I was recently asked to give a speech to a first year medical school class on the occasion of their finishing their first session. The class session was entitled Doctor, Patient and Society and it introduced the students to the ethical and moral issues that relate to being a practitioner of medicine on people.

I was never good at giving speeches, nor particularly good at writing. I have a mild voice that drifts into a whisper because of shyness. This same shyness becomes apparent in my style of writing. However, it was a challenge to get me out of my cocoon and therefore, I accepted.

The subject of the speech revolved around humanism in medicine. It is an important concept that is very close to my heart. However, as I started to write this speech, I was facing the question: What does humanism in medicine even mean? What does it take for a person to be humanist within his or her profession?

I decided that, first of all, humanism cannot be compartmentalized. One has to be humanist at work and outside of it. I ventured to find a concept that would convey this seemingly simple idea to students.

One concept that came to me was a fascinating Qur’anic one: Taqwa. Taqwa literally means “guarding” or “protection.” The word, as I learned it growing up, was also often translated as “the fear of God.” Unfortunately, this translation, although it covers part of the meaning, will not cover the wide and encompassing range of this expression. Read More »

Dear Muslims!

You know that to eliminate all kinds of vices from the world and to promote good is the responsibility of every Muslim. Allah, the Lord of the universe, says: “You are the best Ummah who have been created to show the right path to the people. You command for doing good and forbid from doing evil, and you have faith in Allah”

The Holy Prophet (SAW) has also said that everyone amongst you is a caretaker and is responsible for his subordinates on the Day of Judgment. Rulers will be answerable for the citizens of their state; every family head will be accountable for the members of his family and will be asked as to what he did for their reformation, education and better life. He will be asked as to whether he forbids them from adopting the bad ways, and helped them in leading a pious life or not. The Holy Quran has called this task as “Enjoining (People) To Do Good and Forbidding (Them) From Doing Evil.”

Respected Muslims! The world history reveals that until Muslims performed the task of commanding the people to do good and barring them from doing evil, the pious people remained dominant in those societies and there was peace and tranquility and satanic forces were subdued. But, when this collective responsibility was designated only to clerics, and the common Muslims ignored this task, in spite of the efforts of the clerics, waywardness spread quickly. Read More »