From: zeeshan@occs.cs.oberlin.edu (Zeeshan Hasan)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.islam
Subject: Re: The practical side of Islam
Date: 14 Apr 92 05:09:17 GMT
Organization: Oberlin College Computer Science

In article <1992Apr3.182621.8678@math.utexas.edu> majeed@fireant.ma.utexas.edu (Zartaj Majeed) writes:

	[stuff deleted]

!>   To my knowledge, Islam does not outlaw abortion categorically as does
!>   the Church. I believe that abortion is permitted for the first 120
!>   days of the term, after which time, abortion is prohibited. (Please
!>   note that I could be mistaken about the exact number of days)
!>
!>   This fatwa was based on the several Ayah's from the Glorious Qur'an
!>   that explain to us with astounding beauty and specificity the various
!>   stages of fetal development before birth.
!>
!>   Qur'an 023.The-Believers 13-16
!>    12. And certainly We created man of an extract of clay,
!>    13. Then We made him as (a drop of) sperm in a resting-place
!>	firmly fixed,
!>    14. Then We made the sperm into a clot of congealed blood,
!>	then of that clot We made a (fetus) lump, then We made out
!>	of that lump bones, then We clothed the bones with flesh,
!>	then We caused it to grow into another creation, so blessed
!>	be Allah, the best of the creators.
!>    15. Then after that you will most surely die.
!>    16. Then surely on the day of resurrection you shall be raised.
!>
!>   The reasoning here for allowing abortions initially stems from the
!>   sentence:
!>
!>	  'then We caused it to grow into another creation'
!>
!>   It is believed that at this moment (roughly 120 days after conception)
!>   Allah (SWT) blows of his spirit into the fetus thereby transforming the
!>   animal fetus into a human fetus. (note that it is the spirit that God
!>   blows into us that distinguishes us from animals.) 
!>
!>   Based on this, an abortion prior to that time, is considered to be OK
!>   since it is simply affecting the animal (in its physical form of flesh
!>   and blood) side of us, and is not really considered to be killing a
!>   human being as the Church deems.
!>
!>   Please note that individual Muslims may still consider the act abhorable
!>   if they so chose. However, and like some other abhorable acts such as
!>   divorce, it is religiously allowed. And based on the fatwa above, should
!>   not be outlawed. Certainly Muslims should not push to outlaw it.

	I would disagree with the above.  The reference to "another
creation" does not necessarily mean that this is the point at which
the fetus must be regarded as truly human.  It could mean that this is
the point where it simply begins to _look_ like a human baby, and as
such is recognizable to us as a newly created human.  So the above
interpretation which is used to justify abortion is not necessarily
correct.  
	Even if it were, how is the stage at which abortion becomes
wrong decided?  The only clues given above are that by this time the
"lump" has "bones" and "flesh".  I believe that in a developing fetus,
tissues develope very early on which are similar to bone and muscle,
even if they cannot be exactly classified as such.  Who is to draw the
lines here?

farewell--
--
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   Zeeshan Hasan			OCMR box 1529, Oberlin College
   zeeshan@occs.cs.oberlin.edu		Oberlin, Ohio 44074
   skh7063@oberlin.bitnet		(216) 775-5423
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