What can the Prophetic legacy teach us about science, medicine, knowledge and our responsibility to contribute to the world?
In this episode of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ at 1500, we turn to Chapter 19, “The Prophetic Legacy in Science and Medicine: Reflections on a Personal Journey,” written by Professor Faadiel Essop.
Approaching the subject as both an academic and biomedical researcher, Professor Essop reflects on his own journey in science while asking important questions about the relationship between Islam, knowledge, scientific inquiry and the Muslim intellectual tradition.
The chapter begins with two seemingly very different experiences: a WhatsApp message promoting a claim that pineapple and hot water can cure cancer, without scientific evidence, and concerns surrounding the growing number of PhD graduates and the disconnect between higher education, research and employment opportunities.
These experiences open the door to a much broader discussion about how Muslims engage with knowledge and scientific evidence today.
In This Episode:
What does the Prophetic legacy mean for science and medicine?
Islam’s relationship with knowledge and scientific inquiry
Rediscovering the history of Muslim scientific scholarship
Have Muslims experienced a kind of “memory loss” regarding their intellectual heritage?
What can we learn from the Muslim contribution to science and medicine?
The importance of evidence-based knowledge
Why scientific claims should be examined critically
The difference between scientific evidence and misinformation
Professor Faadiel Essop’s personal journey in science and biomedical research
The challenges facing PhD graduates and the relationship between research and employment
What do we mean when we talk about “Modern Western Science”?
Exploring the methodological foundations, strengths and limitations of modern science
Can there be a renewed framework for Islamic Science?
How can Muslims reconnect the pursuit of knowledge with the intellectual and ethical traditions of Islam?
What responsibility do Muslims have to contribute to knowledge and the wider world?
Knowledge, Faith & Responsibility
At the heart of this conversation is a fundamental question: How should Muslims understand the pursuit of knowledge?
Professor Essop’s reflections invite us to look beyond nostalgia for the achievements of Muslim scholars and consider how the intellectual, ethical and Prophetic legacy of Islam might inform the way Muslims engage with science, medicine, research and discovery today.
This is a conversation about faith and reason, evidence and inquiry, history and the future of knowledge — and what it means to contribute meaningfully to the world around us.
Chapter 19:
The Prophetic Legacy in Science and Medicine: Reflections on a Personal Journey
Author: Professor Faadiel Essop
