The Quran and Abortion - Part Two

The Qur'an and abortion - part two

In part one we discussed eight points in our attempt to view abortion from a Quranic standpoint. In point eight we talked about Ayah 22:5 and asked why Allah interrupted the discussion of the birth process after he says:

"...Then a lump of flesh, partially formed and unformed..."

to say

"so that we may clarify to you"

after which he says:

"... And we establish in the wombs whatever we will..."?

Why interrupt the process right there? What is being clarified?

9. I believe it is a subtle hint. I suggested in part one that perhaps it could be a reference to spontaneous abortion because right after this point Allah says:

"...And we establish in the wombs whatever we will..."

So before this is the point when it might not be established. It will be aborted through natural processes. So perhaps this is the first step in thinking about this issue, to understand that abortion is a natural process that Allah has placed in the body. Is it right for us to enhance this natural process?

10. I want to suggest another reason that Allah may have said here "so that we may clarify to you..." The phrase "we clarify" is used two more times in the Qur'an, one of which is in reference to jesus and his mother. Allah says: "the messiah, son of mary, was not except a messenger, messengers have passed before him, and his mother was a woman of truth. They both used to eat food. Look how we clarify the signs..." 5:75 what is the clarification here? The idea that, since they both ate food, they are not gods. The need for nutrition is a proof of their humanity.

11. In discussing their need for food as proof that they are human and not divine, Allah says: "...We clarify the signs..." Allah interrupts the discussion of the birth process to say: "... so that we may clarify to you..." is there a connection here? Could it be that we have been asking the wrong question? The question is not, when does the soul enter the fetus? The question is, when does the embryo/fetus begin to consume nutrition from its mother via the umbilical cord? We are already souls, consuming food is what makes us human.

12. The umbilical cord starts to develop around five weeks and continues after that. Perhaps from that point on, abortion becomes less and less allowable. Before that, the embryo is a collection of cells not needing nutrition through the umbilical cord. The words of the Qur'an are so beautiful when Allah said: "... so that we may clarify to you..." This ayah indeed made the issue very clear to me. I can't speak for anyone else, but to me, the Qur'an focuses abortion on the level of umbilical cord development.

13. The more a soul becomes embodied in the material world through the consumption of food, the less anyone has the right to disembody that soul. That's what I get out of that ayah. I believe this is nuanced. In other words, just because umbilical cord development begins around week five does not mean I'm saying that this is the absolute cut-off point. The debate on abortion is too either/or.

14. The Qur'an is nuanced, meaning it doesn't see things in black or white. An immediate objection to what I've been arguing is two aayaat in the Qur'an. However, I believe this aayaat actually supports what I've been saying.

Both of these aayaat say

"and do not kill your children..."

6:151 and 17:31 however, the Arabic in both cases is the plural of the word "walad". The word walad comes from the verb "walada" which means: "...Give birth..." (the Hans Wehr Dictionary of modern written Arabic) so a walad is a child after having been born. In the qur'an the embryos/fetuses in the womb are called "ajinnah" (pl. Of janeen): "...And when you were ajinnah in the wombs of your mothers..." 53:32 there is no ayah that prohibits killing the ajinnah specifically.

16. The two aayaat about killing your children also show nuance. 6:151 says:

"...And do not kill your children due to poverty..."

while 17:31 says

"due to fear of poverty..."

In 6:151 the poverty is present while in 17:31 it is only anticipated. 17:31 ends with "...Killing them is a great sin" while 6:151 does not (of course not saying it is okay, it is among the things being prohibited in 6:151). So the fact that one ayah ends with "killing them is a great sin" while one does not, shows that things exist in levels. So I would argue all abortions aren't created equal. An abortion to save the mother's life might be more acceptable, for example, even if it is farther in the process.

In no way do I think I have solved the issue. I would just like all of my Muslim brothers and sisters to keep in mind that the Qur'an is a complex work that discusses, in some way, all areas of life. We shouldn't assume that just because we are Muslim we are automatically against abortion. Allah says: