Introduction to Biofiqh

In today’s world, every development in the health sciences brings with it problems that need to be discussed from medical, religious, legal, and ethical perspectives. For Muslims, it is also necessary to examine these developments from a jurisprudential (fiqh) standpoint. Issues such as organ transplantation, gender development disorders, human milk banking, euthanasia, and in vitro fertilization can be cited as the most current examples of these developments.

As the ISAR Medicine and Ethics Working Group, we organize “Introduction to Biofiqh” courses for undergraduate and graduate students in this field, which we refer to as “biofiqh,” particularly where medicine and fiqh intersect.

The courses, which are planned to consist of four sessions, aim to provide participants with a general perspective on the process of issuing a verdict in Islamic jurisprudence; how contemporary interpretations can be made based on the Quran, the Sunnah, hadiths, and previous juristic decisions; and how fiqh can utilize medical knowledge as well as the experience and interpretations of doctors in applying these methods.