Many animals and birds bring up their offspring diligently and carefully. Still there are some which end up eating or killing their progeny. Modern man has tended to cultivate the habit of the latter group. Coming under the tremendous pressure of the imaginary ghost, named ‘Population Explosion’, man has been occupied with inventing various ways and means to subdue the ‘ghost’. Population Explosion Theory has propounded that the growth of population would be in geometrical progression whereas (the theory feared) that the production of food products can increase only in arithmetic progression. Islam rejects such theories outright. The Qur’ān says, “Do not kill your offspring for fear of want. It is We who provide for them and for you. Indeed killing them is a great sin.” (The Qur’ān – 17:31)

God has sent man to earth to be His vicegerent. In the Qur’ān Allah says: “O mankind! Fear your Lord, who created you from a single soul. He created its mate from it and from the two of them spread countless men and women (throughout the earth).” (The Qur’ān- 4:1) Thus Allah has taken the responsibility of providing sustenance for all the people who are born. Therefore He is the Sustainer. So it is the duty of every couple to become responsible parents.

In modern society people think that a small family or family with a single child can make its life comfortable. If every family has only one child and that too a son, how can this earth be populated? Islam condemns killing of foeticide, whether it is male or female. It is tantamount to destruction of life and a crime against humanity. The slogans of birth control, family planning, one family-one child have made man so crazy that he is extremely terrified to be a father or mother of even two children, and the choice is always a son. This created a deep gulf between the number of baby boys and baby girls. This kind of situation is termed as Skewed Child Sex Ratio (CSR). If we go through the astounding figures in respect of the CSR, we can understand the severity of the situation. Even the so-called developed countries too are no exception. 

More interestingly the so-called elite, civilized, refined and well educated who live in urban areas are ahead of their semi-urban or rural counterparts in this respect.

                 

 

The same kind of attitude was in practice in Arab of Prophet Muhammad’s times (peace and blessings of Allah be to him). It was a blot on the family to have a girl-child. Baby-girls were buried alive by fathers for multiple reasons.

• Poverty: People wanted a small family so that there could be fewer members to consume food. If girls are there, father would suffer as he has to provide for them, bring them up and marry them off. If it is a son, at least he would earn money when he grows up.

• Unrest: Owing to tribal wars, it was believed that a boy would take up arms to fight against the enemy, whereas a girl needs to be protected.

• Abrupt Invasions: Girls were prone to the danger of being taken away by rivals in wars or abrupt invasions. The abductors may force the girls into slavery or any other immoral act. Consequently the father would prefer to burying her alive when she is still an infant.

A man narrates his story of burying his own daughter alive in Makkah: “I had a daughter, she was affectionate with me. When I call her she would come running to me. One day I took her with me. On the way I found a well. I held her hand and pushed her into the well. The last words she uttered were “Oh! My father! My father!” On listening this Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessings of Allah be to him) began to weep.

Today, the reasons for which the society is afraid of a girl-child may be slightly different. She is ‘other’s wealth’ (paraya dhan); she needs extra-care and security while going to school, college or work place. She is prone to eve-teasing, acid-attack, molestation or rape. Her marriage is a herculean task. Even after marriage torture by in-laws, divorce, demand for dowry and other unending woes terrify the parents. Therefore, the ‘wise’ consider it better not to have a girl. This bent of mind has caused an imbalance in the male female ratio at large.

The central and state governments are busy enacting laws like prevention of pre-natal sex-determinations, etc. In every hospital we find a signboard stating that determination of the sex of the foetus is a crime and that hospital does not indulge in such an exercise. If all hospitals in India refrain from this act, the question is who is revealing the sex of the foetus to those who want to destroy the female-foetus? Of late, many measures and schemes have been taken and launched to ensure the birth of a girl-child and to promote the survival of girls.

1. Free Education Grant from thebeginning for girls high schools

2. Anti- Dowry law

3. Domestic violence law

4. National Commission for women

Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be to him) loved children. He said that he had fathered children especially girls. Dr. Gustavli Baan in his book Arab Civilization writes about an incident. Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be to him) seated a girl on his lap, feeding her and kissing her when a person named Qais Shaikh Bani Tamim arrived and asked the Prophet whose child it was. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be to him) replied: “It is my child.” Shaikh replied: “Oh! God! I have had many daughters but I buried them all alive and did not feed any one.” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be to him) said, “O unfortunate person! It seems Allah has not instilled in your heart any kind of love for human beings. You are deprived of a great bounty that is given to man.”

When a child was brought to Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be to him), he kissed the child and said: “Children are Allah’s flowers.” (Mishkath) He even used to have fun with children. He loved his daughter Fatima immensely. Whenever he left Madinah, before leaving he would meet her and on returning Fatima would be the first person the Prophet would go to. Qatada reports that once the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be to him) carried his grand-daughter, Amama on his shoulder to Masjid and said prayers keeping the girl on shoulder only. When he bent down (in Ruku) he put her on ground and again took her on the shoulder. This was his rectitude for children.

He motivated his followers to bring up girls. Here are some of his sayings in this regard:

“The one who brings up two girls till they are grown up (attain maturity), on the Day of Judgment he will be with me like this” (He showed his two fingers joined). (Muslim)

“The one who nurtures three daughters or sisters, teaches and trains them in etiquette, loves them until they become independent, Jannath (heaven) is an obligation on him.” One of the listeners asked if one had only two daughters and got reply that the same reward is there for him too.

“The one who is put to test by two daughters and if he behaves well with them, the girls will become shields for him from hell.” (Bukhari)

“If one is given a girl-child and if one doesn’t bury her alive, doesn’t insult her, doesn’t prefer son over her, Allah will enter him in heaven.” (Abu Dawood)

Prior to Hijrat (Muhammad’s leaving Makkah and settling down in Madinah) some people of Madinah took oath at the hands of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be to him) at a place named Ukaba. Ubada bin Samit was one of them. He says that one of the points on which they took oath was that they would not kill their children. In many other sayings and at many other instances Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be to him) highly regarded children. Now it is time for us to put the teachings of Islam about foeticide in practice and bring up children, especially the girls, accordingly.