ABORTION: Crime against Humanity

On September 27, 2011 LE MAURICIEN Newspaper of Mauritius, carried an article by the Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib on the issue of Abortion. In the article, Hadhrat Sahib reflects upon the sanctity of human life- recognized and affirmed by the scriptures of all religions. He describes the practice of abortion (unless under exceptional contingencies) as the very taking away of a   precious human life and as such, a crime against humanity. We are reproducing the article below for the benefit of all].

The Holy Quran says: “Take not life which God has made sacred.” (6:151)

Abortion is essentially the extermination of an unborn innocent life. Almighty God condemns such a heinous practice and His abhorrence for such an act is found not only in the Holy Quran but also in the various other sacred books, like the Gospel, Puranas, and Vedas, etc. In the Quran, God says:

“We ordained… that if anyone killed a person not in retaliation for murder or for spreading mischief on earth, it would be as if he killed all mankind. And who so saved a life, it would be as if he saved all mankind.” (5:33)

Nowadays there are lots of cases of abortion being practised in secret. Abortion in itself is a crime against humanity. Indeed it is a crime which governments of the world are trying to legalise. Some countries have already legalised this crime, while others, like Mauritius are trying to legalise it – which means: making a crime become legal and open! Does making a crime become legal going to resolve the major issues which the human society has to tackle or is it going to definitely aggravate the situation, by encouraging liberal sex and thereafter an increase in unwanted pregnancies which result in abortion?

In the Bible, we can read:  “Be fruitful and multiply.” (Genesis 1:28).

“If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no mischief follows: he shall be surely punished, according as the woman's husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine. And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.” (Exodus 21: 22-25)

“Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from Him.” (Psalms 127:3)

In the Hindu Scriptures such as the Rig Veda we can read:

“That embryo then becomes a part of the woman’s self, like any part of her body; it does not hurt her; she protects and develops the embryo within herself. As she protects the embryo, so she also is protected.” Moreover in the Satapatha Brahmana, it is mentioned that the one who removes the embryo is an evil-doer.

It is prophesised in the Puranas that abortion shall become rampant in the Kalyug (dark) age.

In the book “Abortion in a Crowded World” (p.44) the author, Hindu Scholar S. Chandasekhar has said the following words: “‘As for induced abortion, the Hindu scriptures from the Vedic age down to the Smritis (100 B.C. to 100 A.D.) called it bhrunahatya (“foetus murder”) or farbhahatya (“pregnancy destruction”), and condemned it as a serious sin. According to Vishnu Smriti (c. 100 B.C. to 100 A.D.), ‘The destruction of an embryo is tantamount to killing of holy or learned person.’”

The Holy Prophet of Islam (pbuh) has said: “The destruction of the entire world is lighter in the sight of Allah than the unjust killing of a believer.” A life is precious, and every baby, after having been infused with the soul (the essence of God) is innocent and pure. Killing it is tantamount to killing the whole humanity. But if the foetus dies of itself or dies by accident, for example when the mother falls down and hurts herself, then this death is considered as a pregnancy loss and not abortion.

Abortion is only allowed in certain crisis cases: When the mother’s life is proved and confirmed by doctors to be in danger, and she can die – be it through the carrying out of the pregnancy to term or through a mortal sickness which can take away her life if ever she continues with the pregnancy. Therefore preservation of the existing life is much more a priority than the forming foetus.

And according to Islam, this is only allowed before the first four months of the existence of the foetus. If the time limit is already crossed, then she has no right to abort, despite any complication. This is so because according to the Quran and the saying of the Holy Prophet of Islam (pbuh), the soul is infused in the foetus after 120 days.

Narrated Abdullah: The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said, “(as regards your creation), every one of you is collected in the womb of his mother for the first forty days, and then he becomes a clot for another forty days, and then a piece of flesh for another forty days. Then Allah sends an angel to write four words: He writes his deeds, time of his death, means of his livelihood, and whether he will be wretched or blessed (in religion). Then the soul is breathed into his body...” (Bukhari)

It is a fact that some Muslim scholars and others have held the idea that pregnancies due to rape and incest can be terminated, but it is a fact that Islam condemns such an act, because the foetus/baby is an innocent life. It is not responsible for what has transpired between his biological parents. Though such acts as rape and incest are condemnable in Islam, but abortion due to these acts cannot be done on the sole basis of these reasons for life is sacred, and life is given by God, and none has the right to exterminate the life which God has made sacred, except in crises like I detailed above, and before the prescribed 120 days of the foetus.

May all brothers and sisters as well as the government and all concerned parties understand this well. May God bring good out of good, and may evil be restricted from the people of Mauritius and worldwide. Amen (Ameen).


See the original web link @:


http://www.lemauricien.com/article/abortion-crime-against-humanity