading” and Boolean operators such as “AND” and “OR” were used for English databases searching. Searches using the keywords related to the health outcomes (quality of life, physical health, and mental health) have been initially included but resulted in a very limited number of hits. The reviewer team then unanimously decided to exclude the keywords during subsequent search. These resulted in articles that we thoroughly screened for the ones with the intended outcomes (quality of life, physical health, and mental health). All articles that were published between inception and April 2021 were retrieved. The protocol of this systematic review was registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) with ID number CRD42021258954.

Randomized control trials (RCT), quasi-experimental studies, prospective and retrospective studies and observational studies that assessed the effect of listening to, reciting, or memorizing the Quran on physical and mental health were all included if they met the inclusion criteria. This review included all studies, including those on healthy populations, chronic diseases, and intensive care. There was no gender restriction, but only subjects over the age of 13 were considered. Animal studies, reviews, editorials, letters to the editor, news, and conferences were not included.

The Rayyan-Intelligent Systematic Review was used for the screening. Two independent reviewers determined the studies’ eligibility based on the inclusion criteria. The studies were independently screened by identifying the title and abstract. Following that, all relevant studies must be confirmed in order for the full text to be obtained. If the full text of the articles could not be obtained, we requested them from ResearchGate or contacted the authors and co-authors via email. When there were disagreements, another reviewer was added to go over the articles and discuss the resolution. The information and data such as author(s), year of publication, setting, sample size, populations, study designs, methodology, outcome measures and key findings were extracted from articles that met the inclusion criteria.

For RCT, the risk of bias for the included articles was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool [9]. The assessment focused on seven domains: random sequence generation, allocation concealment, blinding of participants and personnel, blinding of outcome assessment, incomplete outcome data, selective reporting, and other sources of bias. Each article was classified as having “low risk of bias,” “unclear/no information” or “high risk of bias.” Meanwhile, critical appraisal tools from Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) systematic reviews for risk assessment was used in quasi-experimental studies and observational studies. Each article was classified as “yes,” “no,” “unclear” or “not applicable” depending on the questions listed in the checklist for quasi-experimental studies [10] and observational studies [11]. Any disagreements or discrepancies between the two reviewers were resolved by a discussion.

Results

A total of 230 studies were found by searching databases on the initial search query, while 3 studies were found by hand-picking from other sources. Duplicates were removed in 32 cases, and 198 were screened. A total of 146 studies were excluded based on their title and abstract. Meanwhile, 52 studies were evaluated for eligibility based on their full text. Only 20 of these were included for data synthesis, while the remaining 32 were excluded for reasons stated in the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) flow chart (Figure 1).

FIGURE 1
www.frontiersin.org

FIGURE 1. Preferred reporting items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) flow diagram (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 2022).

Study Characteristics

This systematic review involved 2,566 participants for articles published between inceptions and April 2021. The study designs were RCT or experimental studies (n = 7) [5, 1216, 26], quasi-experimental studies (n = 5) [1721] and observational studies (n = 8) [8, 2226, 28, 29] (Table1).

TABLE 1
www.frontiersin.org

TABLE 1. Study characteristics (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 2022).

Thirteen studies assessed the effect of listening al- Quran on depression [13, 15, 18], mental health [20], quality of sleep [14], physiological parameters [8, 16, 19], anxiety [12, 17], QoL [21, 25] and brain activity [27]. One study assessed the effect of reciting the al- Quran on behaviors of mind [5]. Meanwhile, seven studies assessed the effect of memorizing al- Quran on memory capacity [23], health status [8] depression [28], brain tissue [29], QoL [22] and intelligent quotient (IQ) [24, 26].

Outcome Measures

Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) [13, 15, 28], standard health questionnaire [8, 20], Pittsburgh sleep quality index [14], physiological parameters [16, 19], Spielberger’s State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) [12], depression, anxiety and stress score (DASS) [18], World Health Organization QoL (WHOQoL) [21], Wechsler Memory Scale III [23], magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) [29], electroencephalogram (EEG) [5, 27], European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer C30 Scale Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC C30 Scale QLQ) [25], Short Form-36 QoL (SF-36) [22] and Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence II (WASI II) [24, 26] were used as the outcome measures for each study. Details on the assessments and outcome measures are presented in Table 2.

TABLE 2
www.frontiersin.org

TABLE 2. Outcome measures (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 2022).

Risk of Bias

Only one study described the participants’ randomization process using a coin toss [12], however, the other studies did not describe the randomization process. There was no clear information on the method of allocation concealment in any of the studies. All studies failed to provide information on the blinding of participants, personnel, and outcome assessment. All studies had a low risk of bias for incomplete outcome data because there were no missing data, and the intervention groups were evenly distributed. All studies were found to be free of biased reporting data and other potential sources of bias. Figure 2 depicts a plotted graph and summary of risk of bias of RCT and experimental studies.

FIGURE 2
www.frontiersin.org

FIGURE 2. A plotted graph and summary of risk of bias for RCT studies (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 2022).

According to the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical checklist for quasi-experimental studies, all studies clearly addressed aspects of ambiguity regarding the “cause” was manipulated before the occurrence of the “effect.” Besides, no differences between participants in the compared groups, no other differences between groups in terms of treatments or care received, and there were independent, separate groups used as control groups (except for [19] there was no control group involved). Moreover, there were multiple measurements of the outcome for both pre- and post-intervention, completed follow up, the outcomes of participants included in any comparisons were measured in the same and reliable way and appropriate statistical analysis was used (Table 3).

TABLE 3
www.frontiersin.org

TABLE 3. Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical appraisal checklist for quasi-experimental studies (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 2022).

For JBI critical checklist for observational studies, six studies clearly defined the inclusion criteria [8, 2224, 28, 29], whereas the other two studies were unclear [26] and no inclusion criteria mentioned [25]. All studies described the subjects and settings in detail, the exposures were measured in a valid and reliable manner, and the condition was measured using standard criteria. Confounding factors were identified and strategies for dealing with confounding were clearly stated in two studies [22, 26]. As far as we could tell, all the studies measured the outcomes in a valid and reliable manner, and appropriate statistical analysis was used (Table 4).

TABLE 4
www.frontiersin.org

TABLE 4. JBI critical appraisal checklist for observational studies (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 2022).

Discussion

This systematic review is aimed to assess the effect of listening to, reading, or memorizing al- Quran on physical and mental health. Spirituality affects human health [30, 31]. Spiritual approaches have favorable roles in addressing matters related to mental health [32]. It is also stated that spirituality influences the quality of life, and it is needed by adolescents so that they have careful guidance, have a brighter future and be prepared for adversity.

The findings of this systematic review reveal that listening to al- Quran especially Surah al- Rahman is helpful in managing depression among group of Muslim women [15] and reduces anxiety burden of pregnant women in facing the labor process [17]. Listening to the Holy Quran recitation also had a significant effect on lowering depressive symptoms in haemodialysis patients [9]. Not only that, listening to the Quran is an effective intervention for reducing anxiety among patients undergoing haemodialysis [12]. Listening to Quran recitation resulted in a better tendency for improvement in depression, anxiety and stress scores among patients diagnosed with chronic heart diseases [18]. Moreover, listening to Yasin Surah is believed to have more psychological impact to produce more calmness and tranquility to mind [33].

Psychologists could recommend Quran listening for improving mental health and achieve greater serenity for mental health personnel [20]. In another study done on the elderly adults, it was found that listening to the voice of Quran recitation could affect sleep quality [14]. Positive effect and improvement in physiological parameters and stress reduction could be seen among ICU patients after listening to Quran recitation [16]. Listening to the Quran could reduce the vital signs and increase the level of consciousness among ICU patients [19].

In terms of quality of life (QoL), religious-based intervention such as listening to the Quran has a greater impact on relieving depression and improving QoL [21]. Listening to the Quran improves QoL and life expectancy in palliative radiotherapy patients [25]. Memorizing the Quran has the potential to improve the QoL as well as mental and physical health among Tahfiz students [22]. The higher the level of Quran memorization, the higher the level of IQ [24, 26].

Memorizing the Quran can improve people’s mental health and be an effective stress reliever. The higher the memorization, the stronger the psychological impulse towards their beliefs, including feelings of happiness, contentment, and positive attitudes. These readings can provide health benefits similar to prayer or singing for people of other faiths. There was a strong linear relationship between Quran memorization and hypertension, diabetes, and depression implying that those who had memorized most of the Quran were less likely to suffer from one of these chronic diseases [8]. Memorizing the Quran may also aid in the treatment of depression. When religious behavior among high school students increases, depression decreases [28]. Findings from Rahman et al. [29] showed that memorizing the Quran could affect brain atrophy. The volume of grey, white, and total brain in those who memorized the Quran was greater than those who memorized only part of the Quran or did not memorize the Quran because the more brain is used, the more likely that the brain tissue is preserved. When a subject listens to Quran recitation, his or her brain activity decreases and his or her Alpha power increases. Hence, this could be a useful tool for a healthy and happy mind assisting people in recognizing the importance of if Islamic practices in their lives [27]. Instead of listening and memorizing, reading or reciting the Quran may result in a state of mind that is restful and calming. Moreover, this Quran recitation could be used as a tool for meditation, as it reduces stress and promotes mental calmness [5].

There are some limitations encountered while conducting this review. This field of study is greatly understudied. In addition, there are many inconclusive findings have been made. Therefore, there are huge gaps in the studied area that we need to discover and address in the future.

Conclusion

The current evidence suggests that listening to, reciting or memorizing the Quran is a helpful non-invasive tool or intervention for reducing stress, depression, anxiety and improving QoL among Muslims. This can be seen in the effect of these three exposures on physical and mental health, as collated in this systematic review. However, due to the scarcity of relevant studies, additional research is required to obtain more information in this study’s area.

Author Contributions

The original writing draft was prepared by WR. This study was supervised and administered by II, AL, NW, FI, and NR. This manuscript was reviewed, edited and finalized by WR, II, AL, NW, FI, and NR. All authors contributed to the article and approved the submitted version.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

References

1. Almerud, S, and Petersson, K. Music Therapy - A Complementary Treatment for Mechanically Ventilated Intensive Care Patients. Intensive Crit Care Nurs (2003) 19(1):21–30. doi:10.1016/S0964-3397(02)00118-0

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

2. Chang, M, Chen, C, and Huang, K. Universality in the Brain while Listening to Music. Proc Biol Sci (2007) 17:2580–433. doi:10.1098/rspb.2001.1802

CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

3. Hojjati, A, Rahimi, A, Farehani, MD, Sobhi-Gharamaleki, N, and Alian, B. Effectiveness of Quran Tune on Memory in Children. Proced - Soc Behav Sci (2014) 114:283–6. doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2013.12.699

CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

4. Chek, Y, and Yaacob, M. Kajian tinjauan terhadap penjadualan kelas hafazan di Pusat Pengajian Tahfiz. Kuala Kubu Bharu, Malaysia: Darul Quran JAKIM (2016).

Google Scholar

5. Kamal, NF, Mahmood, NH, and Zakaria, NA. Modeling Brain Activities during Reading Working Memory Task: Comparison between Reciting Quran and Reading Book. Proced - Soc Behav Sci (2013) 97:83–9. doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2013.10.207

CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

6. Schunk, D. Learning Theories: An Educational Perspective. London, United Kingdom: Pearson education, Inc. (2012).

Google Scholar

7. Bhattacharya, J, and Petsche, H. Universality in the Brain while Listening to Music. Proc Biol Sci (2012) 68(1484):2423338–3. doi:10.1098/rspb.2001.1802

CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

8. Saquib, N, Saquib, J, Alhadlag, A, Albakour, MA, Aljumah, B, Sughayyir, M, et al. Health Benefits of Quran Memorization for Older Men. SAGE Open Med (2017) 5:1–7. doi:10.1177/2050312117740990

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

9. Higgins, JPT, Savović, J, Page, MJ, Elbers, RG, and Sterne, JAC. Assessing Risk of Bias in a Randomized Trial. Cochrane Handbook Syst Rev Interventions (2019) 2019:205–28. doi:10.1002/9781119536604.ch8

CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

10. Tufanaru, C, Munn, Z, Aromataris, E, Campbell, J, and Hopp, L. Chapter 3: Systematic Reviews of Effectiveness. In: E Aromataris, and Z Munn, editors. JBI Quasi-Experimental Appraisal Tool (2017).

Google Scholar

11. Moola, S, Munn, Z, Tufanaru, C, Aromataris, E, Sears, K, Sfetcu, R, et al. Checklist for Analytical Cross-Sectional Studies. Adelaide, Australia: Joanna Briggs Institute (2020). Available from: https://jbi.global/sites/default/files/2019-05/JBI_Critical_Appraisal-Checklist_for_Analytical_Cross_Sectional_Studies2017_0.pdf (Accessed August 31, 2021).

Google Scholar

12. Babamohamadi, H, Sotodehasl, N, Koenig, HG, Jahani, C, and Ghorbani, R. The Effect of Holy Qur'an Recitation on Anxiety in Hemodialysis Patients: A Randomized Clinical Trial. J Relig Health (2015) 54(5):1921–30. doi:10.1007/s10943-014-9997-x

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

13. Babamohamadi, H, Sotodehasl, N, Koenig, HG, Al Zaben, F, Jahani, C, and Ghorbani, R. The Effect of Holy Qur’an Recitation on Depressive Symptoms in Hemodialysis Patients: A Randomized Clinical Trial. J Relig Health (2017) 56(1):345–54. doi:10.1007/s10943-016-0281-0

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

14. Hossini, A, Azimian, J, Motalebi, SA, and Mohammadi, F. The Effect of Holy Quran Recitation on the Quality of Sleep Among Older People Residing in Nursing Homes. Iranian J Ageing (2019) 14(2):236–47. doi:10.32598/sija.13.10.280

CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

15. Rafique, R, Anjum, A, and Raheem, SS. Efficacy of Surah Al-Rehman in Managing Depression in Muslim Women. J Relig Health (2019) 58(2):516–26. doi:10.1007/s10943-017-0492-z

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

16. Yadak, M, Ansari, KA, Qutub, H, Al-Otaibi, H, Al-Omar, O, Al-Onizi, N, et al. The Effect of Listening to Holy Quran Recitation on Weaning Patients Receiving Mechanical Ventilation in the Intensive Care Unit: A Pilot Study. J Relig Health (2019) 58(1):64–73. doi:10.1007/s10943-017-0500-3

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

17. Irmawati, HV, Syamsuddin, S, and Arundhana, AI. The Effect of Listening to the Recitation of Qur’an (Murottal Ar-Rahman Surah) on the Level of Anxiety of Pregnant Women in Siti Fatimah Maternal and Child Hospital. Enferm Clin (2020) 30:238–42. doi:10.1016/j.enfcli.2019.07.097

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

18. Jayus, R, Sharif Abdullah, SS, Letchumy, S, Che Hassan, HH, Choor, CK, Mohamad, MSF, et al. The Effect of Listening to the Quran Recital on Depression, Anxiety and Stress Among Coronary Heart Disease Patients. Int J Cardiol (2017) 249:S41. doi:10.1016/j.ijcard.2017.09.145

CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

19. Nasiri, AA, Shahdadi, H, and Mansouri, A. An Investigation into the Effect of Listening to the Voice of the Holy Quran on Vital Signs and Consciousness Level of Patients Admitted to the ICU Wards of Zabol University of Medical Sciences Hospitals. World Fam Med Journal/Middle East J Fam Med (2017) 15(10):75–9. doi:10.5742/mewfm.2017.93142

CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

20. Mahjoob, M, Nejati, J, Hosseini, A, and Bakhshani, NM. The Effect of Holy Quran Voice on Mental Health. J Relig Health (2016) 55(1):38–42. doi:10.1007/s10943-014-9821-7

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

21. Pramesona, BA, and Taneepanichskul, S. The Effect of Religious Intervention on Depressive Symptoms and Quality of Life Among Indonesian Elderly in Nursing Homes: A Quasi-Experimental Study. Clin Interv Aging (2018) 13:473–83. doi:10.2147/CIA.S162946

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

22. Abd Rahman, S, Ishak, I, Abd Warif, N, Ibrahim, F, Che Din, N, Harun, D, et al. Hubungan antara hafazan al- Quran dan kualiti hidup pelajar Tahfiz di Selangor, Malaysia. Jurnal Sains Kesihatan Malaysia (2019) 17(SI):11–1111. doi:10.17576/jskm-2019-01

CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

23. Black, R, Mushtaq, F, Baddeley, A, and Kapur, N. Does Learning the Qur’an Improve Memory Capacity? Practical and Theoretical Implications. Memory (2020) 28(8):1014–23. doi:10.1080/09658211.2020.1811347

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

24. Ghazali, A, Mohamad, A, Ibrahim, F, Che Din, N, Abd Warif, N, Harun, D, et al. Determination of Level of Heavy Metals, Al-Quran Memorization and Intelligence Quotient (IQ) Among Tahfiz Students in Selangor. Tahfiz di Selangor (2019) 17(2):135–46. doi:10.17576/jskm-2019-1702-16

CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

25. Hematti, S, Baradaran-Ghahfarokhi, M, Khajooei-Fard, R, and Mohammadi-Bertiani, Z. Spiritual Well-Being for Increasing Life Expectancy in Palliative Radiotherapy Patients: A Questionnaire-Based Study. J Relig Health (2015) 54(5):1563–72. doi:10.1007/s10943-014-9872-9

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

26. Ibrahim, FW, Abdul Rahman, NF, Abd Rahman, S, Abd Warif, NM, Harun, D, Ghazali, AR, et al. Dietary Intake, Levels of Trace Elements and Intelligence Quotient (IQ) Among Huffaz Students from Selected Tahfiz Schools in Selangor. Jurnal Sains Kesihatan Malaysia (2018) 16:129–36. doi:10.17576/jskm-2018-16si-18

CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

27. Jalaudin, N, and Mohammed Amin, MK. EEG Analysis on Human Reflection towards Relaxation of Mind. Mal J Fund Appl Sci (2019) 15(2):185–9. doi:10.11113/mjfas.v15n2.1103

CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

28. Ozturk, O, Celik, AM, and Uyar, EI. The Relation of Religious Attitudes and Behaviours with Depression in Boarding Quran Course Students. Psychiatr Danub (2016) 28(4):379–85.

PubMed Abstract | Google Scholar

29. Rahman, MA, Aribisala, BS, Ullah, I, and Omer, H. Association between Scripture Memorization and Brain Atrophy Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging. Acta Neurobiol Exp (Wars) (2020) 80(1):90–7. doi:10.21307/ane-2020-009

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

30. Bonelli, RM, and Koenig, HG. Mental Disorders, Religion and Spirituality 1990 to 2010: A Systematic Evidence-Based Review. J Relig Health (2013) 52(2):657–73. doi:10.1007/s10943-013-9691-4

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

31. Leondari, A, and Gialamas, V. Religiosity and Psychological Well-Being. Int J Psychol (2009) 44(4):241–8. doi:10.1080/00207590701700529

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

32. Karimipour, M, Sawari, SSM, and Hafiz, MMA. Religion, Spirituality and Mental Health: A Review of Literature. Res J Commerce Behav Sci (2015) 5(1):42–7.

Google Scholar

33. Alhouseini, AMRA, Al-Shaikhli, IF, Rahman, AWBA, Alarabi, K, and Dzulkifli, MA. Stress Assessment while Listening to Quran Recitation. In: Proceedings - 2014 International Conference on Computer Assisted System in Health; 19-21 December 2014; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (2014). p. 67–72. doi:10.1109/CASH.2014.14

CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Keywords: mental health, physical health, quality of life, listening, reciting, memorizing, Quran

Citation: Che Wan Mohd Rozali WNA, Ishak I, Mat Ludin AF, Ibrahim FW, Abd Warif NM and Che Roos NA (2022) The Impact of Listening to, Reciting, or Memorizing the Quran on Physical and Mental Health of Muslims: Evidence From Systematic Review. Int J Public Health 67:1604998. doi: 10.3389/ijph.2022.1604998

Received: 07 April 2022; Accepted: 16 August 2022;
Published: 31 August 2022.

Edited by:

Nino Kuenzli, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH), Switzerland

Copyright © 2022 Che Wan Mohd Rozali, Ishak, Mat Ludin, Ibrahim, Abd Warif and Che Roos. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

*Correspondence: Ismarulyusda Ishak, ismarul@ukm.edu.my

This Review is part of the IJPH Special Issue “Health in All Sustainable Development Goals.”

Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.