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It
seems that over hum, n history there has always been a preference
to beget male progeny rate than female. The dominance of the role
of .. the male, possibly due to is physical strength and to being
non hampered by the limitations that the notion of reproduction
imposes on the female. might have conditioned man and women to be
projected in the following generation as males. In the area of human
competition, conflict and combat, military or economic, masculinity
is certainly an asset.
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The
reaction to begetting a female, however, varied quite a lot.
When Hannah (Anne) the wife of Imran who got pregnant at an old
age made a vow to devote the baby she carried to the service of
God, she expected she would give birth to a male. When she
begot a girl she was surprised but hardly disppointed, and the Quran
relates to this incident as follows:
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Behold.
The woman of Imran My Lord. I do dedicate unto You what is in my
womb fo Your special service, so accept this of me: You are
the One who hears and knows all things. When she gave birth to her.
she said: My Lord. I gave birth to a female and God knows best what
she gave birth to and the male is not similar to the female. And
I have named her Mary ( Mariam). and I commend her and her offspring
from the rejected Devil. Graciously did her Lord accept her and
made her grow in purity and beauty and assigned her to the care
of Zakariya" (3:35-37)The Arabs in Jahiliya (i.e. the
pre-Islamic era) represented a society where female births were
most unwelcome. Exceptions occurred, but the social code on
the whole considered the begetting of female child as bad news.
The Quran says:
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You
what is in my womb for Your special service, so accept this of me:
You are the One who hears and knows all things. When she gave
birth to her, she said: My Lord, I gave brith to a female and God
knows best what she gave birth to and the male is not similar to
the female. And I have named her Mary (Mariam), and I commend
her and her offspring from the Rejected Devil. Graciously
did her Lord accept her and made her grow in purity and beauty and
assigned her to the care of Zakariya.."
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The
Arabs in Jahiliya (i.e. the pre-Islamic era) represented a society
where female briths were most unwelcome. Exceptions occurred,
but the social code on the whole considered begetting of female
child as bad news. The Quran says:
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"And
when news is brought to one of them of the birth of a female child,
his face darkens and he is filled with inward grief: With
shame does he hide himself from his people because of the bad news
about the baby: should he retain it and endure the contempt
or bury it under the dust?! Ah, how evil was their verdict."
(16:58-59).
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Because
of their contempt of the female, those pre-Islamic Arabs made a
common practice of burying alive their female infants, a practice
that Islam strictly prohibited. In a reference to a series
of enormous happenings on the day of reckoning the Quran cites:
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"And
when the female infant buried alive is questioned for what crime
she was killed" (81-8-9)
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In
their argument against God, those pagan Arabs tried to belittle
Him by assigning daughters to Him (presumably the angels):
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And
they assigned daugters for God-glory be to "Him-and for themselves
what they desire (sons)". (16:57)
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It
is regrettable that this Jahiliya attitude against the female still
lingers on, and it surprises us that even a highly educated person
might be dismayed at the news of begetting a daughter. It is more
surprising, however, to note this phenomenon in modern communities
that raise the banner of equality between man and woman, and at
both extremes of the ideological spectrum. In China, where the state
posed stringent restrictions in favour of the one-child family,
female infanticide has been resorted to in order to have another
chance of a further pregnancy that will hopefully produce a baby
boy. A World Health Organization publication released in the earIy
eighties gave an estimation of 1.2 million female infants killed
since the enforcement of the restrictive laws. In a leading western
country the same goal is being achieved by more sophisticated and
less law-voilating means. After the third month of pregnancy a procedure
called amniocentesis is carried out, by which some of the (amniotic)
fluid around the fetus is drawn, in which some fetal cells exfoliated
from the fetal surface are suspended. These cells are grown in tissue
culture and their chromosome complement is studied. If the fetus
is of the undesired sex, the law-or loop holes in it-makes it possible
for he woman to procure an abortion.
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The
Islamic stand on the issue of sex-preference rests on the basic
concept that we do not create our children but we just receive them
and are entrusted with them. The come through us, but not from us,
as Gibr.ln said, and as we enjoy then as a blessing we owe them
the responsibilities of parenthood in the same ay as our parents
did unto us and their parcnts had done unto them. The preservation
of the race necessitates the creation of men and women. .and if
it is to be a happy community then it better comprises well-rais
d men and women. Whatever God gives, we should receive in joy, gratitude
and awareness of our responsibilities.
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"To
God belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth. He
creates what He wills. He bestows females upon whom He wils
and bestows the males upon whom He wills. Or He couples them
in males and females and He leaves barren whom He wills. For
He is All Knowledgeable All Powerful." (42:49-50)
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When
Islam prohibited that criminal custom of the burial alive of females
it was within the context of its concept that men and women were
equal even though not similar. Whatever was enjoined and whatever
was forbidden applied to men and women. Reward for good and
punishment for bad were equal to men and women.
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"If
any do deeds of righteousness, be they male or female, and have
faith, they will enter heaven and not the least injustice will be
done to them".
( 4: 124 )
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Such
a reward will not only be in the hereafter, but during this life
as well.
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"Whoever
works righteousness, man or woman, and has faith, We shall give
them a good life and bestow on such their reward according to the
best of their deeds."( 16:97)
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To
reinforce woman's role the Quran someties reortes to repetitive
detailing such as in the following verse:
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"For
Muslim men and women, for believing men and women, for devout men
and women, for true men and women, for patient men and women, for
men and women who humble themselves, for men and women who gard
their chastity, for men and women who are much mindful of God, for
them God has prepared forgiveness and great reward."
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As
a further counter measure against that pre-Islamic faulty attitude
the prophet Mohammad repeatedly gave positive guidance recommending
females to our tender loving care. In one hadith (saying of
the prophet) he teaches: (Ibn Dawood and Al-Hakim)
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A
number of other hadiths have been reported in which the prophet
relates that a parent kind and loving to daughters would be in such
proximity to the prophet in heaven as the proximity of his index
and middle fingers.
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Islam
also has different views from current Christianity on the legend
of Adam and Eve and the original sin. Eve did not tempt Adam
to disobey God but Satan tempted both to eat from the forbidden
tree. Driven out of heaven, God inspired Adam to repent and
Adam was forgiven. Man came to earth unburdened of the aftermath
of the originl sin and generations are not stigmatized by inheriting
it. We do sin but we do not inherit them. We are endowed
with God's guidance and with the built-in power to reason and to
make a choice and this is the only legitimate basis for accountability,
and in Islam accountability is personal.
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"Every
soul draws the meed of its acts on none but itself: no bearer of
burdens can bear the burden of another: (6:164)
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"Who
follows the guidance indeed follows it for his own benefit.
Who goes astry does so to his own loss. No bearer of burdens
can bear the burden of another. Nor would we visit with Our
wrath until We had sent an apostle." (17:15)
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"Nor
can a bearer of burdens bear another's burden. If one heavily
laden should call another to share his load, not the least portion
of it can be carried by the other even though he was a near relative"
(35:18).
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When
we sin it is by perosnal shortcoming and not by inevitable inheritance.
When our conscience aches we address our repentance directly to
God without mediation of athird party (there is no clergy in Islam).
My sin is my perosnal responsibility and my salvation rests in God's
acceptance of my hones repentance. To repent after sinning
is an act of goodness, and God say in the Quran:
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"Indeed
God loves who repent to Him constantly and He loves those who keep
themselves pure." (2:22).
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The
concept of vicarious sacrifice to atone for sins committed by others
is not an Islamic concept. Jesus is highly revered in Islam,
he is described as:
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"Christ
Jesus the son of Mary was an apostle of God and His Word that He
bestowed on Mary and a Spirit proceedings from Him" (4:171)
but the concept that he was killed on the cross in settlement of
sins of people was refuted by Islam.
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Multiple
reference was made in the Quran to the issue of Adam and Eve, the
following is an illustrative example denoting that God had chosen
the human race for His vicegerency on earth, then declared His intention
to the angels who were taken by surprise. His fitting of Adam
with the complex human attributes that made him superior even to
the angels, the prelude of sin and forgiveness and the colonization
of earth by Man:
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"Behold.
Your Lord said to the angels: I am enstating a vicegerent
on earth. They said: Will you place therein on ewho
will make mischief therein and shed blood whilst we do celebrate
Your praise and glorify Your holy Name? He said: I know
what you know not. And He taught Adam the nature of all things
then He placed them before the angels and said: Tell me the
nature of these things if you are right. They said:
Glory to You... of knowledge we have none save that You have taught
us verily it is You who are perfect in kinolwedge and wisdom.
He said: Oh Adam! Tell them their nature. When he had
told them. God said: Did I not tell you that I know
the secrets of heaven and erth and I know what you reveal and what
you conceeal? And behold: We said to the angels:
Bow down to Adam. And they bowed down save for Iblis he refused
and was haughty and was of those who reject the Faith.
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We
said: Oh Adam dwell you and your wife in Paradise and eat
of the bountiful things therein wherever you wish, but approach
not this tree or you have transgressed.
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Then
did Satan make them slip out of it and get them out of what they
had been in. We said: descend all of you (people) with
enmity between yourselves on earth will be your dwelling place and
your means of livelihood for a time. Then Adam received some
Words from his Lord and his Lord forgave him, for He is the most
Forgiving, most Merciful.
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We
said: get down all of you from here, and if as is sure there comes
to you guidance from Me, whosoever follows my guidance, on them
shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve. But those who reject
Faith belie Our sign, they shall be companions of the fire, they
shall abide therein." (2:30-39)
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The
assumed role of Eve in tempting Adam into disobedience and the concept
of the inheritance of (original) sin seem to have caused woman to
be wronged over a long period of Church history, so much so that
centuries ago comprehensive ecclesiastical congresses were held
to debate whether Woman had a soul or not and brand her of being
a lowly creature and an indespensible evil. Current attitudes
are a great departure from old ones, but it seems that for many
people old ways have been more tamed than eradicated.
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And
now we seem to be at the gates of scientific pre-pregnancy sex-selection.
Different characteristics of X bearing and Y bearing sperms have
been studied and put to application for separatingsemen to Y-rich
and X-rich portions and using these for artificial insemination.
The practice is fairly established in animal husbandry, and available
data denote that it will not be long until it can be applied in
human reproduction.
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So
far God's plan (Nature) has seen to it that on the whole almost
equal numbers of men and women are available at the time of pairing
off after puberty. Given the constantly observable predeliction
towards male progeny (remarkably accentuated in manycommunities),
would tampering with this natural achievement disturb the human
balance in favour of an excess of the male sex? And what would
be the social and moral and ecological sequelae thereof? The
issue cannot be oversimplified by claiming that most families will
do with two children, the sex of the first to be decided by Nature
and another of the opposite sex to be ordered at the doctor.
While this might go well with an English family, some Arab family
might wish for ten boys and no girls, while most Chinese families
would decide on a boy for their only child! Perhaps one shortcoming
of modern science is that it lacks a built-in mechanism to study
and anticipate the far reaching implications of its achievements
and perhaps censor or antidote them when necessary. Whenever
a new scientific discovery is made it is promptly rushed into the
realm of applied technology, and short-term gains take the upper
hand over long-term results.
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When
the first atomic bomb was dropped over Hiroshima, Oppenheimer the
father of atomic bomb said: "This day physicists have fallen
into sin". One wonders what is in store for reproductive
medicine!