Islamic Perspective on Pro Life Issues
by Atef A.Khalifa, MD and Charlene Strickland, RN
[Muslims, Christians and the need for interfaith sharing]
Christians in the western prolife community may have noted the many instances in which Muslim and Catholic countries are united on the abortion issue in international politics. To assume that the predominate religions of these countries are morally conservative as an explanation for this alliance is only a glimmer of the knowledge needed to understand this common value. Christians and Jews are familiar with the sacredness bestowed upon human life by God their Almighty Creator, the commandment against killing another person, and the gift we poses of an eternal soul hoping to go to heaven in a resurrected body on the day of judgment. Christians in the United States educated by the media may be unaware that they also share a religious foundation with Muslims. This article is an attempt to explore the different, yet confirming perspectives of Islam on abortion, as well as shed some light on its basic message.
I. What is Islam?
Islam is not just a name, it is a term that means "submission to the will of God," and a Muslim is a submitter or "one who submits his will to God". "Submission" is the religion whereby we recognize God's absolute authority, and reach an unshakable conviction that God alone possesses all power; no other entity possesses any power that is independent of Him. The natural result of such a realization is to devote our lives and our worship absolutely to God. This is the first commandment in all the scriptures, including the Old Testament, the New Testament, and the Final Testament (the Quran):
Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is One God!
Therefore you shall adore the Lord your God
with all your heart,
with all your soul,
with all your mind,
and with all your strength.
[Deuteronomy 6:4-5, Luke 12:29-30, Quran 3:18]
Muslims believe that God is one and the same for all human beings, irrespective of what each group calls Him, and accepts all messengers and all prophets sent by God (Quran 2:136). The following verse demonstrates an affirmation of messages prior to the Quran, as well as shows the call for unity amongst all believers in God: "Surely, those who believe, those who are Jewish, the Christians, and the converts; anyone who (1) believes in GOD, and (2) believes in the Last Day, and (3) leads a righteous life, will receive their recompense from their Lord. They have nothing to fear, nor will they grieve." (Quran 2:62).
While some Christians and Jews think of the God of the Muslims as "Allah", it is a wrong understanding as Allah is the Arabic name for "God". Christian and Jewish Arabs also call God Allah. Muslims do not consider God as an exclusive deity to any particular group or religion, but rather He is the only One and same God for everyone. Muslims consider Abraham the founder of Islam, as their holy book, the Quran teaches (Quran 22:78). Abraham received all the rituals of Islam: the contact prayers (prayers to make contact with God by reciting specific words of His five times a day), the obligatory charity (2.5% of income), the fasting (Ramadan), and the pilgrimage (Hajj). The prophet Muhammad was commanded to follow the steps of Abraham (Quran 16:123). The annual pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, is only mandatory for those Muslims who can afford it (physically and financially). The days of the pilgrimage are spent in commemorating God and performing certain rituals inherited from Abraham. The pilgrimage is also a reminder of the life, struggle, and sacrifice of Abraham when he lived in this area. Abraham built a house of worship in Mecca, which is the focal point of the annual gathering of the pilgrims. The site of that house of worship, called Kaaba, had been maintained by descendants of Abraham, although at the time of Muhammad it had become corrupt and paganized.
Catholics may have noted that a publicized goal of Pope John Paul II is to personally retrace some of the steps of Abraham. Abraham’s son Ishmael was a teenager when he and his mother were sent away by Sarah to live on their own (Genesis 16 &17). But Ishmael and Isaac together buried Abraham (Genesis 25:9) indicating a long term relationship between the two and opportunities for indoctrination in the religion founded by Abraham. Ishmael’s daughter Mahalath married Abraham’s grandson Esau (Gen. 28:9). Other children of Abraham by other wives and concubines are listed in Genesis 25. The message of Jesus and Muhammad was that this one true God was for everyone, not just those engulfed in sibling rivalry. The prophet Muhammad brought a religion of common foundation with the Judeo-Christian religions to parts of the world that might not have ever been touched by Christianity.
Muhammad is viewed as a prophet, just a man in service to God like other Biblical prophets. Some view him as the paraclete or helper prophesied by Jesus in John 14:16, 14:26, 15:26, 16:7 -15 . Muhammad delivered to his community the words given to him by the angel Gabriel. These words were recorded in Arabic in a book called the Quran and are considered the actual words, teachings and instructions of God. Arabic is still a current language, therefore, the Quran can be translated with integrity, although some variations in the English translations exist. The Quran reaffirms much of what is found in the Bible about the Oneness of God and the need to worship Him alone. Some historical details differ, such as the Virgin Mary giving birth to Jesus the Messiah under a date palm tree, rather than in a stable. Jesus’ triumph over the crucifixion and accession into heaven unfolds differently as well. The message in Quranic theological applications and interpretations differ from those of Paul and the later church. Muslims believe that the law of the Quran is the same law given to Abraham and all the prophets who came after Abraham.
Despite the call in the Quran to have one united group of Muslims, there are several different Islamic denominations. These denominations were the result of some Muslims following different theological writings and leaders instead of following only the Quran. There is also the influence of local culture and customs on religious practice, so it is hard to stereotype Muslims. Many Muslim women wear veils during worship because of cultural influence. Internationally group prayers are partially in Arabic, although only about 20% of Muslims are Arab. This is similar to the pre-Vatican II international use of Latin and women wearing veils during mass. What you hear on the news does not apply to all of them. For instance, one could get the impression that all prolifers support bombing abortion clinics, as could one get the impression that all Muslims support terrorism. In actual fact, any kind of aggression is condemned by the Quran (2:190). The Middle East conflict did not start until 1947 when Christian and Muslim Palestinians were expelled from their homes.
The religious practices of a conservative Shiite Muslim in Iran will differ somewhat from those of a Sunni Muslim in the United States, but they both accept the Quran as their holy book. The social problems surrounding abortion are timeless and cultureless; and so, they were addressed 1400 years ago in the Quran, the common scriptures of one the of the world’s largest religions.
II. Abortion
“God has made life sacred” (17:33) is declared in the Quran(The Muslim Holy Book ). It should not surprise us to find out that the title God chose for the first revelation of the Quran was “The Hanging Embryo” (Sura 96), not something else such as, Creation, The Sun, Jesus, Adam, or Abraham. This hanging embryo stage starts about 6 days after fertilization when the embryo attaches to the inner lining of the uterus. This chapter swears by the creation of the human being from this tiny hanging embryo and the omnipotence of God. The choice of words for the title emphasizes the significance that God puts on this stage of human development.
Killing any person is strongly condemned in the Quran, especially the killing of children which is specifically condemned in several chapters. The Arabic word “awlad” is used in these references which translates to “born and unborn children”. If God intended to only prohibit post-born children from being killed, then the word “mawlood” (born children) which is already in use in the Quran would have substituted the other. But it is clear that preborn children are also to be protected from murder.
“Say,`Come let me tell you what your Lord has really prohibited for you: You shall not set up idols besides Him. You shall honor your parents. You shall not kill your children (awlad) from fear of poverty. We [“We” is used in the Quran when other entities like the angels have a role in the process, also "We" in Arabic singular is used for someone of royal or glorified status] provide for you and for them. You shall not commit gross sins, obvious or hidden. You shall not kill any person - God has made life sacred - except in the course of justice. These are His commandments to you, that you may understand.’” from 6:151. This is emphasized again in Sura 17 “You shall not kill any person - for God has made life sacred- except in the course of justice...”(17:33) and “ You shall not kill your children due to fear of poverty. We provide for them, as well as for you. Killing them is a gross offense” (17:31).
Infanticide, especially of females occurred in Arabia during the sixth century just as it does in modern day China. In 81:7-10 it says in regards to end times “When...the souls are restored to their bodies. The infant girl who was buried alive is asked: `For what crime was she killed?’ The records are made known.”. God speaks of those who kill their born or unborn children as “Losers are those who killed their children foolishly, due to their lack of knowledge, and prohibited what God has provided for them, and followed innovations attributed to God. They have gone astray, they are not guided.” (6:140). Now we have the knowledge and no one has the excuse to kill these innocent human beings.
Knowledge about embryology is detailed in the Quran to a level that had not previously been documented. To start with, the very first revelation from God to Muhammad through the angel Gabriel was literally entitled “The Hanging Embryo” (96). Explaining in more detail “We create the human being from a certain kind of mud. Subsequently, We reproduced him from a tiny drop that is placed into a well protected repository. Then We developed the drop into a hanging (embryo), then developed the hanging (embryo) into a bite size (fetus), then created the bite-size (fetus) into bones, then covered the bones with flesh. We thus produced a new creature. Most blessed is God, the best Creator.” (23:12-14).
God’s reassurance is given to the people in “O people, if you have any doubt about resurrection, (remember that) we created you from dust, and subsequently from a tiny drop, which turns into a hanging (embryo), then it becomes a fetus that is given life or deemed lifeless. We thus clarify things for you. We settle in the wombs whatever We will for a predetermined period. We then bring you out as infants, then you reach maturity. While some of you die young, others live to the worst age, only to find out that no more knowledge can be attained beyond a certain limit. Also, you look at a land that is dead, then as soon as We shower it with water, it vibrates with life and grows all kinds of beautiful plants.” (22:5).
Some Jews, Christians, and Muslims argue that the fetus in the first four months does not have a soul and therefore it is permissible to kill him/her. They do not realize that the soul has nothing to do with abortion. In abortion you are dealing with the physical body of the fetus, not its soul. We can not kill the soul even if we try, but we can separate the soul from the body as is the case in a physical death. Whether the soul enters the body of the zygote in the first minute of its life (when it genetically becomes a unique being) or after months of pregnancy is irrelevant to the abortion issue. Ancient people thought that the fetus became alive when the mother first felt its move and deemed that to be the time of ensoulment (sometimes an earlier day for boys than for girls was given). Heart beats easily heard at 10 weeks using Doppler ultrasound and electron microscopic pictures at very early development, should rest any doubt as to the need to use a marker for ensoulment.
[and later]
God shows in the Quran that He cares so much about the first three months of pregnancy that the issue is addressed in 2:226, 65:4, and 33:49 for women contemplating divorce. Women who get divorced have an interim of three months before getting married again. This is done mainly to see if she is pregnant or not, since if the marriage had not been consummated or she is post-menopausal, then this rule does not apply. If the woman finds herself pregnant, God then orders her to forget her own wishes and plans of the divorce and to try her best to reconcile with her husband to keep the family and to respect the new life created in her womb. If the first three months of pregnancy were not important, God would have told these women not to wait, have an abortion, and keep their life plans as they wish. The matter is no more of just her concern, but it is God’s concern also. Abortifaciant remedies and techniques were available in those days as were some contraceptive practices, so we can assume that God’s word still applies today. God's words, laws and teachings do not change, people do.
III. Challenges
In the rare situation of when the life of the mother is threatened, today’s medically advanced community should try to save both the mother and the child with aggressive medical care. Sometimes it is possible to save only the baby and other times only the mother. These cases deserve our sympathy. A baby, no matter how young that dies under these circumstances should be treated with dignity and the family’s allowed to grieve. This approach is psychologically and spiritually healthier than making the pregnancy “disappear”. God is merciful.
Rape is often sited as a justifiable reason for abortion. Women who are victims of rape should seek medical treatment within the first few days. Sometimes it is not possible to obtain medical care or treatment is unsuccessful and a pregnancy results. Pregnancy is not the worse “disease” that can be contracted through rape, but deadly diseases such as AIDS and Hepatitis can also result. These woman deserve compassion and support, but killing the baby does not punish the rapist or unrape the woman. Because of the stigma attached to rape victims by most cultures, it takes extreme courage for a woman not to seek abortion. This is a shame on our societies and contributes to a perpetual ambivalence about abortion.
Out of wedlock or teenage pregnancies are another difficult issue and has become more problematic when Muslims integrate into western culture. In most Islamic cultures young people are raised with a strong sense of knowing that abstinence until marriage is the only acceptable behavior. Barrier methods of birth control have long been acceptable, but in no way give license to extra-marital sexual activity. God is omnipotent. In some parts of the world the sexes are segregated and there are safeguards to encourage abstinence. Children do not have to date/experiment as a way to desperately find a spouse, but have the security of waiting for a formal courtship that they may have had help from their parents in initiating.
“Those who cannot afford to get married shall maintain morality until God provides for them from His grace. Those among your servants who wish to be freed in order to marry, you shall grant them their wish, once you realize that they are honest. And give them from God's money that He has bestowed upon you. You shall not force your girls to commit prostitution, seeking the materials of this world, if they wish to be chaste. If anyone forces them, then God, seeing that they are forced, is Forgiver, Merciful.” (Quran 24:33). In Sura 23:1-7 and 70:29 it reminds us that chastity will be considered on the Day of Judgment “And they maintain their chastity. ”
Men are encouraged to be chaste. “Tell the believing men that they shall subdue their eyes (and not stare at the women), and to maintain their chastity. This is purer for them. God is fully cognizant of everything they do.” (24:30-31). The account of Pharaoh’s wife trying to seduce Joseph is inspirational “One of them said, ‘Do not kill Joseph; let us throw him into the abyss of the well. Perhaps some caravan can pick him up, if this is what you decide to do.’ ... A caravan passed by, and soon sent their waterer. He let down his bucket, then said, ‘How lucky! There is a boy here! They took him along as merchandise, and God was fully aware of what they did. ... The lady of the house where he lived tried to seduce him. She closed the doors and said, ‘I am all yours.’ He said, ‘May God protect me. He is my Lord, who gave me a good home. She almost succumbed to him, and he almost succumbed to her, if it were not that he saw a proof from his Lord. We thus diverted evil and sin away from him, for he was one of our devoted servants. ...The two of them raced towards the door, and, in the process, she tore his garment from the back. They found her husband at the door. She said, ‘What should be the punishment for one who wanted to molest your wife, except imprisonment or a painful punishment?’ .. When her husband saw that his garment was torn from the back, he said, ‘This is a woman's scheme. Indeed, your scheming is formidable.’ ... Some women in the city gossiped: ‘The governor's wife is trying to seduce her servant. She is deeply in love with him. We see that she has gone astray.’ When she heard of their gossip, she invited them, prepared for them a comfortable place... When they saw him, they so admired him...She said, ‘This is the one you blamed me for falling in love with. I did indeed try to seduce him, and he refused. Unless he does what I command him to do, he will surely go to prison, and will be debased.’. He said, "My Lord, the prison is better than giving in to them. Unless You divert their scheming from me, I may desire them and behave like the ignorant ones." His Lord answered his prayer and diverted their scheming from him. He is the Hearer, the Omniscient. “ (12:7-35).
Lot is another example of the consequences of immorality. “Lot said to his people, ‘How could you commit such an abomination, publicly, while you see? You practice sex with the men, lustfully, instead of the women. Indeed, you are ignorant people.’ The only response from his people was their saying, ‘Banish Lot's family from your town; they are people who wish to be pure.’ Consequently, we saved him and his family, except his wife; we counted her among the doomed. We showered them with a certain shower. It was a miserable shower upon people who had been warned. “ (27:54-58).
Adoption is permitted in Islam and even encouraged to take care of the orphans. God pays a lot of attributes to protect the orphans and watch over their money until they grow old enough to handle it. For adoption God insists that the adopted child keeps the name of his family and never change to the name of the adopting family. This is to keep the family genetically recognized and protected. Now we know why. If you work in the medical field or read the latest advances in medicine, you will realize the significance of your family medical history in predicting, preventing, diagnosing, managing, and treating many disease including cancer, neurological disorders, psychological problems, growth abnormalities, blood diseases, stomach, bowel, and colon problems...etc. The expressions of sorrow you hear from those adopted people who have no knowledge of their families echoes for months after you treat one case that could have benefited from knowing about their biological family of origin.
In 33:5 the Quran says “You shall give your adopted children names that preserve their relationship to their genetic parents. This is more equitable in the sight of God. If you do not know their parents, then, as your brethren in religion, you shall treat them as members of your family. You do not commit a sin if you make a mistake in this respect; you are responsible for your purposeful intentions. God is Forgiver, Most Merciful”. This is further explained in 33:4 “God did not give any man two hearts in his chest. Nor did He turn your wives whom you estrange (according to your custom) into your mothers. Nor did He turn your adopted children into genetic offspring. All these are mere utterances that you have invented. God speaks the truth, and He guides in the (right) path.”
Breast feeding is encouraged especially for adopted babies. When a mother breast feeds her adopted baby, the relationship of that child to her biological offspring is permanently bonded. They will not be allowed to marry (4:23) and the level of socially expected modesty is reduced.
[and later]
Numerous verses implore the responsibility to care for orphans (and how to preserve their money and their rights), widows, and the poor. In 107:1-3 it says “Do you know who really rejects the faith? That is the one who mistreats the orphans. And does not advocate the feeding of the poor.”
In conclusion, 5:69 & 2:62 of the Quran encourages us with “Surely, those who believe, those who are Jewish, the Christians, and the converts; anyone who (1) believes in God, and (2) believes in the Last Day, and (3) leads a righteous life, will receive their recompense from their Lord. They have nothing to fear, nor will they grieve.” God’s sovereignty over all of us and his faithfulness to those who work for righteousness is recorded in 21:91-94 “As for the one who maintained her virginity (Mary), we blew into her from our spirit, and thus, we made her and her son (Jesus) a portent for the whole world. Your congregation is but one congregation, and I alone am your Lord; you shall worship Me alone. However, they divided themselves into disputing religions. All of them will come back to us (for judgment). As for those who work righteousness, while believing, their work will not go to waste; we are recording it.”
Hopefully, you now have a better understanding of some issues of faith that you have in common with your Muslim (Submitter) neighbors and may venture into further dialogue. We all have our differences, but we worship and submit our lives to the same God.
Biblical translations from The New American Bible.
Quranic translations by Rashad Khalifa.
Our thanks once again to www.abortionismurder.org
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