Islamic law
Multiculturalism and its associated plurality of value systems is rapidly becoming the norm in modern medical practice. Given this increasing diversity, greater emphasis upon cultural and ethical competence in physician training is necessary in order to provide culturally sensitive and ethically sound care. Religious values shape ethical codes and are expressed in the cultural norms of subcommunities in a society. Thus, an understanding of religious values that may influence the clinical encounter is important. This paper provides an overview of the ethical constructs of the sacred law traditions of Judaism, Catholicism, and Islam and will outline approaches taken by each faith regarding medical ethics. It is hoped that the insights gained will aid both clinicians and ethicists to better understand these religious paradigms of medical ethics and thereby positively affect patient care through increased tolerance and understanding.
lp_FM-D01_IslamicLaw Islamic Law lesson plan, “What is Shariah? Major Sources and Principles of Islamic Law” lesson plan. This lesson provides background reading on the nature of Islamic law, and the role of legal scholars in making judgments according to Islamic legal sources. Understanding this material will help students evaluate Muslim approaches to contemporary social and political issues in Muslim countries and communities. For use with: Video documentary FRONTLINE: MUSLIMS or as standalone lesson on the topic.
Students evaluate comments made by individuals in the film. The quotes touch upon topics such as Expressions of Faith, Family and Communal Aspects of Muslim Life, Unity and Diversity Among Muslims, Muslims in Mainstream American Society, and Muslim Responses to Extremism in Religion. Students will be better able to distinguish between “Islamic” teachings and “Muslim” practices which may or may not conform to the faith’s widely-held principles and ideals. For use with: Video documentary FRONTLINE: MUSLIMS or standalone. Here is the lesson plan as a pdf lp_FM-C01_ValuesPracticesFaith-C01
Comparative Doc Study-Human Rights in Islam & Enlightenment Tradition Comparative Document Study–Human Rights and Religious Tolerance in Islam and in the French and American Enlightenment Traditions. Students read excerpts from three primary sources–quotes from Thomas Jefferson, the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen, and the Qur’an and Hadith. Students then determine similarities and dissimilarities between American, French and Islamic provisions for human rights and religious tolerance. For use with: Video documentary FRONTLINE: MUSLIMS or as standalone lesson on the topic.
Statement by a prominent Mauritanian Muslim jurist explaining to youth why extremism, suicide bombing, and ISIS are illegitimate according to Islamic beliefs and practices. Abdallah bin Mahfudh ibn Bayyah is a Mauritanian professor of Islamic studies at the King Abdul Aziz University in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. He is a specialist in all four traditional Sunni schoolsof Islamic law. Currently he is the President of the Forum for Promoting Peace in Muslim Societies.