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Your place of worship and learning

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IONA Endorses Imams Council of Michigan’s Statement on Abortion

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Imam Mustapha Elturk, Ameer of the Islamic Organization of North America (IONA, a past Co-chair of the Imams Council of Michigan, led a committee of Imams charged with issuing a statement on Abortion. The Committee consisted of Imam Mwafak Algalaieni of Grand Blanc Islamic Center and member of the Assembly of Muslim Jurists of America (AMJA), Imam Sayyid Mohammed Baqer al-Qazwini of the Islamic Institute of America, Imam Mohamed Almasmari of the Muslim Unity Center, and Imam Dawud Walid, the Executive Director of the Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MI).
All schools of thought, including the Ja’fari school of thought, were considered while the committee discussed the abortion issue. After careful deliberation, discussion, and recommended modification to the drafted statement submitted by the Committee, the Imams Council unanimously approved the final statement on abortion. Read below.
The Islamic Organization of North America endorses the statement. “The statement is well balanced and reflects all madhahib (schools of thought), including the shii school of thought” said Imam Elturk, Ameer of IONA. “Life is sacred and must be honored and protected.” The Imam concluded.
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Statement on “ABORTION”
August 17, 2022
In the Name of Allah, the most Merciful, ever Compassionate
Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds and may God’s peace and blessings be upon His messenger Muhammad, his family and all of his companions
Our body is a sacred trust (amanah) from Allah. “To Allah belongs all that in the heavens and the earth and everything in between. And to Him is the final return.” [al-Ma’idah, 5:18] More emphatically, Allah (SWT) declares, “To God we belong and to Him is our return.” [al-Baqarah, 2:156] Hence, contrary to the popular belief “My Body, My Choice,” we do not own our bodies, and our bodies are not absolutely our choice. We can only use our bodies in accordance with what God has permitted. Not only does one not own their body, but one does not own the fetus either.
The general consensus of all schools of thought (Sunni and Shia) is that, according to the Qur’an and Sunnah, “ABORTION” is forbidden (haram). It is a serious sin to abort a potential human soul without a legitimate reason.
All schools of thought, however, agree that if the fetus during pregnancy causes a threat to the life of the mother, aborting the fetus is permissible because the life of the mother takes precedence over the life of the fetus. Other exceptions, according to the majority of jurists of all schools of thought, may include cases of rape and incest. In unique cases such as genetic disorder of the fetus, one is urged to consult with an expert scholar or jurist along with the medical specialists before making a decision.
Life, according to the Qur’an and Sunnah, is sacred and must be honored. Regardless of when the fetus acquires a soul, life begins at fertilization with the embryo’s conception and it is unlawful to take the life Allah (SWT) made sacred.
The Qur’an affirms, “And it is not lawful for them to conceal what Allah has created in their wombs if they believe in Allah and the Last Day.”[al-Baqarah, 2: 228]
It is in this light Allah (SWT) commands, “Do not kill your offspring for fear of poverty, We shall provide for them and for you, indeed their killing is a grave sin.” [al-Isra’, 17:31]
We urge our brothers and sisters to contemplate the Islamic perspective on abortion and make sure they are following proper guidelines.
Imams Council of Michigan
IONA, 28630 Ryan Rd., Warren, MI 48092 | Tel: 586-558-6900 | E-mail: center@iononline.org
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IONA’s mission is to transform its members and help transform the surrounding communities to righteous, God-fearing people, who collectively strive for the highest moral standard and constantly seek forgiveness from our Creator to earn His pleasure. We seek His compassion and mercy in this life and in the hereafter. We rejuvenate our soul through internal struggle and spiritual exercise in worship of our creator God. The strength of our belief in God gives us the courage to establish good and forbid evil, thus promoting a system of justice for all mankind.

About IONA

IONA's objective is to help the Muslims of North America understand and fulfill their divinely ordained obligations, in order to please Allah (SWT) and thereby achieve success and salvation in the Hereafter.

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