Islam, Medicine Share A Long Intertwined History - Sultan Nazrin

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 10 (Bernama) -- Islam and medicine share a long and fruitfully intertwined history, and many of the core foundations upon which scientific and medical practices are still based originated with Muslim scientists, said Sultan of Perak Sultan Nazrin Shah.

His Royal Highness said medieval Islamic scholars introduced the concept of control groups in medical experiments, for example, building on the knowledge of their Greek counterparts.

“Perhaps most significantly, it was the work of medieval Muslim doctors and scientists that led to the development of hospitals as we recognise them today,” Sultan Nazrin Shah when gracing the launch of the book titled ‘Islam and Biomedicine’, here today.

The book is edited by Malaysia’s own Oxford Muslim theologian Datuk Dr Afifi al-Akiti in collaboration with physician Dr A.I. Padela from the University of Chicago.

Sultan Nazrin Shah said he sees ‘Islam and Biomedicine’ as a strong testament to humanity, and to the unique contribution, humans can and must still make, even as Artificial Intelligence (AI) expands and accelerates in the years to come.

“In its consideration of such fundamental questions about the nature of human life, ‘Islam and Biomedicine’ also intersects in significant ways with an even more recent – and no less seismic – development on the world stage,” he said.

The Sultan also commended all involved in the publication of the book and for contributing to a collection which is, at once, a brilliant and timely intervention in the modern world, and the continuation of a long intellectual tradition.

“I am, moreover, proud to celebrate this project initiated by Datuk Dr Afifi, a world-renowned scholar in his own right who has contributed so much to contemporary Islamic thought and scholarship, yet always grounded in his Malay Islamic roots.

“The world needs more collaborative and interdisciplinary efforts like this, and I hope this important book paves the way for future joint projects between the ulama, the religious scholars of Islam, and the modern scientists and medics,” said Sultan Nazrin Shah.

-- BERNAMA