Hassan Awan is a GP and NIHR Clinical Lecturer in Primary Care at Keele University, passionate about reducing mental health inequalities in underserved populations. He is on X and @drhassanawan.bsky.social
Primary care sits at a distinctive intersection where scientific evidence meets complex human experiences within the community, including spiritual and cultural dimensions of health. As both an academic GP and faith leader, I have found that bringing together different knowledge systems can significantly enhance patient care and community engagement. This integration isn’t novel—it echoes historical approaches where healers drew from multiple traditions. It may offer fresh perspectives for today’s healthcare challenges.
A journey of integration
Raised in a family where caring for others was valued, with an inclination towards sciences, I pursued Medicine while maintaining interest in theology and philosophy. This foundation set the stage for what would become an integrated approach to healing. During medical school, a blessed encounter with Professor Awadalla Youssef inspired me to devote myself to formal Islamic studies under his mentorship and supervision (and nice Egyptian food!) alongside my medical training.
…bringing together different knowledge systems can significantly enhance patient care and community engagement.
Following the principle ‘Learn to teach and teach to learn,’ I soon began teaching, under supervision, while continuing my education—a journey I view as lifelong. My mentor reminded me of great polymaths, such as:
• Ibn Sina (d. 428 AH/1037), who recognised the contagious nature of tuberculosis, and his Canon of Medicine was a standard textbook for centuries1
• Al Zahrawi (d. 403AH/1013CE) who developed instruments to remove urinary calculus and performed tonsillectomies, and surgical instruments influence modern practice2
These scholars mastered both sacred and scientific knowledge, embodying the saying of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), the most beloved people to God are those who are most beneficial to humanity. Integrating scientific and sacred isn’t just possible—it was the norm. Prof Awadalla showed me living examples in his students, such as Dr Mohammed Mustafa, an academic GP in Cardiff, and Yahya Goga, an accountancy lecturer in Manchester.
Clinical Implications of Dual Training
The impact of this dual training became apparent during my second year of medical school. Students and community members began approaching me with mental health concerns including psychosis, depression, and identity issues, reluctant to engage with mainstream services.
This experience highlighted a significant gap: patients seeking care that acknowledges both their medical symptoms and their spiritual frameworks. These encounters revealed the importance of practitioners who can navigate multiple cultural and epistemological worlds.
This realisation ultimately guided my career choice of general practice, offering a holistic, community-based approach where I could contribute to improving people’s lives who have diverse knowledge frameworks.
Research and Service Development
Recognising significant needs in underserved communities, I pursued an academic path, completing a Wellcome-funded PhD exploring emotional distress in South Asian men with long-term conditions.3,4 Now as an NIHR Clinical Lecturer, I am developing services to address inequalities where people from different faiths and ethnic backgrounds experience poorer mental health outcomes.
Alongside this, I have continued my studies with Prof. Awadalla, including Irshatazkology—a form of counselling based on principles of self-purification and growth, applicable to people of all backgrounds. This parallel development has enhanced rather than hindered my scientific work, offering complementary perspectives on wellbeing.
Practical Applications for Healthcare Practitioners
The intersection of scientific and sacred traditions is not new—it was the default approach for centuries across many healing traditions.
This integration of scientific and sacred offers several practical applications:
1. Holistic support: Recognising spiritual and cultural dimensions of illness enables more comprehensive assessment and support of patient needs, enhancing understandings of compassion, dignity and other universal human values.
2. Community engagement: Engaging with communities to develop integrative models of care could lead to more accessible and effective healthcare, reducing health inequalities in the increasingly diverse communities we serve.
3. Prevention approaches: Traditional wisdom systems emphasise preventative practices that complement modern public health approaches.
4. Ethics and meaning: The spiritual element has given me a purpose for my day-to-day living and is what motivates me to contribute to patient care.
The intersection of scientific and sacred traditions is not new—it was the default approach for centuries across many healing traditions. By recognising and integrating these, practitioners can develop culturally sensitive care that acknowledges the physical, spiritual and mental dimensions of healing. As we face complex health challenges, requiring multifaceted solutions, perhaps there is a clinical and societal need to reconsider artificial boundaries between scientific and sacred knowledge systems, and explore how their integration might enhance our ability to serve patients and communities.
References:
1. Hajar, R., 2013. The air of history (Part V): Ibn Sina (Avicenna): The great physician and philosopher. Heart Views, 14(4), pp.196–201. Available at: https://doi.org/10.4103/1995-705X.126893 [Accessed 26 Apr. 2025]
2. Al-Djazairi, S.E., 2006. The hidden debt to Islamic civilisation. London: Bayt Al-Hikma Press.
3. Awan H, Mughal F, Kingstone T, Chew-Graham CA. Emotional distress, anxiety, and depression in South Asians with long-term conditions: a qualitative systematic review. British Journal of General Practice. 2022 Mar 1;72(716):e179-89. https://bjgp.org/content/bjgp/72/716/e179.full.pdf
4. Awan H, Corp N, Kingstone T, Chew-Graham CA. The social determinants of distress in South Asian men with long-term conditions: a qualitative study. The British journal of general practice: the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners. 2024 Nov 6:BJGP-2024. https://bjgp.org/content/early/2025/05/05/BJGP.2024.0386
Featured image: Ibn Sina (Avicenna), Rules about medicines of the heart. Wellcome Collection. Source: Wellcome Collection. Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
It’s really great to bring these two worlds together!
Thank you Dr Hassan Awan!