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One of the burning issues these days in
Canada and in all Western countries is that of Abortion. In the absence of
a specific law on abortion, the provincial governments are, in fact,
groping in the dark. One court in Ontario allowed a woman to have
abortion. The interesting thing, however, is that on her way out of the
court, she announced that she already had abortion but she repented for
doing so simply because she returned back to her boy-friend. So she no
more supports the pro-abortion campaign in Canada. This statement was
hailed by what is called pro-lifers in North America. Another woman from Quebec, called Chantal
D, asked the court there to allow her have abortion of her 21-week
pregnancy. The court prevented her from doing so. The woman, however,
insisted and defied the court's judgment. She did have an abortion. Not
only this but she resorted to the Supreme Court to change that decision.
The Supreme Court gave its approval and repealed the prevention decision. In the light of the above, it may be asked
here: What is the attitude of Islam towards the issue of abortion? Is it
true that women have full control over their bodies and they can have
abortion anytime they wish? Or does Islam agree with those who say:
"No, the fetus is a human being and has full human rights"? It
has the right to live and to be protected. So it is a crime to have
abortion? How does Islam look at this issue? Basically, Islam considers life as a sacred
gift from God Almighty. No one is allowed to take or stop the life of
anyone else except by way of justice or according to the Islamic law.
Thus, the Holy Quran says: "Say: Come, I will rehearse what God has
really prohibited you from: Join nothing as equal with Him; be good to
your parents, kill not your children on a plea of poverty; We provide
sustenance for you and for them; approach not shameful deeds, whether open
or secret; take not life, which God has made sacred, except by a way of
justice and law (Chapter 6, Verse 151). In another verse, the Holy Quran says:
"Kill not your children for fear of want; it is We who provide
sustenance for them as well as for you; for verily killing them is a great
sin. What should we understand from these two
verses? First of all, it is a grave sin to take the life of children for
fear of want as was the habit during that period. Neither is it allowed to
do so for any other reason unless a great evil is caused by the presence
of the fetus that may cause the death of the mother. But is the fetus a human being? Is it part
of the woman's body and she is free to do what she likes with it. This is
the logic of modern materialistic way of life. Islam has something else to
offer. It is completely different from all other concepts or religions.
Here are a few details. As a comprehensive and unique way of life, Islam
does not at all agree with those who say that a woman has full control
over her body. This does not mean that Islam subjugates woman and puts
them under men's control. Islam considers our bodies as a trust, which we
have to preserve and maintain. It also confirms that the fetus is the
creation of Almighty God. No one, not even the mother, has the right to
get rid of it unless its presence threatens the life of the mother. For in
that case, Islam allows abortion within those limits only. As a matter of fact, Islam encourages
procreation when necessary. But it leaves the door open for birth control.
Thus we are told by some companions of the Prophet, peace be upon him,
that they used a method of birth control during the time of revelation.
The Prophet knew about it and yet he never asked them to stop using it. We
have to confirm here that it is basic in Islam to believe that having
children is not decided by parents but is part and parcel of God's will
and sole action. All that people can do is to try their human means
leaving the decision to God. The attitude of Islam can be better
understood if we elaborate a little bit on the issue of sex. How does
Islam look at sex between men and women? Does it allow free sex as long as
it is agreed upon by the two adult partners as is the case nowadays with
most of the non-Muslims nations so much so that the word
"adultery" has been dropped from their dictionary? Or does Islam
consider sex as a filthy sin that does not suit men of God? Neither of these extremes is accepted in
Islam. This last religion of God allows no sex whatsoever before or
outside marriage. It, however, honours sex in marriage and raises it to a
lofty standard. When a Muslim gets married he secures one half of his
faith thanks to this contract. So sex in Islam is not at all a filthy sin
as long as it is inside marriage. Not only this but a Muslim is rewarded
even when he gratifies this desire. In one tradition the Prophet Muhammad
(PBUH) said: "To cohabit with your wife is charity." Hearing
this the Companion asked: "O Messenger of Allah. Is it possible that
each one of us will be rewarded when he satisfies his sexual desire?"
He said: "Yes indeed." Therefore, the Messenger of Allah
concluded: "When he satisfies it lawfully he will be rewarded for
it." (Narrated by Muslim). Thus Islam does not look at sex as an end
in itself, but as a means to an end. The end of sex according to Islam is
to have children. So, it is not allowed in Islam that a woman can have
abortion simply because it is her wish to do so, under the pretext of
keeping her beauty and to avoid responsibility. This is considered as
selfishness. Should a pregnant woman make abortion without any justified
reason such as the expectation of risk on the mother's life, then this act
amounts to murder according so Islam. Islam is the religion of strong family
relationships. Once marriage is achieved, the two partners should have no
sex with anybody else. Not only this but Islam has imposed a severe
penalty on those who commit adultery even before marriage. Thus the
society Islam tries to establish is a pure and chaste society where women
and men are modest. It is a society that does not raise the madness of sex
nor does it exploit women's bodies under the false claim of freedom. It is
a pure society that is immune from all evils resulting from sex. It is
thus free from AIDS, Herpes, and other evils and epidemics that became
rampant in modern free-sex communities. For humanity to be saved of all the
ailments of modern civilization, it has to follow the laws of Islam in sex
relationships. We can safely say that Islam's attitude towards sex is the
middle and the best attitude. Will people understand this and follow the
path of happiness, Islam? Abortion. In the absence of a specific law
on abortion, the provincial governments are, in fact, groping in the dark.
One court in Ontario allowed a woman to have abortion. The interesting
thing, however, is that on her way out of the court, she announced that
she already had abortion but she repented for doing so simply because she
returned back to her boy-friend. So she no more supports the pro-abortion
campaign in Canada. This statement was hailed by what is called pro-lifers
in North America. Another woman from Quebec, called Chantal Daigle, asked the court there to allow her have abortion of her 21 week pregnancy. The court prevented her from doing so. The woman, however, insisted and defied the court's judgment. She did have abortion. Not only this but she resorted to the Supreme Court to change that decision. The Supreme Court gave its approval and repealed the prevention decision. with permission from: For More Information Please Contact: |