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We begin by looking at an extract from Jan Goodwin's book 'Price of Honour' first published in 1994 by Little, Brown and then published by Warner Books in 1995. The respected Islamic scholar Dr. Zaki Badawi based in London gives his opinion regarding the issue of the veil in Islam.

and later on page 293:

Muslim women advised to abandon hijab to avoid attack
The Guardian, August 4th 2005

Timesonline letters - Will dropping the hijab make women safer?

The pick of the bunch
Three must read articles by Amir Taheri

Timesonline letters - Should Muslims cast aside hijabs and beards?

In the late 1990's the Muslim Magazine Q News tried to persuade us that the headscarf was obligatory or at least that the wearing of the headscarf was a part of the original ideal prescribed for Muslim women.

What follows is the itemisation of the detailed debate that took place from 1997 to 1998 in the letters section of Q News, interspersed with articles on the headscarf.

The particular hadith (i.e reported saying of the Prophet Mohammad), Al - Bayhaqi, quoted by Ayesha bint Mahmood is definitely not of proven authenticity (as confirmed by Dr. Zaki Badawi and the late Dr. S. M. Darsh and Islamic scholars in general) and should not therefore be relied upon.

Mr Bleher is a German convert to Islam and founded the Islamic Party of Britain. The Prophet Mohammad was reputed to have worn a beard. So in order to be 'closer' to the Prophet Mohammad Mr Bleher sports a beard: a kind of badge of honour as Muslims are told to follow the example of the Prophet.

We consulted Dr. Zaki Badawi on the subject of the beard. He told us that there are many hadith on the topic but they have to be read in their totality and seen in context. That the Prophet's command was for Muslim men to make themselves look different from the Jews and the Christians. And that this instruction from the Prophet came at a time when society was illiterate and was meant for a specific purpose: to make Muslim men distinctive so they would be identified in their new religion. And recognised by their fellow Muslims to enable a community of the faithful to establish themselves and spread the faith. So the Muslim men grew beards. But the purpose behind the instruction - to be distinctive so as to foster the establishment of Islam - no longer applies as Islam is now well established and has millions of adherents world wide.

But many Muslim men still believe that this now ostentatious identification with Islam - the beard in its various forms - has to be practised as an obligatory element of their faith. They get lost in arguments over how long the beard should be: whether it should ever be trimmed; whether a moustache should be grown; whether it is effeminate not to have a beard etc. etc.

The wearing of a beard by so many Muslim men has additionally almost become a form of idolatory of the Prophet. Some Muslim men would not be seen without it. The Prophet Mohammad was also reputed to have had long hair but today those Muslims who insist it is their religious duty to wear a beard do not grow long hair. They have short haircuts, because long hair is associated with Western decadance. Logically however, if the Prophet Mohammad wore long hair then his bearded followers of today should also grow long hair.
Branson firm 'sacked Muslim in row over beard'
The Independent, Wednesday 11th August 2004

Sacked bearded Muslim loses case
Industrial Tribunal 7th January, 2005

Mr Bleher you can see is very keen to condemn Mr El Diwany but if Mr Bleher had bothered to read previous issues of Q News he would have seen that Mr El Diwany did make reference to Aya 31 of Surah An - Nur (Issue no. 274). Q News themselves should have pointed this out but their objective was to humiliate Mr El Diwany. But more of this later.

Below are the relevant pages of the Quran obtained from Muhammad Asad's 'The Message of the Quran' detailing verse 31 of the 24th Surah (the Light) in English and Arabic:

The hypocrites in our midst ; this first class article by Mr Anwari makes compulsive reading:

Mr El Diwany is reprimanded by Ms Yaqub for equating the hijab with sexual repression. However all of the weddings where the hijabi women get married are marked by the strict separation of the men and women guests at the celebrations. The men are in one room and the women in another. They can't even say hello to each other, thus preventing say prospective partners from meeting one another with a view to eventual marriage. How cruel and repressive a practice, so in keeping with the fanatical Asian element imported in to this country. Many of the hijabi women adamantly refuse even to shake the hand of a man that is not within their immediate family on the grounds that it is immoral.

The letter written by Hull schoolteacher Ruqaiyyah Waris Maqsood is more in touch with reality. See however the vitriol that is poured upon her in the next issue of Q News.

Shagufta Yaqub went on to become the editor of Q News.

Issue no. 279-280 of November 1997 sees Q News go out of their way to further humiliate Mr El Diwany by printing a letter from a 14 year old, Sonia Malik from Manchester. Perhaps Dr. Zaki Badawi should also be told by the 14 year old to read the Quran and Sunnah again 'with his glasses on'.

Pity the fanatic:

Muslim girls face scarf ban at French schools
The Times Friday December 12th 2003

Belgium next in line as Europe's veil ban spreads
The Times, Monday January 19th 2004.

France votes for hijab ban
The Times, Wednesday February 11th 2004.

Daud Johnson, a convert to Islam, mentions the Prophet's wives who it is true were asked by the Prophet himself to be accorded special reverence, due to their elevated status. Below are the Quranic extracts from Surah 33 - The Confederates (Al - Ahzab) - from Muhammad Asad's 'The Message of The Quran', dealing with the veil.

Verse 53 of the Confederates has been used to support the belief that the Prophet's wives covered their hair and even their faces. Verse 59 of the Confederates has been used to support the belief that all Muslim women should cover their hair and faces in public. Verse 53 is specific to the Prophet's wives. But just as the Prophet wore a beard which many Muslim men copy, then many Muslim women think that by wearing the "seperating curtain" of the face veil/hijab/jalbab in public they will emulate the Prophet's wives and thus be 'better' Muslims. Given that Muslims accept that the Prophet's wives were addressed from behind a screen in the home by the Prophet's companions, there is no evidence however to suggest that any of the Prophet's wives when outside the home wore the "seperating curtain" of a veil covering their faces. Karen Armstrong in her acclaimed biography of the Prophet,
- 'Muhammad' - published by Phoenix Press details the fact that it was only Muhammad's wives that were to be secluded. We reproduce Karen Armstrong's text from pages 197 to 199:

Shortly after Zaynab's wedding celebrations and possibly connected with it, came the revelation known as the Verses of the Curtain, which decreed that Muhammad's wives must be secluded from the rest of the umma. Muslim traditions explain the introduction of the hijab, which is usually translated as 'the Veil', in various ways. Some say that it was Umar, who had aggressively chauvinist views, who urged Muhammad to seclude his wives from view by means of a curtain. There had recently been unpleasant incidents when the Hypocrites had insulted Muhammad's wives as they went out at night to relieve themselves. Others say that as Muhammad became more important and more aware of life in the civilised countries, he wanted to adopt the Persian and Byzantine custom of secluding women of the upper classes as a mark of his wives' new dignity. All, however, point out that sexual morality was lax in Arabia during the pre-Islamic period. There tended to be a great deal of indecent talk and innuendo and a great deal of flirting and propositioning. In traditional society, a sexual scandal can be extremely serious and arouse strong emotions in a community. Muhammad was probably well aware that Ibn Ubbay and his supporters would be delighted to damage the Muslim cause by pointing to a disgrace in his own family.
It is said that at Zaynab's wedding feast, some of the guests stayed too long and made a nuisance of themselves. This prompted a revelation which put some distance between Muhammad's family and the rest of the umma:

Believers, do not enter the houses of the Prophet for a meal without waiting for the proper time, unless you are given leave. But if you are invited, enter; and when you have eaten, disperse. Do not engage in familiar talk, for this would annoy the Prophet and he would be ashamed to bid you go; but of the truth, al-Llah is not ashamed. If you ask his wives for anything, Speak to them from behind a curtain. This is more chaste for your hearts and their hearts.

Muhammad, it will be remembered, had no room of his own at the mosque; he simply slept in the apartments of his wives. But as he became more important in Medina his home inevitably became a public place, as more and more people came to consult him about their personal or religious problems or asked him to arbitrate in a dispute. Some Muslims liked to approach him through his wives, in the hope of getting his ear. Aisha, for example, was known to have had several friendly chats with a particular young man, which people remembered later when a scandal broke out that threatened to split the umma down the middle. The hijab or curtain was not intended to be an oppressive measure. It was designed to prevent a scandalous situation developing which Muhammad's enemies could use to discredit him.
We should pause to consider the question of the hijab, and the Muslim institution of the veil. It is often seen in the West as a symbol of male oppression, but in the Quran it was simply a piece of protocol that applied only to the Prophet's wives. Muslim women are required, like men, to dress modestly, but women are not told to veil themselves from view, nor to seclude themselves from men in a separate part of the house. These were later developments and did not become widespread in the Islamic empire until three or four generations after the death of Muhammad. It appears that the custom of veiling and secluding women came into the Muslim world from Persia and Byzantium, where women had long been treated in this way.
In fact the veil or curtain was not designed to degrade Muhammad's wives but was a symbol of their superior status. After Muhammad's death, his wives became very powerful people: they were respected authorities on religious matters and were frequently consulted about Muhammad's practice (sunnah) or opinions. Aisha became extremely important politically and in 656 led a revolution against Ali, the Fourth Caliph. It seems that later other women became jealous of the status of Muhammad's wives and demanded that they should be allowed to wear the veil too. Islamic culture was strongly egalitarian and it seemed incongruous that the Prophet's wives should be distinguished and honoured in this way. Thus many of the Muslim women who first took the veil saw it as a symbol of power and influence, not as a badge of male oppression. Certainly when the wives of the Crusaders saw the respect in which Muslim women were held, they took to wearing the veil in the hope of teaching their own menfolk to treat them better. It is always difficult to understand the symbols and practices of another culture. In Europe we are beginning to realise that we have often misinterpreted and undermined other traditional cultures in our former colonies and protectorates, and many Muslim women today, even those who have been brought up in the West, find it extremely offensive when Western feminists condemn their culture as misogynist. Most religions have been male affairs and have a patriarchal bias, but it is a mistake to see Islam as more at fault in this respect than any other tradition. In the Middle Ages the position was reversed: then the Muslims were horrified to see the way Western Christians treated their women in the Crusader states, and Christian scholars denounced Islam for giving too much power to menials like slaves and women. Today when some Muslim women resume traditional dress, it is not always because they have been brainwashed by a chauvinist religion, but because they find that a return to their own cultural roots is profoundly satisfing. It is often a rejection of the Western imperialist attitude which claims to understand their traditions better than they do themselves.

Regarding Karen Armstrong's work - 'Muhammad' - the magazine Muslim News gives the following accolade: 'Not just a sympathetic book that would dispell the misconceptions and misgivings of its western readers, but also a book that is of considerable importance to Muslims.'

Just what constitutes a woman's 'charms' that may be legitimately displayed in public, from an Islamic perspective? Whilst well conditioned hair or indeed hair that is in any way presentable may be attractive is it not also the case that the face of (many) a woman is also attractive and very much part of her beauty? This is the reason that in some quarters Muslim women cover their faces altogether or at least the whole of the face save for the eyes. After all, men are attracted by a pretty face. And those sleek, elegant hands are also very attractive. That is why similarly some Muslim women put on gloves when they go out. The Hanafi and Maliki schools of thought believe that the face and hands are not to be covered, while Shafii and Hanbali schools of thought believe that a women has to be completely covered (as ordered by the Taliban). Nothing but nothing must be shown in public to induce the slightest temptation in a man.

As Muhammad Asad has stressed in his above commentary on verse 31 of Surah 24 and verses 53 and 59 of Surah 33 the Prophet Mohammad's words were left deliberately vague, the result of which excluded any injunction that a Muslim woman must cover her hair. The Quran, in verse 31 of Surah The Light does however specifically command women to cover their bosoms.

CYRIL GLASSÉ, a Muslim, in his Concise Encyclopaedia of Islam comments on the Veil as follows -

Christianity (as defined in The Concise Encyclopaedia of Islam, Revised Edition, 2001 by Cyril Glassé)

Jesus (as defined in The Concise Encyclopaedia of Islam, Revised Edition, 2001 by Cyril Glassé)

Issue no. 348 of Q News for October 2002 to Febuary 2003, with Shagufta Yaqub as editor sees a three page tribute to Dr. Zaki Badawi who you will recall declared that the headscarf is not obligatory in Islam. A statement that in the mid 1990's caused fanatic Muslims to brand Dr. Badawi 'a criminal', and 'a forger' after he had gone on television in Holland to tell Muslim women that it is not necessary to wear the hijab as it is not required in Islam.

The Issue of the Veil in Islam has been subject to much interpretation by the classical scholars of long ago and also by modern day scholars. Some scholars in their enthusiasm to try and prove that the Veil is compulsory in Islam have used a weak hadith - one that is not of proven authenticity.

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The miracle that was Zaki Badawi: 1922 - 2006

Obituaries

The Times
The Daily Telegraph
The Guardian
The Independent

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Egypt's Nasser

Time Magazine
March 29th 1963

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Saϊd K. Aburish:
A Brutal Friendship - The West and the Arab Elite

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The Principles of State and Government in Islam
Muhammad Asad

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Fundamentalism(as defined in The Concise Encyclopaedia of Islam, Revised Edition, 2001 by Cyril Glassé)

Photo taken from book entitled "Holy Terror" by Amir Taheri,
published by Sphere Books Ltd 1987

The Freedom to Go Topless, by Amir Taheri
Wall Street Journal, December 6th 2002

THIS IS NOT ISLAM, by Amir Taheri
New York Post, August 15th 2003

Will Chirac Fight Fascism?
New York Post, December 14th 2003

Muslim women's struggle to wear what they like
The Independent, 23 June 2003

French school bars girls for wearing headscarves
The Guardian - Thursday September 25, 2003

Koranic Law Does not Impose the Headscarf
by Khaled Fouad Allam (appearing in 22nd January 2004 edition of 'La Repubblica' in Italy)

Why should we defend the veil?
Catherine Bennett, The Guardian 22nd January 2004.

Cleared in minutes
Daily Mail, Friday March 12th 2004.

Jurors clear teacher over Muslim girl's assault claim
The Daily Telegraph, Friday March 12th 2004.

Muslim dress ban thwarts extremistsrts.j pg
The Times, Wednesday June 16th 2004

Is it a human right to make girls wear Islamic dress?
Evening Standard, Wednesday June 16th 2004

Revealed: radicals who backed girl in dress fight
The Sunday Times, June 20th 2004

Schoolgirl banned from wearing Muslim dress wins appeal
The Independent Thursday 3rd March 2005

The Queen on the application of Shabina Begum v. Headteacher and Governors of Denbigh High School
Court of Appeal judgment 2nd March 2005

House of Lords
Regina (Shabina Begum) v Denbigh High School
Speeches March 22nd 2006
Times Law Report March 23rd 2006

Religion and school rules must both be respected
The Daily Telegraph Thursday March 3rd 2005

As a Muslim, I say no to the cover - up
The Sunday Times, June 20th 2004

Lifting the veil on women's suffering
The Mail on Sunday, June 20th 2004

School bans all skirts
The Sunday Times, June 20th 2004

Trousers only ...school bans skirts after girls refuse to cover up
The Mail on Sunday, 20th June 2004

Headmaster's ban on bellies and bottoms...
The Times, Wednesday October 13th 2004

Arab women
The Economist, June 19th 2004

Special report - Arab women
The Economist, June 19th 2004

European Court of Human Rights judgements regarding the headscarf
29th June 2004 and 10th November 2005

The Legacy of Mrs Ataturk
The Independent 1st July 2006

Why it's right to ban the hijab in schools
Evening Standard, Wednesday 1st September 2004

Muslim pupils bow to scarf ban
"I feel as if I am going naked" - Nisba Mohamad
The Times, Friday September 3rd 2004

First girls expelled over headscarf ban
The Times, Thursday October 21st 2004

The Burqa:

Revealed: the brutal truth that hides inside the burqa
Evening Standard, 30th November 2005

Decadence

Muslims are right about Britain
The Spectator 6th August 2005 and 13th August 2005

Yes we do need drastic measures .....
Daily Mail, Monday October 10th 2005

The Christian Veiling
By Leland M. Haines

The Biblical Practice of Headcovering
By Dr. Brian Allison

To illustrate just how disasterous the contributions of so called 'established' Islamic theologians can be due to their perverse interpretations, we now look at the issue of Abortion. But first let us show you some pictures of aborted foetuses.

Click on each image to obtain full picture

8 week aborted fetus	8 week aborted fetus	8 week aborted fetus
9 week aborted fetus	9 week aborted fetus	10 week aborted fetus
11 week aborted fetus	11 week aborted fetus	11 week aborted fetus
11 week aborted fetus	22 week aborted fetus *MORE PICTURES BELOW*	24 week aborted fetus

The subject of Abortion is discussed by CYRIL GLASSÉ, a practising Muslim, in his Concise Encyclopaedia of Islam (2001) published by Stacey International of London.

Stacey International, the publishers of the Concise Encyclopaedia of Islam have been advised that CYRIL GLASSÉ'S declaration on Abortion is completely wrong and they have notified Mr GLASSÉ, about this communication. Dr. Zaki Badawi has stated that the above hadith must not be used as an argument to justify Abortion; indeed some time ago Dr. Badawi wrote to the Pro-Life Alliance Party of Great Britain to state the correct Islamic position on Abortion. Abortion is not permitted from the moment sperm unites with egg. Only if the mother's life is in danger can abortion be considered. Dr. Badawi has also stated that the above hadith of Nawawi is not meant to literally mean that the soul goes into the foetus only after 120 days and that in any case no justification should be inferred from, nor should any connection be made with, this hadith and the right to have an abortion. We enclose an extract from the newsletter of the Association of Lawyers for the Defence of the Unborn which deals precisely with the true Islamic position:

The above commentary is also shown on the Pro - Life website www.spuc.org.uk (Society for the Protection of the Unborn Child).

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We continue the discourse on the evil of abortion, with additional comment on the mischief caused by 'apparent' hadith, by showing the following edited extracts from the American Pro - Life website www.abortionismurder.org :

The Quran

The abortion issue has always been a hot topic. For the last 1400 years, the majority of the Muslims were misled by their scholars into believing that abortion in the first three months of pregnancy is permissible. While disregarding the clear orders in the Quran, these Muslims built their conclusion on fabricated hadiths. Some of these hadiths claimed that the soul of the fetus does not enter the body until the fourth month of gestation and therefore killing the fetus is permissible.

It was God’s blessing that we were guided back to the Quran by the messenger of the covenant who strongly refused the fabricated hadiths and clearly indicated that the Quran certainly condemns the killing of both the born and the unborn children.

As we learned from history, after the departure of every messenger, some people will distort the message and confuse the others. Now we hear the call to go back to the laws of ignorance and allow the killing of the unborn children during the first three months of pregnancy. This call comes from those who are confused, misled, misinformed and misguided.

"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)

Abortion, what is it ?

Webster’s dictionary defines abortion as the expulsion of a non-viable fetus during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. Remember that, in the abortion performed today, the abortionists induce the expulsion of a viable fetus, or in other terms kill the living fetus to bring him/her down. What is the stand of the Quran on the abortion issue ? Let us find out.

Quran, the first revelation:

The believers know that every word, letter, name, number and gesture in the Quran is chosen deliberately. It should not surprise us to find out that the name God chose for the first revelation of the Quran, was not Muhammed, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, The Sun, the Moon, the Iron, the winds, the stars, the night, the people, or the Jinn..etc. The name God chose for His first revelation was "The hanging embryo", Sura 96. This hanging embryo stage starts about 6 days after the fertilization of the ovum, not after three months of pregnancy. How significant or insignificant is this choice, it is up to you to ponder. Let us keep this in mind while studying the rest of the Quran that deals with this issue.

Killing the soul or the body !!

Some argued, on no basis but fabricated hadiths, that the fetus in the first four months do not have a soul yet 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 and its life, you are destroying the physical body of the fetus not the soul. We cannot kill the soul even if we try. Whether the soul entered the fetus body in the first minute of life or after four months of pregnancy is irrelevant to the abortion issue.

Killing, condemned:

Killing any person is strongly condemned in the Quran. God has made life sacred. Killing the children is specifically condemned as they are the helpless victims in every society.

"You shall not kill any (Nafs) person - for GOD has made life
sacred - except in the course of justice……."(17:33)

"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)

"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 from fear of poverty - we provide for you
and for them. You shall not commit gross sins, obvious or
hidden. You shall not kill any (Nafs) person - GOD has made
life sacred - except in the course of justice. These are His
commandments to you, that you may understand."
[6:151]

What does the word "Children" in this verse include ?. This word "Children" is the translation of the Arabic word "Awlad". "Do not kill your (Awlad) children..".

One author of an abortion article claims that, the Webster’s dictionary defines a child as "Young human being" which is true but is also half the truth. The dictionary also defines a child as " the unborn or recently born person". That author used this half truth to support his opinion that killing the unborn children is not covered by these verses, 17:33 and 6:151

Again the same author has been misinforming the reader by claiming that the word "Awlad (Children)" and "Walad (Child)" in Arabic are used ONLY for the born children. He concludes that the order in 71:31 and 6:151 applies only to the killing of born children.

The truth of the matter is that both the words, Children in English and Awlad in Arabic are used for both the born and unborn children in their prospective languages. The order in 17:33 and 6:151 applies to both born and unborn children.

A simple and extra effort by that author would have saved him and those who believed him the big confusion. The Arabic dictionaries describe the unborn child as "Walad in the mother’s womb". The born child in Arabic is called "Maolood". "Walad" in Arabic like the word child in English can be used for both the born and the unborn. Although the word "Walad" is derived from the root "Walada" (to give birth), it does not mean that "Walad" has to be born but rather related to the process of birth. The word "Walid" in Arabic is used for father, only because he was a partner in causing this birth to happen and not because he was born or gives birth. God used the word Maolood in the Quran, (31:33). Had God willed, he could have said, "Do not kill your Maoloods" (born children) to specify this category of children.

In 17:31 and 6:151, God is ordering us, not to kill the born or the unborn children.

God cares about the first three months of pregnancy:

The sincere student of the Quran will find out that God is telling us in 2:226 and 65:4 that the first three months of pregnancy are so important that a divorced woman will have to change her life plan if she found herself pregnant. The matter is no more of her own concern, but it is God’s concern. God’s concern is for the pregnancy and specifically for these first few months of pregnancy. Women who get divorced have an interim of three months before getting married again. This is done MAINLY to see if they are pregnant or not. God then orders them to forget their own wishes and plans and respect the new life created in their wombs. If the first three months of pregnancy were not important God would have told these women not to wait and to have abortion and keep their life plans as they wish. If a married woman gets divorced before having a full marital relationship with her husband, she does not have to wait for three months, 33:49. She would have no interim. Since there is no chance of her being pregnant , the matter is only of her concern.

God cares about the whole three months of early pregnancy as much as we can see from the Quran’s treatment of the divorce cases. God named his first revelation after the hanging embryo, not by accident. This hanging embryo, is a stage that starts in 6 days after the fertilization of the ovum.

The New Creature:

"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 produce (Anshaa) a new
creature. Most blessed is GOD, the best Creator." [23:14]

In verse 23:14, God described the creation of the human being from a tiny drop until he produced a new creature. The advocates of abortion in the first three months of pregnancy, consider the way God described the production of a new creature in this verse (by using the Arabic word Anshaa`) as their proof of the time when the soul joins the body of the fetus. On this basis, they claim that it is OK to kill the fetus before that, since he/she does not have a soul. They are missing many points here. First, abortion has nothing to do with the soul as we explained before. In abortion you kill the physical body of the fetus. You do not and cannot kill the soul. Therefore the time the soul joins the physical body is not important and irrelevant, and God never elaborated on it in the Quran. Second, the word (Anshaa`), in 23:14, is used exclusively in the Quran for the production or construction of a physical being, human or non-human, e.g. the humans, the trees, the clouds, communities..etc. Please see 23:14,19,31,42; 6:141; 11:61 and 53:32. This word (Anshaa`) or its derivatives have never been used by God in the Quran to describe anything that has to do with the soul. To assure the believers, God used another word (Nafakha) repeatedly to describe the joining of the soul and the physical body. See 3:49, 5:110. 15:29, 21:91, 32:9, 39:72 and 66:12.

The use of the word (Anshaa`) to describe the new creature is referring to the physical body of the developing fetus and not to the soul. The fetus will look completely different then, compared with the way it started as a tiny drop. Check any embryology book to appreciate this vast difference.

Note also that God used the word (Anshaa`) four times in sura 23, to give the sincere believer the clue he/she needs.

Abusing the Quran and the Mathematics:

Abusing verses 31:14, 46:15 and 2:233, the author of an article about abortion claims that the last six months of pregnancy are the only important months in the life of the unborn child and therefore it should be permissible to kill the child in the first three months of pregnancy.

Let us study these two verses. Verse 46:15 tells us that the total period for both pregnancy and nursing is 30 months. We know that this is an average estimate and the verse does not define which part of these 30 month is the pregnancy and which is the nursing time. Verse 2:233 tells us that nursing the newborn can be extended as long as two years for those who want to continue nursing. It does not define nursing as obligatory 24 months. It does not say nursing for two months, three months or 20 months is not permitted. In other words the period of nursing is maximum of 24 months but can be as short as one day.

Making an equation from these numbers, the author of the abortion article claimed :

30 months ( average of pregnancy and nursing) - 24 months ( maximum of nursing) = 6 months

He concluded that only 6 months of the pregnancy period are important and they have to be the last 6 months.

Any one who does not realize that the two numbers in the above equation are variables will be easily deceived. You cannot deduct one variable from another and come up with a fixed number. To make such a serious conclusion from this false equation is a sign of misguidance.

More to our surprise, was that the author concluded that it is the last 6 months (not the first 6 months) of pregnancy that are the important ones. Without any equations or calculations, any intelligent human being can realize that children born after only 6 months of pregnancy can survive and live to be mature adults. Children born after 6 months only of pregnancy can be nursed up to 24 months to complete the 30 months if they need to. Children born after 7, 8 or 9 months may need less nursing time as we all know. If we are to make any conclusion from the above numbers we should know that, God is showing us that the first and not the last six months of the pregnancy are the important months for the life of a healthy child. To have it backward is a clear sign of confusion. The above equation is wrong, misleading and inappropriate.

31:14 states, "We enjoined the human being to honor his parents. His mother bore him and the load got heavier and heavier, It takes up to two years of intensive care until weaning...".

This expression "up to" (fee)(in Arabic) or "within" has been missed by those who do not understand Arabic. The word (fee) in Arabic can be used for place or time, if used for a place it will mean "in" and if used for time it will mean "within".

The confirmation of this period comes from God In 2:233 when God teaches us that mothers shall nurse their Infants two full years if the father so wishes. Which also means if the father has no objection, the mother can nurse them any period of time shorter than or longer than two years.

Which, What, Who, or Whom:

A question was raised about the use of the Arabic pronoun "Ma" in the Quran to describe the unborn child. The writer tried to imply that "Ma" which is translated as "What" or "which" as used in (2:228) and (3:35) signify that an unborn child is a non-person. While this typically demonstrates to us what God means in verse 3:7, it clearly reflects how God can control the teaching of the Quran as stated in 55:1-2. The use of the pronoun "Ma" has no significance regarding whether the unborn child is a real person or a nonperson. First in (2:228), God states that He knows what He created in the womb, and this covers the whole period of pregnancy, whether the unborn child is one month or nine months old. It does not make a difference, age wise. Second in (3:35) the use of the word "Ma" again carries the same meaning as in (2:228). God clarifies this more in the next verse (3:36) when God uses the same pronoun "Ma" for the born child "God was fully aware of what she bore". It is more interesting to see that verse (22:2) was used twice in arguing the abortion issue but the author failed twice to recognize the simple "Ma" that God used in that verse for the nursing infant. So, "Ma" has been used in the Quran for born and unborn child without discrimination. To imply that God used the word (MA) for the unborn child because of the insignificance of the fetus is naive and dangerous especially when added to the ignorance of the author with the proper Arabic language.

A question to produce confusion among the people is as innocent as the wolf denying his preying on the little lamb while his teeth are still stained with his blood.

[and later]

The Exception:

As we all know, every rule has an exception including the religious laws. After all attempts are made to save both the mother and the unborn child, and under unusual situations, abortion may be allowed to save the mother’s life. This is permitted, not only during the first three months of pregnancy, but during any time during the pregnancy. Cases of rape have no place in this discussion. Women who are victims of rape have enough time (as much as 6 days) to use available medical treatments to avoid any possible pregnancy. If the rape victim waited until she finds out that she is pregnant, it is too late and she has no excuse to kill the child created in her womb.

In Conclusion :

(1) Quran condemns the killing of born and unborn children (6:151, 17:31,6:140,60:12), i.e. abortion is murder.

(2) The messengers of God deliver the message, they do not distort it.(3:20, 5:92, 5:99….)

(3) History repeats itself. The followers of the messenger are the ones who usually distort the message. Their excuse has been, "our intentions were honorable and righteous". (61:4)

(4) All claims of religious knowledge should be subjected to the utmost scrutiny to avoid falling in the same trap of previous generations, (17:36).

(5) Knowledgeable people recognize their mistakes (7:23). ignorant people by mistake, recognize their knowledge (7:30.19:104, 59:18).

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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