Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42380547›Full record

ArticleJournal of religion and health2026

Analyzing Male Infertility Through the Lens of Religiosity and Spirituality Among Muslim Men in Pakistan.

Mian Muhammad Ahmad Iqbal, Qaisar Khalid Mahmood, Ayesha Farooq, Nadir Hayat

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Article in Journal of religion and health, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Mian Muhammad Ahmad IqbalFaculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Central Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4425-0947
Qaisar Khalid MahmoodDepartment of Gender Studies, University of the Punjab Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan. qaisar.dgs@pu.edu.pk.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7009-5146
Ayesha FarooqDepartment of Sociology, Government College University Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan.
Nadir HayatInstitute of Social and Cultural Studies, University of the Punjab Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Male infertility is recognized as a multidimensional health issue that covers the physiological, psychological, social, and cultural factors. Despite the availability of prior literature on infertility, the role of religion and spirituality in understanding and coping with male infertility has remained unexplored. This gap is particularly pronounced in Muslim societies such as Pakistan, where religious beliefs significantly shape individuals' health experiences and coping strategies. This study explores how religious beliefs and spiritual practices shape the experiences of Muslim men dealing with infertility. This qualitative study employed a purposive sampling technique to collect data from 13 infertile Muslim men residing in Lahore, Pakistan. The authors conducted a thematic analysis of the data. The findings showed that the respondents believe Allah (God) has control over their fertility and express hope that divine intervention could bring positive change to their lives. They also expressed a belief that evil spirits are obstructing their fertility, physical well-being, and personal progress. To cope with emotional distress and suffering, they engage in various religious and spiritual practices, including prayer (dua), charity (sadaqah), and visiting shrines to perform rituals. These religious coping practices serve as a source of resilience, hope, and emotional support, allowing respondents to find solace in their faith and overcome psychological challenges. Additionally, this research contributes to understanding the male infertility experiences within the context of religion and spirituality. Future research should examine the therapeutic rituals that Muslim men practice for addressing infertility. Researchers should also conduct a comparative analysis of various religious groups, such as Christianity and Hinduism, to explore the similarities and differences in infertility experiences and coping strategies across these religions.

Indexed as

Male infertilityMuslimsPakistanReligiositySpirituality

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.