views on islam

The Sanctity of Life

Teacher's Tips: The Sanctity, or 'holiness' of life is a broader question than more direct ones on simply abortion or euthanasia and Islam. The Qur'an and Hadith quotes here can be used in either a broad sense or for more specific questions. If asked about Islam and the sanctity of life, bear in mind that this embraces topics like the cloning of human beings and genetic engineering, human rights, capital punishment and others. The examiner might probably be a little tired of candidates approaching 'sanctity of life' by going straight for abortion & euthanasia without drawing breath. Try out a more original approach, (while making clear you are aware of that teaching as well) Put yourself in the shoes of a Muslim Doctor for a moment with all the moral questions they might have to face and you'll get the idea. Good luck!

GCSE Questions: These are the sort of Questions you will have to answer: 10 b) Explain religious attitudes to either abortion or war. (8 marks) c) There are three main attitudes to abortion, euthanasia and war: -they are wrong; -some of them can be justified; -they can all be justified. Why do you think religious people sometimes disagree on these issues? (5 marks) (SEG Short Course Specimen Paper) 4c) Explain Muslim attitudes to Abortion. (8 Marks) (Edexcel Matters of Life & Death Section of Unit D: Religion and Life based on a Study of Islam) 7a) Describe Muslim attitudes towards abortion. (8 marks) (OCR Religious Studies: Philosophy and Ethics, Unit 7: Religion & Medical Ethics) From the Qur'an: "On that account we decreed for the Children of Israel that whoever kills a human soul for other than manslaughter or corruption in the land, it shall be as if he killed all mankind, and who-so-ever saves the life of one, it shall be as if he saved the life of all mankind". 5-32. "Whoever saves a single life, it is as though he has saved the life of all mankind." (from the Qu'ran and the Jewish Talmud ) From a Hadith: "In old times there was a man with an ailment that taxed his endurance. He cut his wrist with a knife and bled to death. God was displeased and said "My subject hastened his end... I deny him paradise' " Advice to Doctors on Sanctity of Life: Islamset.com has some advice to Muslim Doctors: The sanctity of human Life covers all its stages including intrauterine life of the embryo and fetus. This shall not be compromised by the Doctor save for the absolute medical necessity recognised by Islamic Law. This is completely in harmony with modem medical science which lately has embraced a new speciality called Fetal Medicine. .. striving to diagnose and treat affliction of the fetus in utero, and devise an artificial placenta to sustain fetuses aborted before viability . Modern permissive abortion policies are not sanctioned by Islam, which accords several rights to the fetus. There is a money ransom on abortion in Islam. A fetus has rights of inheritance and if aborted alive and dies it is inherited by its legal heirs. From an excellent summary of advice to doctors at www.islamset.com/ethics/code/sancti.html Islam's emphasis on the sanctity of life extends. Thus, if a pregnant woman in the stage of viable pregnancy is injured, for example, by a thief to the extent that she aborts or delivers a dead fetus, the thief can be charged with murder of the fetus; and the law of qisas will apply unless the mother forgives him and accepts the blood money. From part of a site arguing the superiority of Islamic Law in giving out Capital Punishment (over the present American system) by Dr. Shahid Athar at http://www.islam-usa.com/e106.htm Islam and Human Cloning: There is also no official consensus on the issue of Human Cloning in the Islam Religion. Like that of the Jewish religion, there has been talk of supporting a cautious tolerance to allow for moral applications cloning. Those in the religion that choose to oppose cloning, suggest that cloning would result in a loss of kinship because it creates children who lack either a mother or father and kinship is very important to Islamic faith. In addition, cloning is not mentioned in the Koran. For this reason, some delegates who attended a conference on cloning would not even discuss the cloning issue. On the other hand, some Islamic thinkers believe that human cloning would not result in a loss of kinship and find support for human cloning. For example, some thinkers state that they are not opposed to cloning because it would not rob a child of his roots, an important concept under Islamic law. In fact, the discovery might even represent divine will, or a God-given opportunity for mankind's moral training. Muslims also believe that we have a responsibility to use the knowledge given to us by Allah. If we have the knowledge to potentially clone human beings, we therefore must fulfill our commitment to Allah. Finally Muslims are commanded to have a commitment to healing: According to the Koran, humans should research cloning techniques if they might potentially "improve human health" Islamic theologian Aziz Sachedina of the University of Virginia, says the usefulness of human cloning can be justified by the Koran. He says it asserts that human are participants in the act of creation with god, and can promote overall welfare by intervening in acts of nature. Human manipulation of genes made possible by technical intervention in the early stages of life in order to improve the health of the fetus, or cloning in the meaning of embryo splitting for the purpose of improving the chances of fertility for a married couple, is regarded as an act of faith in the ultimate will of God as the giver of all life. This is from a site on cloning in general by Anne Penarczyk Lynn Andreas Erik Segersten (Team Coordinator) Kimberly Morris. It has some very interesting general information on cloning: http://www.cs.virginia.edu/~jones/tmp352/projects98/group10/sanctity.htm Islam and Human Rights: Article 3 of the United Nations Charter of Human Rights lays emphasis on the right to life, liberty and security of persons. Right to life is the most fundamental right. All other rights have meaning only if this right is respected. First the Qur'an prohibits suicide: "And kill not yourselves" (4:29). Second it condemns infanticide in verses 17:31, "And kill not your children for fear of poverty" and 81-9-10 "And when the one buried alive is asked for what sin she was killed." Also the Qur'an describes killing of one person without any justification as killing all of humanity: "Wherefore we prescribed for the children of Israel that whosoever killed a person, unless it be for killing a person or for creating disorder in the land it shall be as if he had secured the life of all mankind" (5:32). This Qur'anic statement is of great significance from the human rights viewpoint. It is quite clear that if a person does not have respect for an individual's life he or she cannot have respect for human life per se and if one has respect for the sanctity of an individual's life one will have respect for sanctity of life in general. The Qur'an does not permit the talking of life without justification. Thus, the sanctity of life is of utmost importance to the Qur'an. Any one who does not vouch for the sanctity of life cannot be a true human being. Life cannot be taken except with the due process of justice. Even in his farewell address the Prophet emphasised the sanctity of life: " Your persons, properties and honour are declared sacred like the sanctity attaching to this day, this month and this spot. Let them not be violated." Be it remembered that this farewell address was delivered in the month of pilgrimage and in the plain of Arafat, all three being very sacred to Muslims. From an excellent attempt to show how Islam can be used to further human rights: http://www.muslimindia.com/hrights.htm "Do not kill or take human life which God has declared to be sacred", (Qur'an chapter 6: verse 151). There are two exceptions to this general rule. Firstly, a punishment in accordance with Islamic law or, secondly, in the case of a just war. The prohibition of killing of children is also specifically mentioned. "Do not kill your children out of fear or poverty: it is We who shall provide sustenance for them as well as you. Killing them is certainly a great sin", (Qur'an chapter 17: verse 31). Islam encourages us to marry and to procreate. No child is viewed as unwanted. All children are viewed as gifts from God. Ibn Tammiyyah, a renowned Muslim jurist said, "It is the consensus of the Muslim jurists that abortion is prohibited". Imam Al Ghazalli, another renowned Muslim jurist said that it is a crime to disturb the fertilised egg of a human being and the crime becomes worse the further into pregnancy the disturbance takes place. Dr. Yusuf Al Qaradawi, chairman of the European From>http://www.irlgov.ie/committees-00/c-constitution/000705/default.htm views on islam Some Useful Definitions: DEFINITIONS OF TERMS Euthanasia is the act of deliberately ending the life of a patient at the request of the patient or at the request of close relatives. “Euthanatos” is the art and discipline of dying in peace and dignity, practice of painless death. Euthanasia is commonly known as “mercy killing”, comes from the Greek root word that translates as “good death” but more strictly translated as “easy death”. It is the action of hastening death of a person who is seriously or terminally ill or injured to bring relief to the individual. Abortion - it means taking action to bring to a premature ending the process of fetal development, aborting or expelling the unborn from the womb and thus terminating the cycle of nature. To abort something means to stop something that has already begun. In military terms we say to abort a mission that has already begun or started. When we speak of abortion we mean to stop a life that has already begun to develop. Thus it is putting a stop to God’s plan for human life. OTHER TERMS Passive Euthanasia - is a refusal to use life sustaining medical equipment to prolong life where there is no (medically) prospect of recovery. Active Euthanasia - is to take purposeful action to end a person’s life, in a sense it is an aided suicide. Voluntary Euthanasia - Form of suicide where one may make a ‘living will’ which guarantees him a right to “die with dignity”. With thanks to a Chrisitian site for these terms at http://www.microtech.com.au/balfour/Lectures/Issues/Abortion.htm (Find out about the abortion law in Iran, Turkey or Tunisia ( or many other coutries) from a good study at: http://www.cbctrust.com/abortion.html#7)