SBE1@vaxa.york.ac.uk (Saira) (03/19/91)
Salaam everyone,
After a search for info. on Abortion, the following is what i was able to
find. I am sending it since a few people have requested to be informed of
anything i could find.
(Saira)
The following extracts on Abortion and Birth Control are taken
from Dr. Jamal Badawi's "Islamic Teachings" TV series from N.
America.
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"Birth Control"
Although the word 'birth-control' is commonly used, Muslims believe that it is
only Allah who controls the incidence of birth and death: thus it often happens
that despite attempts to prevent conception, a child is born to a couple because
it has been ordained by God. It is however possible for humans beings to use
certain birth-control methods to try to prevent conception. Generally speaking,
Islam encourages the birth of children, the Prophet (SAW) is recorded as saying
in more than one place that Muslims should marry and have children. In addition
to this, Muslim scholars do not accept the alarmist Malthusian type of theories
which say that unless population growth is controlled, there 'will only be
standing room on earth': Allah assures believers that He will provide for men
and their families, thus there is no consensus among Muslim jurists that birth-
control as a national policy in a Muslim country is permissible. Islam however
does permit the practice of birth-control methods on a personal,individual
basis provided that personal circumstances justify its practice; there is
evidence that at the time of the Prophet (SAW) a form of birth-control was
practiced amongst some Muslims and it is clear that he knew of it and did not
prohibit it and nor did the Qur'an, though the Prophet did warn that if Allah
willed that a child should be born, they could not prevent it from happening.
'Reasons which would justify the practice of birth-control'
a) The protection of the life of the mother-if for medical reasons the life
of a wife may be threatened by pregnancy, it is permissible to take steps
to avoid pregnancy.
b) Strong indications that a child who is conceived and born will be deformed
or handicapped is also an acceptable reason for trying to avoid pregnancy;
c) According to sayings of the Prophet (SAW) it is not desirable for a woman to
become pregnant whilst she is still suckling a baby because of the harm which
may be done to the baby, therefore again the practice of birth-control may be
permissible; the period of suckling recommended in Islam is two to three
years.
d) Poverty and lack of resources may also justify birth-control, although the
Qur'an says that God will provide for the whole family. This concession
applies only in really straitened circumstances, where the wife, with
several children already, cannot cope with any more;
e) Other personal reasons,eg. the wife's wish wish to complete a course of
study before motherhood. It is for the individuals concerned to consult their
own consciences and see if birth-control is justified or not. Note, a man may
not practice birth-control without consultation with his wife as her right to
have a child should also be considered.
ABORTION
Abortion is unlawful except in a case where the life of the mother is at stake.
Contemporary scholars have also said that if, in the very early stages of the
pregnancy there are indications that the child will be deformed, abortion is
permissible, though this is not a majority opinion. Since Muslims believe that
after 120 days the soul is breathed into the foetus, abortion before four months
is recommended if there is a necessity for it, but after four months abortion is
clearly unlawful. In all circumstances however, abortion is detestible because
the biological life of the child begins in day 1 of the conception. Muslims
reject the feeble arguments put forward by those who want abortion on demand-
it is an unwarranted taking of human life.
Al Ghazali has said,(to paraphrase), that all abortion is wrong. To abort a
foetus, when it is already a lump of flesh is however, even more wrong and if
the foetus is 120 days old, the sin is even greater. To kill the child on its
birth is the greatest sin.
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