All views and claims in this letter belong solely to the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Dominica News Online.
In response to a letter posted on the 22nd of September, 2026, by “ASPIRE,” I would like to present the Muslim perspective on this contentious issue.
Islam, which is the perfect and balanced way of life revealed by God to His final messenger, Muhammad (PBUH), has given us clear guidelines which are just and balanced for all problems faced by human beings and the societies that they create.
The author of the letter seems to want the public to embrace the idea of aborting a fetus as a fundamental right of a woman, and has focused on the issue of rape, as it is the most logical reason to allow a woman to abort.
However, as we see in the neo-Greek societies (i.e., Western democracies), women seek to have abortions “mostly” because of sexual relations where unwanted pregnancies are a natural result, except where “precautions” were taken.
As it relates to unwanted pregnancy by rape, Islam teaches us that the woman has the choice to:
1. Keep the baby.
There is no sin on her since this occurred against her will. She will have a reward with her Lord for sparing a life, and society has a moral responsibility to support her both financially and emotionally.
2. Have an abortion.
She can have an abortion if she feels that it will be too traumatic to give birth to the child of her abuser. In that case, she can abort the fetus before forty days have passed.
She may have the abortion later than that, up to four months (120 days) after becoming pregnant, if necessary, but the earlier she has the abortion, the better. This period is based on the prophetic narration that the soul of the human is breathed into the body at that time.
In situations other than rape, Islam teaches us that prevention is always better than cure. Here, please allow me to say that this principle should be applied across the board, including the choice to be chaste or promiscuous.
There is another scenario whereby an abortion might be the best option for a woman according to Islamic law, and that is if there is certain danger to the life of the mother.
Therefore, Islam deals with this reality in a balanced and wholesome way, neither allowing abortion unrestrictedly nor completely opposing this option, but rather analyzing the situation on a case-by-case basis.
The question that I would like to ask as it relates to choice is: Whatever happened to choice as it relates to a woman not allowing herself to have casual sex with someone that she has no future with?
Where is the choice of parents who may prefer or want to keep their daughters at home, teaching them principles of self-worth, chastity and dignity, and warning them of the dangerous repercussions of free-mixing and the naive notion that the young man is just a “friend”?
Why is there not more effort made in rearranging, for the better, a society plagued by moral decay and degradation where private parts are more public than restrooms?
Without the wise and balanced Islamic legislation, what we witness is an extreme attitude to abortion which sees it as a fundamental “choice” or “right.”
In a society that prides itself as “Christian,” where are the teachings related to adhering to the Ten Commandments, or is that conveniently abrogated as being “old?”
Ilyas Nassief (MCD)
