science

Islamic bioethics

Islamic bioethics is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Islamic bioethics rather than just read about it. In short: Islamic bioethics, or Islamic medical ethics, (Arabic: الأخلاق الطبية al-akhlaq al-tibbiyyah) refers to Islamic guidance on ethical or moral issues relating to medical and scientific fields, in particular, those dealing with human life. Introduction In Islam, human life is regarded as an invaluable gift from God, and should therefore, be both respected and protected.

Key takeaways

Islamic bioethics belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Islamic bioethics to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Islamic bioethics from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Islamic bioethics, or Islamic medical ethics, (Arabic: الأخلاق الطبية al-akhlaq al-tibbiyyah) refers to Islamic guidance on ethical or moral issues relating to medical and scientific fields, in particular, those dealing with human life.

Introduction In Islam, human life is regarded as an invaluable gift from God, and should therefore, be both respected and protected. This is evident in many Qur'anic verses or ayat, one of the most important being:

"if anyone slays a human being, unless it be [in punishment] for murder or spreading corruption on earth, it shall be as though he had slain all mankind; whereas, if anyone saves a life, it shall be as though he had saved the lives of all mankind."(Qur'an 5:32)

It is this verse, which has ultimately fueled the interest in Islamic bioethics and within it exist two basic principles which ensure that the sanctity of human life is preserved:

Saving a life is obligatory. Unjustified taking of a life is classified as murder and, thus, forbidden. Though Muslims recognize and maintain that Allah is the ultimate source of life (Qur'an 2:258), the Qur'an illustrates that God has instilled in them reason, free will, the ability to distinguish between what is morally acceptable and what is unacceptable (Qur'an 91:8) while also supplying the provisions of nature (Qur'an 45:13). With these things, Muslims are held responsible for maintaining health and preventing illness. In the event that illness occurs, Muslims are obliged to seek medical treatment in a manner which is Islamically appropriate and permissible. Islamic bioethics is intimately linked to the broad ethical teachings of Qur'an and the tradition of the Prophet Muhammad.The Qur'an has a surprising amount of detail regarding human embryological development, which informs discourse on the ethical and the legal status of the embryo and fetus before birth.

Sources The fundamental basis of Islamic bioethics is that, all rulings and actions must fall into accordance with Islamic law (shari'a) and Islamic ethics. By evaluating bioethical issues from and ethical and legal standpoint, jurists can issue decrees or fatwas regarding the permissibility of the pertaining subject. Any rule that has not been explicitly outlined in the religious texts or formulated from them by jurists is referred to as bid'ah (innovation) and, therefore, is haram (impermissible). For this reason, all medical procedures and treatments, as well as conduct between patient and medical professional must be legitimized by the sources of Islamic law,

Qur'an, its the holy book of all Muslims, whose basic impulse is to release the greatest amount possible of the creative moral impulse. Hadith or Sunnah is the Islamic law aspect based on the Prophet Muhammad's words or acts. Ijtihad In Sunni Islam, ijtihad includes qiyas (analogy), ijma (consensus), maslaha (public welfare) and 'urf (customary practice) In Shi'a Islam it is composed solely of al-'aql (reason) Islamic bioethics is an extension of Shariah AKA the Islamic law, which is itself based on 2 foundations: 1- the Qur'an and its the holy book of all Muslims, whose basic impulse is to release the greatest amount possible of the creative moral impulse. 2- The Sunna which is the aspects of Islamic law based on the Prophet Muhammad's words or acts.

Principles Principles of bioethics in the Western world were first developed and outlined by two American philosophers and bioethicists, Tom Beauchamp and James F. Childress, in their book, Principles of Biomedical Ethics. The concept of bioethical principles has since been regarded as a purely "Western" innovation which is absent in the Islamic health care system. These bioethical principles: autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence and justice have been legitimized by Muslims jurists as falling into the sphere of Islamic law and have also been supported by Qur'anic verses (Qur'an 3:104, 16:90 and 17:70). They have subsequently become the foundational spirit underlying the Oath of the Muslim Doctor Islamset-Islamic Ethics-Islamic Code of Medical Ethics-The Oath of the Doctor and, thus, dictate the conduct between a Muslim physician and his or her patient. The main principles of the Hippocratic Oath are acknowledged in Islamic bioethics. However, the invocation of multiple gods in the original version, and the exclusion of any god in later versions, have led Muslims to adopt the Oath of the Muslim Doctor.

Authority Formulations of rulings on bioethical issues in the Islamic context generally arise due to some form of deliberation between medical professionals and religious authority who have been recognized as most qualified individuals of location or time period. After being approached by health care officials, a member of the religious authority (mufti) may then consult the religious texts and determine whether or not a specific issue is obligatory (wajib/fard), recommended (mustahabb), neutral (mubah), discouraged (makruh) or forbidden (haram). The Oath of the Muslim Doctor includes an undertaking to protect human life in all stages and under all circumstances, doing utmost to rescue it from death, malady, pain and anxiety. To be all the way, an instrument of God's mercy, extending medical care to near and far, virtuous and sinner, friend and enemy.

History of Islamic medical ethics Islam views the concept of health as an integration of mental, social and physical health, and not merely the absence of disease or disability. Islam links the health of the individual and society. Therefore, there are many hadiths of the Prophet, and in the writings of early Muslim doctors, Islam values health and what it encourages, and even values those who practice the medical profession. The Messenger of God, may God's prayers and peace be upon him, said: "A strong believer is better and more beloved to God than a weak believer, and there is good in each."

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Islamic bioethics

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Islamic bioethics claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Islamic bioethics before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Islamic bioethics ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Islamic bioethics

In research: Islamic bioethics appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Islamic bioethics in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Islamic bioethics is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Bioethics, Islam and science, Islamic ethics, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Islamic bioethics outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Islamic bioethics in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Islamic bioethics means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Islamic bioethics out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Islamic bioethics in simple terms?

Why does Islamic bioethics matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Islamic bioethics?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Islamic bioethics.