Maurice Bucaille (19 July 1920 in Pont-L’Eveque, France– 17 February 1998^[1]), son of Maurice and Marie (James) Bucaille,^[2] was a French medical doctor, member of the French Society of Egyptology, and an author. Bucaille practiced medicine from 1945–82 and was a specialist in gastroenterology.^[2] In 1973, Bucaille was appointed family physician to King Faisal of Saudi Arabia. Another of his patients at the time included members of the family of then President of Egypt, Anwar Sadat.^[3]

The Bible, The Qur’an and Science

In 1976 Bucaille published his book, The Bible, The Qur’an and Science which argued that the Qur’an contains no statements contradicting established scientific facts.^[4] Bucaille argued that the Qur’an is in agreement with scientific facts, while the Bible is not. He states that in Islam, science and religion have always been “twin sisters” (vii). According to Bucaille, there are monumental errors of science in the Bible and not a single error in the Qur’an. Bucaille’s belief is that the Qur’an’s descriptions of natural phenomena make it compatible with modern science. Bucaille concludes that the Qur’an is the words of God.

Bucaille argues that the Old Testament has been distorted because of numerous translations and corrections as it was transmitted orally. He highlights, in his words, “numerous disagreements and repetitions”, in the Old Testament and the Gospels. In his analysis, Bucaille claims he makes use of many propositions of Biblical criticism, such as the documentary hypothesis. .

Bucaillism

Bucaillism is a term used by academics to denote the movement to relate modern science with religion, and especially that of Islam.^[5]

Since the publishing of The Bible, the Quran and Science, Bucaillists have promoted the idea that the Qur’an is of divine origin, arguing that it contains scientifically correct facts.^[6][7]

Rebuttal of Bucaillist theories

Methodological remarks

Maurice Bucaille’s concordist theories have faced some criticism. William F. Campbell maintains that Maurice Bucaille does not evaluate the Qur’an with the same standards he uses to judge the Bible. Indeed, Bucaille demands that the Bible comply with 20th century scientific language, while he finds acceptable that the Qur’an isn’t written with such scientific rigor, because the Qur’an, as he writes: “is expressed in a language that suits farmers or nomads of the Arabic peninsula”.^[8] Thus, the objectivity claimed by Bucaille is only theoretical.^[9]

Books

• What is the Origin of Man?. Islamic Book Service. 2005. p. 228. ISBN 81-7231-293-8.
• La Bible, le Coran et la Science : Les Écritures Saintes examinées à la lumière des connaissances modernes, Seghers 1976, (ISBN 978-2221501535), Pocket 2003, (ISBN 978-2266131032)
• Les Momies des pharaons et la médecine, Séguier, 1987 (ISBN 2906284475). Mummies of the Pharaohs: Modern Medical Investigations by Maurice Bucaille. Translated by Alastair D. Pannell and the author. Illustrated. 236 pp. New York: St. Martin’s Press.
• Réflexions sur le Coran, Seghers, (Reflections on the Koran) 1989 (ISBN 2232101487).
• L’homme d’où vient-il? Les réponses de la science et des Écritures Saintes (Man where is he coming from? The responses of science and Scripture), Seghers, 1980 7ème éd.(ISBN 2221007816).
• Moïse et Pharaon ; Les Hébreux en Egypte ; (Moses and Pharaoh, The Hebrews in Egypt) Quelles concordances de Livres saints avec l’Histoire, Seghers, 1995 (ISBN 2-232-10466-4).

References

External links

• Snakes from Staves? Science, Scriptures and the Supernatural in Maurice Bucaille by S. Bigliardi (A philosophical criticism of Bucaille’s theories)
• Biography from Center for Islam and Science
• The Quran and Modern Science by Dr. Maurice Bucaille Edited by Dr. A. A. B. Philips
• Bible,Quran and Science by Dr. Maurice Bucaille Translated by Alastair D. Pannell and the Author

Why I Embraced Islam?

Dr. Maurice Bucaille is a surgeon by profession. He is also a renowned scholar. In order to be able to read Quran in its original text and to study its meaning and purport through direct access to its early and modern commentaries, he devoted himself to the learning of Arabic language at the ripe age of fifty.

Thereafter, he made a beginning by trying to reconcile proven scientific truths with religious axioms. As a result of these studies, he wrote his famous book “QURAN, BIBLE AND SCIENCE” in 1976, which caused a furor in high academic circles – particularly in the Christian world.

After a deeper study of Islam and the Quran, he has authored another book titled, “THE ORIGIN OF MAN”. It comprised Quranic explanations of some of the queries raised much earlier than the period when those queries were logically and satisfactorily resolved by scientific experimentation, to be fully in conformity with the explanations provided by Quran about 1500 years before. The Church acknowledged and accepted these researches of Dr. Bucaille to be a valuable contribution to human knowledge and the author became famous all over the world, like Cambridge, and Oxford Universities in U.K. & Yale and Harvard in USA. He was invited to give Extension Lectures in their academic institutions. By dint of his Quranic thought, and by virtue of his unprejudiced and realistic approach to Quranic thought, and by virtue of his unprejudiced and realistic discussion and research work, Dr. Bucaille has converted a number of high ranking scholars to agree with him and to subscribe to his view that the Quran is a Divine Book, not authored by any human being and actually a Book of Revelations from Almighty God to His Last Prophet, Mohammed, Peace Be Upon Him.

M. Bucaille is of the view that his findings in this behalf are a cause of consternation and chagrin to Western scholars because of their earlier exposure to false and fictitious propaganda against Islam and its Prophet (S.A.W.), by the Christian clergy and by biased Western writers and authors. This misguided class of people could not believe that Quran was the only Scripture which had remained sacrosanct and free from all additions, alterations and interpolations and consequently it still retained the purity to guide mankind in all ages, places and in every conceivable crisis.

For over 1400 years it has been the only treasure house of ecclesiastical and cosmic knowledge about the universe and life itself. Mankind has not yet to progress and proceed to a stage where it can fully be au fait with all the pearls and gems of wisdom and truth, garnered in its bosom by this miracle of literacy, excellence and academic purity which could not be matched even in one small sentence by the literary giants of yore, in spite of an open challenge to this effect.

Q: What urged you so forcefully to undertake a study of the Quran and other scriptures, and why?

A: Like all other Frenchmen, I was also initially of the view that Islam was a religion conceived and introduced by a genius and a remarkable man of great intellect, known by the name of Mohammed (S.A.W.). Fifty years ago, by the Grace of God, I became professionally qualified to practice as a surgeon, and used to discuss and compare (views on) Islam and Christianity with my patients who came to consult me (and with my co-professionals). I was told by some of them that my knowledge of Islam and about its discipline was to a great extent misconceived and mistaken. In the beginning I was inclined to doubt them, but now and then some people produced actual and original Quranic Verses in contradiction of my references, and I was compelled to revise my conclusions. And, as a result of this revision and review, I felt that they were right and I was wrong.

I found that those who had been my teachers had a wrong approach to the problem and had imparted incorrect information to me. My knowledge of Islam, until then, had been restricted to Radio and T.V. reviews, articles published in various magazines and reproduced in biased treatise books. But I was perplexed; what should I do? How should I amend my position and rectify my understanding?

Q: When did this happen?

A: After the 8th Vatican Conference but before the birth of a tolerant attitude on the part of European scholars gravitating to unbiased thought, i.e. before 1926, when the cleavage between Muslims and Christian scholars was at its zenith and there was no prospect of a direct dialogue between them.

Q: How did you react to this situation?

A: There was only one road open to me then, that of learning Arabic language so that I could study the Holy Book, Quran, in its original form and try to get at its meaning directly. I devoted the next two years to this task when I had acquired enough knowledge of Arabic (in language and literature) to be able to make a dependable study of the Quran faithfully as well as academically.

Q: And how did this benefit you?

A: I knew then that the Quran was the “Work of Allah” and had not been authored by any human being. I was also convinced that Mohammed (S.A.W.) was a true Prophet of God.

Q: The world is now celebrating the first centenary of Darwin, do you subscribe to Darwinian theory or disagree with it?

A: No Sir, I oppose it vehemently. Darwin’s theory is totally based on a misconception and is not at all the outcome of such a scientific research as could prove that there exists the slightest relation between man and the theory of evolution of species as propounded by him. In fact his views are nothing but the misguided and misconceived calculations of a purely materialistic mind. My latest book (Origin of Man) contains a comprehensive “Rebuttal Article” on Darwin and his views.