Maurice Bucaille

There are many claims that Bucaille converted to Islam.[5] Although he can be seen in YouTube videos making very positive statements regarding Islam and science, he never explicitly states that he has converted in them, nor in any of his books. In an interview for a Californian Islamic newsletter, he side stepped the question "have you embraced Islam?" with this answer:

I wanted to make it quite clear in the very beginning that even before I learnt the first letter of Bismillah, I was convinced that God was unique and all- powerful and when God guided me to undertake a study of the Quran, my inner soul cried out that Al- Quran was the Word of God revealed to his Last Prophet Mohammed (S.A.W.). In my book "Quran, Bible and Science," I have mentioned these facts and the book has met with instant success in the entire Christian world. In this book I have devoted myself to discuss all problems from purely academic angle, rather than that of faith or belief which would have revealed only my personal convictions. This was because I desired to be treated by the world as an academician rather than a theologian. About my faith and belief, God knows what is in one's heart. I am convinced that if I identify myself with any creed, people will invariably dub me as one belonging to such and such group and feel that whatever I say or do, I do so from only the angle of such and such creed group. I know my fellow beings very well and understand their mentality only too well. I wanted to assure them that all my pronouncements are based on scientific knowledge and not on any religious dogmas.

— Maurice Bucaille, Why I embraced Islam.[8]

A YouTube documentary of his life shows Muslim evangelists including Zaghloul El Naggar and Abdullah Al Musih of the Commission on Scientific Signs in the Quran and Sunnah stating that they believe he converted, whilst Catholic acquaintances claim he remained Christian. Claims that he did convert often quote his role in the preservation of the body of the Pharoah Rameses II in France, in stories such as the following:

"As a scientist and a French surgeon, Bucaille became chief surgeon and head of mummy research. The results of his study were a surprising finding that the remnants of salt in the mummy's body were an indication that the Pharaoh [Rameses II] had drowned.[9][10] The book begins with the description of Pharaoh's death in the Qur'an that he died because he was swallowed up by the waves. Bucaille later published his report entitled "Les Momis des Pharaohs at La Medicine" (Mummy of the Pharaohs; a Modern Medical Research). He then heard that the Qur'an actually told the story of Pharaoh's sinking. It is known that after exploring history in various books, including the Torah and the Bible, Bucaille turned to Islam. He met some Muslim autopsy scientists and was told a verse from the Qur'an.[9][10]

So today We will save you in body that you may be to those who succeed you a sign. And indeed, many among the people, of Our signs, are heedless.

— Surah Yunus; Chapter-10, Verse-92[11]

"The verse touched Bucaille's heart until he converted", they said.[10][12][9]"

The above is typical of the type of story given by those who claim he converted. These stories imply that Bucaille had no previous knowledge of Islam, but omit that he had been working as the personal physician to Faisal of Saudi Arabia for three years when the body of Ramesses was sent to France.

As a scientist and surgeon working with Egyptologists, it seems almost certain that he would have known that salts such as natron[5] (a mixture of sodium salts including sodium chloride), were used in the preservation of mummies, that the majority of the internal organs such as the lungs would have been removed and therefore the presence of salt inside the body could not be used to confirm if the body had drowned in sea water.

Bucailleism is a movement to relate modern science with religion, and especially that of Islam.[13] Since the publishing of The Bible, the Quran and Science, Bucailleists have promoted the idea that the Quran is of divine origin, arguing that it contains scientifically correct facts that could not have been known at the time the Qu'ran was revealed.[14][15] The Qur'ans description of elements of embryology in 22:5 is frequently quoted as an example both in favour[16] and against.[17] The number of claimed "Scientific miracles" has expanded greatly since Bucaille published his book and now encompasses claims in almost all fields of science. The Indian Muslim evangelist Zakir Naik is a particular exponent of this idea.

Bucailleism is not universally accepted by Muslims, e.g. a prominent Muslim in the UK working with the UK Dawah organisation IERA, Hamza Tzortis stated in 2013 that, "Regrettably, the scientific miracles narrative has become an intellectual embarrassment for Muslim apologists[18]". The changing attitudes of IERA to Bucailleism was the subject of a 2017 PhD.[19]

According to The Wall Street Journal, Bucailleism is "in some ways the Muslim counterpart to Christian creationism" and although "while creationism rejects much of modern science, Bucailleism embraces it."[20]

Literary critic Sameer Rahim wrote in The Daily Telegraph that some of Bucaille's "assertions have been ridiculed by scientists and sophisticated theologians."[21]

• 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, with Mohamed Talbi, Seghers, (Reflections on the Koran), 1989 (ISBN 2232101487).
• L'homme d'où vient-il? Les réponses de la science et des Écritures Saintes (Where does man come from? The responses of science and Scripture), Seghers, 1980 7ème éd.(ISBN 2221007816).
  • Bucaille, Maurice (1982). What is the origin of man? : the answers of science and the Holy Scriptures. Paris: Seghers. ISBN 9782221011010.
• 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).

• Keith L. Moore
• Zakir Naik
• Zaghloul El Naggar,
• Commission on Scientific Signs in the Quran and Sunnah
• Islam and science
• Religion and science

• "Dr. Maurice Bucaille". Islamic Bulletin.
• Dr. Maurice Bucaille. Dr. A. A. B. Philips (ed.). "The Quran and Modern Science". Sultan.org.
• Stefano Bigliardi (December 2011). "Snakes from Staves? Science, Scriptures and the Supernatural in Maurice Bucaille". Journal of Religion and Science. Wiley. 46 (4): 793–805. (A philosophical criticism of Bucaille's theories)

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