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By murtaza
#1999
In the name of Allah the most Beneficient the most Merciful.

I would like to provide the shia point of view,

Islam's approach to the issue of birth control and abortion is very balanced. It allows women to prevent pregnancy but forbids them to terminate it. Abortion after the implantation of the fertilized ovum in the womb is absolutely forbidden and is considered a crime against the law of God, and the fetus.

From the Islamic point of view, the illegitimacy of aborting a fetus does not depend on the issue of whether the fetus has the status of a human being or not. Although Islam does not recognize the fetus as a human being, it still gives to it the right of a possible life.

Abortion has become common in the Western world for various reasons

1. sometimes it is a matter of choice between a child and a career;
2. sometimes it is a matter of choice between a child and a luxurious life-style;
3. sometimes it is because of the child's illegitimacy;
4. sometimes it is because of the wrong sex of the child;
5. sometimes it is because of rape.

All these justifications are unacceptable from the Islamic point of view. The first two excuses reflect the selfish nature of this materialistic society. Allah says, "Do not kill your children because of (fear of) poverty. We will provide for you and them." (6: 152) "Do not kill your children for fear of poverty; We will provide for them and you. Surely the killing (of children) is a great error." (17:31)
The third excuse is a by-product of illicit sexual relations which Islam strongly condemns.
The fourth reason is no less evil and cruel than the pre-Islamic Arab custom of burying baby girls alive.

As for the fifth case involving rape, the lady should use the morning after pill or RU486 immediately after the sexual assault in order to prevent the possible implantation of a fertilized ovum. But if pregnancy is established, then Islam does not allow abortion. In such cases, Islam says that why abort the child for the crime of the father? As for the reputation of the woman, Islam strongly condemns the people who look down upon the rape victim; instead of reviling her, they should be sympathetic to her.

Modern technology (like ultra sound scan) has made it possible to know whether or not a child has a defect long before he is born. Some people justify the abortion of a defective fetus. The present mujtahids do not allow such abortions; they say that the parents should pray and hope for a normal and healthy child. There are many examples where the prediction of the doctors have been proven wrong! In other words, what our mujtahids are saying is that take preventative measures before going for pregnancy; but once pregnancy has taken place, you are not allowed to abort a fetus even if it is defective.

The shari'ah allows abortion only when doctors declare with reasonable certainty that the continuation of pregnancy will endanger the woman's life. This permission is based on the principle of the lesser of the two evils known in Islamic legal terminology as the principle of al-ahamm wa 'l-muhimm (the more important and the less important). The Prophet said, "When two forbidden things come [upon a person] together, then the lesser will be sacrificed for the greater." In the present case, one is faced with two forbidden things: either abort the unborn child or let a living woman die. Obviously, the latter is greater than the former; therefore, abortion is allowed to save the live person.
#13183
How should i support my girlfriend if she wants an abortion? My girlfriend appears to have the early signs of pregnancy but we are not positive yet. We are both 18 years old and seniors in highschool. I moved 17 hours away from her just as she is beginning to have early signs. She says she will have an abortion. I dont know what to say. I really dont want to have my entire life thrown away because of this, but i do not want her to get an abortion. What should i do? How should I support her from this far away?
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Last edited by abuali on 25 Aug 2010, 23:40, edited 2 times in total. Reason: removal of spam links
#13190
dear turkey

welcome to Ask.

This seems like a very serious issue (an issue of life and death).

You have posted in Ask the scholar section. So am i correct in assuming you are looking for Islamic advice on the issue?

If so, the advice that Islam gives is that of Life. Abortion would mean death for the unborn baby which Islam does not allow.

However, on the aspects of how this would affect your lives, I have requested br. Abdulla our guest counselor to offer some of his advice.
#13192
turkey wrote:How should i support my girlfriend if she wants an abortion? My girlfriend appears to have the early signs of pregnancy but we are not positive yet. We are both 18 years old and seniors in highschool. I moved 17 hours away from her just as she is beginning to have early signs. She says she will have an abortion. I dont know what to say. I really dont want to have my entire life thrown away because of this, but i do not want her to get an abortion. What should i do? How should I support her from this far away?
Dear brother Turkey

You have mentioned that she 'appears' to have early signs of pregnancy. The first step would be to ask her to go see a reputable doctor at a reputable clinic accompanied by a family member who can be trusted to be mature and to be of good advice.

It would be best if you can go to where she is and accompany her to the clinic for the tests. I would recommend taking someone you trust (a family member, a sheikh of your local mosque) into your confidence so he can be by your sides giving sound advices.

Remember, if you think this is hard for you, its many many times harder for her. So be understanding and provide her with the moral support she needs to go through with getting a test done.

Should she be pregnant:

The fact that you have requested for advice tells me that you realize that abortion is an ugly, murderous act.

Apart from the fact that it would be injustice, even if your girlfriend goes through it, experience shows that she will never be able to rid herself of the guilt for the rest of her life. Guilt as large as this (taking of a life) can adversely affect the mental and spiritual stability of the person.

If she does go ahead with abortion and you support her (even by not trying to talk her out of it), my experience tells me you guys have a long road of guilt ahead of you.

DONT DO IT.

Your or her whole life wont be thrown away because of this. Having a child is a beautiful experience. At your ages you both are perfectly capable of being responsible parents. You will both be surprised how much happiness a small hand in yours can bring.

Here is what you can do:

Take a break from what you are doing and go to where she is. Give her the moral support and the love she needs to feel that you are ready to take responsibility with her.

Propose marriage. Involve your families so you can get moral and financial support.

Get married and move on with your lives (whatever you are currently planning. Yes studies are not only possible after marriage and parenting, there is evidence to suggest its more productive after marriage)

Should she not be pregnant:

Have a heart to heart. See if you guys are serious about each other.

If you are, propose marriage

Get married and move on with your lives.

thats my advice

https://youtu.be/-3CI0FBr5ss?si=UNYS9HXtS24Gbr-P

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