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Genetic Disorders Among Arab Populations pp 705–723Cite as

Prevention and Care of Genetic Disorders: An Islamic Perspective

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Abstract

Islam is the continuum and the culmination of, not an alternative to, the sister Abrahamic faiths of Judaism and Christianity. In the Quran, they are links of the one chain of God’s message to humanity. The Quran, which Muslims believe is God’s very word, says: The same religion He enjoined on you as the one He enjoined on Noah, and this We reveal unto you and that We enjoined upon Abraham, Moses and Jesus, that you should uphold the faith and break-not your unity therein (The Holy Quran 42:13). This commonality we respect, although we are aware that on further comparison it is natural to find differences and distinct schools of thought between the faiths, and even within one faith. Islam is the predominant religion in the developing world; however, it is not an “Arab” religion. In fact, out of the 1.6 billion Muslims in the world, <20% of Muslims are Arabs. Among the 57 Islamic countries that make up the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), the specific religious and cultural values of each country’s population have a significant impact on the health, education, and social policies, which drives the healthcare or models of care that patients receive (Al-Aqeel 2005, 2007).

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Acknowledgments

I would like to thank Dr Mohammed A. Al Bar, Consultant in Islamic Medicine, King Fahad Medical Research Center, Jeddaha, Saudi Arabia, for providing the Arabic version of the Islamic Fatwas and for his expert advice.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Pediatrics, Medical Genetics and Endocrinology, Department of Pediatrics, Riyadh Military Hospital, 7897, Riyadh, 11159, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

    Aida I. AL Aqeel

  2. Stem Cell Therapy Program, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, 3354, Riyadh, 11211, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

    Aida I. AL Aqeel

Authors
  1. Aida I. AL Aqeel
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Correspondence to Aida I. AL Aqeel .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Qatar Foundation, Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar, Doha, Qatar

    Ahmad S. Teebi

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AL Aqeel, A.I. (2010). Prevention and Care of Genetic Disorders: An Islamic Perspective. In: Teebi, A. (eds) Genetic Disorders Among Arab Populations. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-05080-0_24

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