To understand why sometimes people believe that reciting the Quran or fasting or praying or eating dates or black seeds or drinking camel piss or any number of ridiculous things we believe will work – you need to learn about a well know scientific term called: Placebo Effect.
It is defined as: The placebo effect is when an improvement of symptoms is observed, despite using a nonactive treatment ( meaning no real medicine). It’s believed to occur due to psychological factors like expectations or classical conditioning. Strong belief plays a role here too. Research has found that the placebo effect can ease things like pain, fatigue, or depression. And generally make people feel or believe they are better.
The first time I came across the term Placebo Effect is a study on people with migraine headache (the most painful headache). The study split a group of hospital patients into two: one given a well known and strong painkiller another group giving Smarties that look like medicine but they were told it is a “strong painkiller”. To the surprise of the scientist, the people given Smarties reported improvement almost equal to the ones who had the real medicine. It worked because the patient BELIEVED STRONGLY it will work and it is a POWERFUL MEDICINE. Many studies followed this one had similar findings with some saying that the effect was short term but remained significant.
Having a “strong belief” that something will work may allow your body to act, maybe even produce its own painkiller or feeling of getting better. You have to remember our minds control everything. There are studies that shows positive thinking of the mind has helped people handle pain, illness, depression, and even in some cases retraction of cancer where no medication took place.
So the next time you hear someone tell you, they got better not by medicine or hospital but some Islamic magic..explain to them the concept of Placebo Effect. And remind them how our prophet died. Four years suffering from the effect of the poison. The Quran could not even heal him, don’t expect to heal anything!
https://www.health.harvard.edu/mental-health/the-power-of-the-placebo-effect