Page 12 - Drug Discovery and Development: Prospects and Challenges

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modern chemistry (Amr & Tbakhi, 2007). As quoted in Surah Ali Imran:
190–191, Allah said:

“Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the
alternation of the night and the day are signs for those of
understanding”. (190)
“Who remember Allah while standing or sitting or [lying] on
their sides and give thought to the creation of the heavens and
the earth, [saying], “Our Lord, You did not create this aimlessly;
Exalted are You [above such a thing]; then protect us from the

punishment of the Fire”. (191)

In these verses, the ulul al-bab (people of intellect) are the people
who performed tadzakkur (remembering Allah), and tafakkur (thinking
of Allah’s creation). In other words, thinking and research are the souls
of knowledge. Islam has a clear guideline and framework to process
ijtihad (independent reasoning) in solving human interest through
Maqasid al-Shariah (the objectives of sharia), which includes ijtihad
in protecting life. From a pharmaceutical point of view, this ijtihad
encourages the effort to research on medicine and health, which can be
performed through drug discovery and development. With regards to
the COVID-19 pandemic, as a Muslim, we shall refer to the sayings of
Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him):

“There is no disease that Allah has created, except that Allah
also has created its cure.” (Sahih Bukhari)

The COVID-19 has affected every single human life and activity. It
has also affected the teaching and learning process at the higher education
level. In line with that, IIUM has come up with the Sejahtera Academic
Framework, which emphasises the strategic plan to be resilient during
and post-pandemic. Therefore, our duty as academics is to play a part
in the war against COVID-19 by finding an effective cure through
research and development. With no guarantee that a potential pandemic
would occur in the foreseeable future, we should prepare ourselves with
science and an evidence-based approach to seeking possible solutions
and effective medications, either through natural or traditional sources
or the development of high-tech drugs.