The foundations of Islamic Medical Ethics

Medical ethics is the enterprise of disciplined reflection on the moral choices that arise in the practice of medicine. Whereas Western ethical theories are temporal and engineered by man, the Islamic ethical theory has for Muslims a divine basis. To accurately deduce the Divine wish the legal exercises must only be undertaken by appropriately qualified fuqaha, who ideally also possess adequate clinical experience, or who otherwise work in direct consultation with physicians.

This section outlines the predominant system of medical ethics used today in the West, and then contrasts it with the essence of the Islamic ethical theory. The foundations of the latter are described in more detail, elucidating the principles and methodology employed by the Muslim jurist in deriving rulings in the field of medical ethics. The  questions addressed include:

1.How does the classical Islamic code of ethics contrast with the Western standard of ethics?

2.How do Muslim jurists come to decisions on issues regarding Islamic medical ethics?

3.What are the principles and legal maxims which underlie the decisions of Muslim jurists?

The article:
Author: Mr. Yassar Mustafa.
Editor: Dr. Mehrunisha Suleiman.
Reviewed and approved by: Shaykh Musa Furber

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