Formulating an Islamic Model of Science and Bioethics

Authors

  • Anke Iman Bouzenita International Islamic University Malaysia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5915/41-3-4506

Keywords:

Islamic Medical Ethics, bioethics, Islamic science, Islam, Science

Abstract

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5915/41-3-4506

This article formulates a model of Islamic science, medicine, and bioethics, part of the ongoing inner-Islamic discourse on the positioning of Islam vis-à-vis the life sciences and bioethics as developed within a non-Islamic context. It investigates the Islam-and-science paradigm considering the Islamic categorization of the sciences, provides a working definition of Islamic science including medicine and bioethics, and underlines the importance of Muslim legal rulings on these models.

This paper concludes that a universal model of science exists, and it is applicable to all systems based on specific world views. It is essential to be aware of the different models and separate universal knowledge from value-orientated interpretation and usage. Ideologically generated knowledge produced within a non-Islamic framework needs to be thoroughly scrutinized for conformity to Islamic concepts. It is rather the presence or absence of an enacted Islamic reference framework that contextualizes life sciences as being Islamic. Bioethics, however, are initially bound by the Islamic value system as enacted by legal ruling.


Author Biography

Anke Iman Bouzenita, International Islamic University Malaysia

Assistant Professor

Department of Fiqh and Usul al-Fiqh

International Islamic University Malaysia

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Published

2009-12-22

Issue

Vol. 41 No. 3 (2009)

Section

Islamic Perspectives

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