Many of the pro-life movement view abortion as murder because they believe that "life" begins at conception; when sperm meets egg.
Of course, when life begins is a vital piece of information when it comes to rulings about abortion.
The Islamic perspective is that life begins 120 days after conception. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
"Verily the creation of each one of you is brought together in his mother's womb for forty days in the form of a nutfah (a drop), then he becomes an 'alaqah (clot of blood) for a like period [forty days], then a mudghah (morsel of flesh) for a like period [forty days], then there is sent to him the angel who blows his soul into him and who is commanded with four matters: to write down his rizq (sustenance), his life span, his actions, and whether he will be happy or unhappy (i.e. whether or not he will enter Paradise)." Sahih Bukhari and Muslim.
The scholars differ on their views on abortion (since abortion was not around at the time of the Prophet, peace be upon him, and so he did not address it).
Some scholars still view that abortion is wrong, regardless of when it is done.
The majority of scholars, however, view that abortion is acceptable, if it is done during the first 120 days. The majority of the scholars also agree that the woman should first try taking the morning after pill, or the Plan B contraceptive.
Of those scholars, some say it is okay if the woman is experiencing health issues with the pregnancy, or if she was raped; basically dire circumstances.
Others view that abortion is fine if the pregnancy and raising a child would cause mental anguish to the woman (and her husband) or if she just can't handle a pregnancy at the moment.
A general rule in Islam is to take the opinion of the majority of scholars more seriously, since there is less room for individual error.
In conclusion, the majority of Muslims view that abortion, if done during the first 120 days, is allowed, and for a variety of reasons.
Source: Islam Q&A
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This is factually incorrect. the majority of scholars do not allow abortion. A review of world fiqh councils will show this to be the case.
ReplyDeleteI would strongly suggest that Muslims in this situation should go to a reputable source to find out the majority rulings and then ask a scholar or mufti for advice.
This is one issue where clarity is needed as we are dealing with the killing of potential life.
And what is a reputable source?
ReplyDeleteI have researched this, I am not just spouting nonsense.
Check out these links:
http://islamqa.com/en/ref/42321
http://islamqa.com/en/ref/12475
http://islamqa.com/en/ref/82851
http://islamqa.com/en/ref/119858
http://islamqa.com/en/ref/13317
If you do not like Islam Q&A as a source, then just tell me, and I will provide you with another source. The above links cover a variety of situations, so as you can see, before the soul is breathed into the fetus, whether or not abortion is permissible is open to interpretation.
I agree with you that Muslims should not base their decisions, and whether or not something is halal on a blog, and should always ask for evidence to back up any claims made.
May Allah forgive me if I am wrong, but I have looked into this.
And Allah knows best.
Should Islam-QA be considered a reputable or an academically reference-able source such as authentic versions of Hadeeth?
ReplyDeleteThere is no ahadith that reference abortion, since this medical procedure was not around at the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him).
ReplyDeleteThere is a difference of opinion amongst scholars (not just those on Islam Q&A), however, the majority view is that it might be permissible (depending on your circumstances) if done before the 120 days.
However, I would advise everyone to discuss this issue with their religious cleric if they are considering an abortion. There is no hadith about abortion, so this is an issue of ijtihaad (expending efforts to arrive at Islamic jurisprudence) amongst the scholars.
Of course, no scholar's opinion overrides that of the Quran and Ahadith. In instances where there are no verses or ahadith on the subject, scholars try their best to arrive at a conclusion that they think would be most Islamically sound.
I hope that answers your question.
:o
ReplyDelete