The Right to Abortion for Women from the Islamic Ethics Point of View

Subject Areas : Morality

Seyed Abdullah  Mirkhandan ¹ (Level four, Major Field of Fiqh and Usul, Qom Seminary, Qom, Iran.)

Received: 2022-10-10 Accepted : 2022-10-27 Published : 2022-12-22

Keywords: Women, Islamic ethics, abortion,

Abstract :

The purpose of the current research was to investigate the right to abortion for women in Islamic ethics. The research universe included all written texts and references of Islamic ethics. The research sample subsumed the subjects related to abortion right for women in Islamic ethics texts. The research method was descriptive-analytical. The data was analyzed via content analysis procedure. The results showed that there were two main arguments about voluntary abortion among non-Muslim thinkers. One argument was the mother's ownership of her own body for abortion, and the other was the fetus's individual identity. According to the perspective of Islamic ethics regarding abortion, it was found that the argument that the mother owns her own body for abortion would be correct to some extent; This meant that the mother could have an abortion if she might be harmed in some cases. Also, the criterion of fetus's individual identity would be generally accepted from the Islamic ethics point of view and in this context, the Holy Law put forward a basis that would be the final words and in fact, a proof of narration and devotion. From this point of view, a fetus before four months would be not considered a living creature. This view regarding the individual identity of the fetus could be called Islamic fetus's individual identity, which would be different from what scientists of experimental sciences discussed. According to Islamic teachings, willing and voluntary abortion that leads to the death of the fetus would be not legitimate unless the mother's life would be in danger or the spirit had not been blown into the fetus and its existence had an unusual and considerable harm to the mother.

References:

The Holy Quran.

A group of researchers. (2009). The culture of jurisprudence according to the religion of Ahl al-Bayt. Qom: Islamic Encyclopedia Institute. [Persian] URL: https://www.gisoom.com/book/1263001/

A group of researchers. (2010). Dictionary of principles of jurisprudence. Qom: Islamic Science and Culture Research Institute. [Persian] URL: https://bookroom.ir/book/51895/

Ahmed ebn Fares, A. (1983). Ma'jam Maqais al-Logat [The dictionary of linguistic comparisons]. Qom: Islamic Propaganda Office. URL: https://qps.ir/productdetail/18342/

Al Boyeh, A. (2011). A woman's right to control her own body. Review, 16(62), 29-60. [Persian] URL: https://www.noormags.ir/view/fa/articlepage/973783/

Ansari, M. (1995). Faraed al-Osool [The pearls of the science of principles of jurisprudence]. Qom: Al-Nashar al-Islami Foundation of Jama'ah al-Madrasin. URL: https://qps.ir/productdetail/8963/

Coleini, M. (1986). Al-Kafi [enough]. Proofreader: Ali Akbar Ghaffari and Mohammad Akhundi. Tehran: Dar al-Katb al-Islamiya. URL: https://noorlib.ir/book/info/1348/

Eslami, H. (2004). The right to the life of the fetus, four ethical approache. The Appendix of Hamshahri's Wisdom 1(24), 14-15. [Persian] URL: http://www.noormags.com/view/fa/articlepage/98851

Fazel Lankarani, M. (2004). including all issues. Qom: Amir Qalam Publications. [Persian] URL: https://noorlib.ir/book/info/10561/

Ibn Baboyeh, M. (1992). Men la yahzara al-faqih [Someone who is not a jurist with him]. Edited by: Ali Akbar Ghafari. Qom: Al-Nashar al-Islami Institute of Jama'ah al-Madrasin. URL: https://qps.ir/productdetail/32602/

Ibn Manzoor, M. (1993). Lesan Alarab [Arab Language]. Beirut: Dar al-Fakr Lettabaah and Al-Nashar and Al-Tawzi'a - Dar Sadr. URL: https://qps.ir/productdetail/9471/

Khamenei, A. (2001). Resaleh Ajvabat Alesteftaat [Treatise on answers to questions]. Translator: Ahmadreza Hosseini. Tehran: Hoda International Publications. [Persian] URL: https://www.digikala.com/product/dkp-6304625/

Khoei, A. (1995). Serat Alnejat (Al-Mohashsha) [The Path of Salvation (Along with annotations)]. Corrected by Musa Mofiduddin Asi Ameli. Qom: El-Elect Publishing School. URL: https://noorlib.ir/book/info/261/

Majlesi, M. (1982). Bahar Al-Anwar [seas of light]. Beirut: Dar Ehiya al-Trath al-Arabi. URL: https://noorlib.ir/book/info/1407/

Marquis, D. (2001). The article "Evidence on the wrongness of abortion" in the book "Philosophy of Ethics, Essays on Normative Ethics, Trans-Ethical Applied Ethics". Translated by Mahmoud Fathali. (2008). Qom: Education publishing office, 237-264. [Persian] URL: https://www.gisoom.com/book/1488355/

Mesbah Yazdi, M. (2012). Ethics in the Qur'an. Research and writing: Mohammad Hossein Eskandari. Qom: Publications of Imam Khomeini Institute (RA). [Persian] URL: https://www.ghbook.ir/index.php?option=com_dbook&task=viewbook&book_id=1000352001&Itemid=&lang=fa

Mustafavi, H. (1988). Altahqiq Fi Kalemat Alqor'an Alkarim [Researching the words of the Holy Qur'an]. Tehran: Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance. URL: https://lib.eshia.ir/71460/1/4

Oliphant, J. (2007). OCR Religious Ethics for As and A2. in Taylor & Francis Group. London: Routledge. URL: https://www.routledge.com/OCR-Religious-Ethics-for-AS-and-A2/Oliphant-Mayled/p/book/9780415523578

Rasekh, M. (2003). Jadaal Hayat, an overview of abortion theories. Legal research, 1(38), 165-208. [Persian] URL: http://www.noormags.ir/view/fa/articlepage/71947

Hosain Sharifi, A. (2011). What is applied ethics?. Moral knowledge, 7(1), 83-96. [Persian] URL: https://www.noormags.ir/view/fa/articlepage/898720/

Singer, P. (2004). Environmental ethics. Translated by Alireza Al Boyeh. (2007). Journal of Criticism, 1(45&46), 141-169. [Persian] URL: http://www.noormags.ir/view/fa/articlepage/331326