4.1 Islamic Views on Abortion
Preservation of life is one of the primary objectives of the Islamic Divine Law (maqasid al-shari’ah). Besides preservation of life, Islamic shari’ah also aims to preserve religion, intellect, honour (family lineage) and property. Conducts and behaviours that are deemed to violate these aims are prohibited, while conducts that are set to achieve these aims are considered morally right. In this case, since abortion involves the termination of life, it is considered as immoral; thus the general perspective of Islam about abortion is as not permissible unless it is done to save the mother’s life, which should be carried out before the ensoulment takes place (Aramesh, 2007). The Muslim scholars had achieved a consensus in the prohibition of abortion after the ensoulment takes place (Ahmad Muhammad Husni, Abdul Basir Mohammad, Amir Husin Mohd Nor, Hayatullah Laluddin, & Mohd Al Adib Samuri, 2013). However, a dispute among scholars regarding at which stage the abortion should be …show more content…
Foremost, Islam places clear criteria to determine the beginning of life. The spirit is blown into the foetus at 120 days of gestation, and so a life begins. Based on this ruling, aborting the foetus after the given time is strictly prohibited in Islam.
Second, if keeping the pregnancy will be life-threatening and affect the health of the female parent, Islam allows to abort the foetus, within or after the 120 days of gestation. Provided, the situation needs to be confirmed by the trustworthy Muslim doctor.
Third, if the doctor confirms that the foetus is impaired and there is no hope to live, then aborting the foetus can only be carried out before the 120 days of pregnancy. After the 120 days, the permissibility of abortion is over, unless the existence of the foetus may threaten the mother’s
Preservation of life is one of the primary objectives of the Islamic Divine Law (maqasid al-shari’ah). Besides preservation of life, Islamic shari’ah also aims to preserve religion, intellect, honour (family lineage) and property. Conducts and behaviours that are deemed to violate these aims are prohibited, while conducts that are set to achieve these aims are considered morally right. In this case, since abortion involves the termination of life, it is considered as immoral; thus the general perspective of Islam about abortion is as not permissible unless it is done to save the mother’s life, which should be carried out before the ensoulment takes place (Aramesh, 2007). The Muslim scholars had achieved a consensus in the prohibition of abortion after the ensoulment takes place (Ahmad Muhammad Husni, Abdul Basir Mohammad, Amir Husin Mohd Nor, Hayatullah Laluddin, & Mohd Al Adib Samuri, 2013). However, a dispute among scholars regarding at which stage the abortion should be …show more content…
Foremost, Islam places clear criteria to determine the beginning of life. The spirit is blown into the foetus at 120 days of gestation, and so a life begins. Based on this ruling, aborting the foetus after the given time is strictly prohibited in Islam.
Second, if keeping the pregnancy will be life-threatening and affect the health of the female parent, Islam allows to abort the foetus, within or after the 120 days of gestation. Provided, the situation needs to be confirmed by the trustworthy Muslim doctor.
Third, if the doctor confirms that the foetus is impaired and there is no hope to live, then aborting the foetus can only be carried out before the 120 days of pregnancy. After the 120 days, the permissibility of abortion is over, unless the existence of the foetus may threaten the mother’s