Page 11 - Drug Discovery and Development: Prospects and Challenges

Assalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh and salam sejahtera,

Honorable Datuk Dr. Mohd Daud Bakar, President of the International
Islamic University Malaysia,
Honorable Prof. Emeritus Tan Sri Dato’ Dzulkifli Abdul Razak, Rector
of the International Islamic University Malaysia,
Honorable Deputy Rectors, the International Islamic University
Malaysia,
Respected University Management Committee, Deans, Directors,
Senior Officers, Professors, Lecturers,
Brothers and sisters,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Introduction

The human being is the best creation by Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala
(Glory to Him, the Exalted). We are asked to seek knowledge with the
‘aqal (intellect/reasoning) that Allah has given to us. There are many
verses in the Holy Qur’an that encourage us to explore the secret of
nature. As mentioned in Surah Al-Baqarah: 164, which reads:

“Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth; the
alternation of the day and the night; the ships that sail the sea
for the benefit of humanity; the rain sent down by Allah from
the skies, reviving the earth after its death; the scattering of all
kinds of creatures throughout; the shifting of the winds; and the
clouds drifting between the heavens and the earth—[in all of
this] are sure signs for people of understanding”. (164)

The phenomenon on the earth should be studied with faith, as it has
been done by the Islamic scholar, Jabir ibn Hayyan, famously known as
the father of chemistry and one of the founders of modern pharmacy. He
had written 300 books on philosophy, 1300 books on mechanical devices,
and hundreds of books on alchemy. Jabir is credited for his experimental
methodology in chemistry and the introduction of chemical processes in