Islamic Gerontology, Importance of Localizing Aging Studies in Iran: A Review of Quran and Hadith

Discussion of localizing sciences in all fields of humanities is a contentious issue in Iranian academic settings and has its supporters and opponents. Among new branches of sciences developed in the 20th century, the science of biological, psychological, and social aspects of older adults, known as gerontology, is a recent one. Like other modern sciences, this field of study has an occidental origin. In recent years, it has also found its place in academic settings in Iran. The present study aimed to discover the theoretical, Islamic, and ideological origins of gerontology in oriental and Islamic society.
This library-based study was an attempt to review available resources. To this end, Quranic verses, hadiths, and historical documents about the elderly were consulted. Keywords such as the elderly and old age were used to search for these resources. All ethical issues were observed in the study and the researchers declared no conflict of interests.
According to the available resources of Islamic jurisprudence, it seems that the current situation is appropriate for localizing gerontology through referring to Quranic resources, Islamic hadiths, ancient history of Iranian culture, and documents on Islamic jurisprudence.
Considering the thorough and eternal nature of Islam and its dominance on human’s existential structure and his real needs, it is necessary to design the curriculum of gerontology, which is a newly established discipline, based on Islamic principles and standards.