Islamic Ethics and Incidental Findings: Genomic Morality Beyond the Secular Paradigm

This open access book offers unique insights into the key ethical issues faced by practitioners and discussed by ethicists in the field of genomics and incidental findings, with a focus on the Islamic moral tradition. Embark on an enlightening exploration of key ethical challenges in genomics and incidental findings, uniquely tailored to the context of the Muslim Arab world.  Following the regional scientific leap in genomic infrastructure, this study provides a timely response to the need for a solid evidence base that pairs scientific research with cutting-edge research in Islamic ethics. A variety of expert perspectives have been incorporated, which produce a holistic overview of the intricate, interwoven systems, including the status quo of genomic research in the Gulf region, related Islamic ethical deliberations, and, finally, the governing jurisdictions and regulations on the ground.

This publication stands as a pioneer work for academics interested in various fields, including genomics, bioethics, and Islamic studies. It equally serves as an invaluable guide for practitioners and policy-makers, equipping them to make informed decisions that resonate with the socio-cultural and religio-ethical nuances of the Islamic tradition. Being multidisciplinary in nature, the study is written in such a way that makes it accessible for those without a specialized background in Islamic studies or genomics.

Mohammed Ghaly is a distinguished scholar, holding the position of Professor of Islam and Biomedical Ethics and serving as the Head of the Research Center for Islamic Legislation & Ethics (CILE) at the College of Islamic Studies, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha, Qatar. He earned his B.A. in Islamic Studies from Al-Azhar University (Egypt) and subsequently obtained his M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in the same discipline from Leiden University (the Netherlands). Ghaly served as a faculty member at Leiden University from 2007 to 2013.

His primary academic focus lies at the crossroads of Islamic Ethics, biomedical sciences, and artificial intelligence (AI). Ghaly is the founding Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Islamic Ethics (published by Brill). Noteworthy among his literary contributions is the monograph Islam and Disability: Perspectives in Theology and Jurisprudence (Routledge, 2010). Additionally, he has edited different volumes, including Islamic Perspectives on the Principles of Biomedical Ethics (Imperial College & World Scientific, 2016), Islamic Ethics and the Genome Question (Brill, 2019), and End-of-Life Care, Dying and Death in the Islamic Moral Tradition (Brill, 2022). Ghaly's extensive academic repertoire encompasses more than forty peer-reviewed publications. He holds editorial board positions in various academic journals and serves as the Lead Principal Investigator (LPI) and research consultant for multiple funded research projects, the most recent of which is on "Transforming Islamic Studies in the Age of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI): Developing AI-Empowered IslamGPT 1.0 for Arabic Sources."

Ghaly's pedagogical contributions extend globally, as he has lectured on the intricate interplay of Islamic ethics with biomedical sciences and technologies at prestigious institutions worldwide, including Imperial College London, Oxford University, University of Oslo, University of Chicago, and Georgetown University. In September 2019, he assumed the pivotal role of founding Program Coordinator for the M.A. in Applied Islamic Ethics at Hamad Bin Khalifa University. Adding to his list of responsibilities, Ghaly serves as the Chair of the 17th World Congress of Bioethics (Qatar, 2024), an event of historical significance as it marks the first convening of its kind in the Arab world and the entire Middle East.