Mumbai, Sep 20 Actress Swara Bhasker, who has carved a niche in Bollywood with her acting skills, has said that she still feels like a student at heart, and she asks too many questions to her directors and writers while shooting a film.
Swara was interacting with the media at the Celebrate Cinema Festival 2019 organised by Whistling Woods International along with Meghna Ghai Puri, Prakash Jha, Hrithik Roshan, Neeraj Ghaywan and Anjum Rajabali on Friday in Mumbai. She was a panelist at the festival.
"I never believe I have made a transition from being a student to a panelist. I feel I am still a student at heart because I have so many questions to ask and I realise that when I am working on a film set. My approach for every role is like a student. I make notes out of scripts and I ask too many questions to the director and writer while shooting for a film. I enjoy doing that," said Swara, who has worked in films such as the "Tanu Weds Manu" series, "Raanjhanaa", "Prem Ratan Dhan Payo", "Nil Battey Sannata" and "Veere Di Wedding".
Sharing her feeling about attending Celebrate Cinema Festival 2019 as a panelist, Swara said: "I feel that it is very necessary to have freedom of discussion and freedom of raising questions in an educational institution. I feel if you are not raising your doubts or questions in an educational institution, then you will not be able to learn properly. Discussion and knowledge shouldn''t be restricted. It should be made available to everyone. I feel this kind of festivals makes it possible for students to gather knowledge beyond their classrooms."
Talking about her next projects, Swara said: "I am producing my next film and I will act in it as well. Right now, it''s in scripting stage and it''s about to go on floors. I have also written the story for one film, and soon it will go on floors, too. My next release would be a web series titled ''Rasbhari'' which will be streamed on Amazon Prime Videos."
Swara Bhasker was last seen in "Veere Di Wedding" (2018) along with Kareena Kapoor, Sonam Kapoor and Shikha Talsania.
Mumbai, Sep 20 Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli's throwback moment on Twitter has set off a buzz, with fans comparing his hairstyle from the younger days with Salman Khans distinct hairdo in the hit movie "Tere Naam".
On Friday, Virat took to Twitter to share the throwback photograph of himself.
Me looking at my younger self going 🙅♂️🤦♂️. #throwback #16yearsold pic.twitter.com/EMFtD7TMnl
— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) September 20, 2019
"Me looking at my younger self going #Throwback #16yearsold," he wrote along with the photograph.
In the first image, the style icon can be seen posing for a portrait photograph in his teens, and in the second he looks fit in a casual T-shirt.
For the fans, the image brought them memories of Salman's character Radhey in "Tere Naam", and his iconic hairstyle.
"Your younger hairstyle was the same as Salman Khan hairstyle in 'Tere Naam'," one user wrote, while another exclaimed: "Wow".
Mumbai, Sep 20 Sanjay Dutt has penned a heartfelt note for Mahesh Bhatt on the latters birthday, expressing his gratitude to the veteran filmmaker for standing by him at a time when he needed a friend.
"I read somewhere that a friend is someone who understands your past, believes in your future and accepts you just the way you are. Luckily, I got to experience this kind of friendship with you. When the entire world turned their blind eye to me, you were standing tall right beside me. On your 71st birthday, accept this letter as a token of gratitude for everything you have done for my family and me," Dutt wrote on Twitter.
Happy Birthday Bhatt sahab 🙏 @MaheshNBhatt pic.twitter.com/BdEfvjskWT
— Sanjay Dutt (@duttsanjay) September 20, 2019
Talking about their friendship, the "Sadak" actor wrote: "Like an old couple, we have become veterans in the film industry sailing in the same ship which keeps gliding even in the stormiest night…Besides, professionally, you are my biggest support system. Your unwavering faith gave me courage in the darkest time of my life. You are a living inspiration for everyone who knows you."
Sanjay Dutt has worked in Mahesh Bhatt films such as "Sadak" (1991), "Naam" (1986), "Gumrah" (1993) and "Kartoos" (1999). The actor-director duo pairs up again for "Sadak 2", a sequel to the 1991 romantic-thriller "Sadak", which starred Sanjay Dutt with Pooja Bhatt.
"Sadak 2" features Dutt and Pooja with Alia Bhatt and Aditya Roy Kapoor, and is expected to hit theatres in July next year.
Mumbai, Sep 20 Alia Bhatt happily struck a pose with "Sun raha hai na tu" hitmaker Ankit Tiwari's daughter Aryaa, who was named by the actress' father and filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt.
Ankit took to Instagram to post a photo in which Alia is smiling at the camera and Aryaa is comfortably resting on shoulder of a woman.
"No caption needed. Aryaa and Alia. Both are looking sweet hai na? @aliaabhatt
#aryaatiwari #aliabhatt #alia #alia #AnkitTiwari #ankittiwarionline #ankititansfans #ankitiwarilive," he captioned it.
The Bhatt family and Ankit share a close bond.
Ankit had earlier told IANS: "Bhatt Saab gave me a break and introduced me to this industry. Whatever I am today is because of him. And for my daughter, I wanted the same. After her arrival, I wanted her to seek Bhatt Saab's blessings."
The singer-composer even wished Mahesh Bhatt on his birthday on Friday.
"#happybirthday @maheshfilm sir. You are like my teacher Sir. A teacher who is more than a friend, a guide, a mentor ,a source of inspiration. Many many happy returns of the day sir, hope it brings joy and happiness in the coming year. #happybirthday #maheshbhatt @poojab1972 @aliaabhatt #Sadak2 #thankful #positivevibes," he posted on Instagram.
Mumbai, Sep 20 Alia Bhatt has a super-cute birthday message for dad Mahesh Bhatt, who she calls "a good guy", the "best", the "wisest", "funny" and "super-talented".
Alia took to Twitter on Friday and posted, "Hey pops. It's been great knowing you for the last 26 years.. you're a good guy. Probably the best.. also the wisest.. also you're very funny.. did I tell you I think you're super talented too? Happy Birthday Daddy There is NO ONE like you..I love you @MaheshNBhatt".
On the work front, the filmmaker is coming up with "Sadak 2", a sequel to the 1991 romantic thriller "Sadak" which starred his daughter Pooja Bhatt and Sanjay Dutt. "Sadak 2" also stars Sanjay Dutt, Pooja Bhatt and Alia Bhatt along with other actors.
Mumbai, Sep 20 Bollywood actor Arjun Kapoor has hilariously trolled actress Alia Bhatt over her African safari Vlog.
Alia, who recently went on vacation with her reported beau and actor Ranbir Kapoor in Kenya, took to Instagram to announce her latest Vlog from the trip.
In the video, the "Raazi" actress can be seen savouring the local cuisine, interacting with the locals and embracing all things wild.
She ends the video saying: "Even if you spot a lion or a buffalo, just try to stand completely still, they'll walk away. If you run, they'll chase you."
Before sharing her YouTube video, Alia shared a candid pic of herself, which she captioned as, "Welcome to the jungle New vlog on my beautiful African Safari now up.. Link in bio."
Responding to the caption, Arjun wrote that it's 'Vlog' and not 'vlog', as the "Udta Punjab" actress had written.
Following this, Alia's best friend Akansha Ranjan Kapoor took the actress's side.
Giving it back to Arjun for trolling Alia, Akansha wrote: "It's a millennial thing. Tum naghi samjhoge."
New Delhi, Sep 20 Indian talent shines bright in the nomination list for this years International Emmy Awards, but don't confuse it with the Primetime Emmy awards gala.
India has got several nods at the 2019 International Emmy Awards, and all the credit goes to Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.
Saif Ali Khan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui's "Sacred Games" has bagged nomination in the Best Drama section, and Netflix's anthology "Lust Stories" has been nominated under the Best Miniseries category. Actress Radhika Apte has been nominated for Best Actress for her performance in "Lust Stories", and Sunidhi Chauhan's "The Remix" is competing in the non-scripted entertainment category with nominees from Argentina, Belgium and the UK.
There's a catch here.
The International Emmy awards are a separate event from the main awards -- known as the Primetime Emmy Awards -- which recognises shows produced in the US. In fact, they have a much greater legacy because they have been around since 1949.
The 71st Primetime gala, which are bestowed by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, will be held on September 22 in Los Angeles, while the International Emmy Awards will be held on November 25 in New York.
Sunday's Primetime gala will honour the best of the small screen of last year, with "Game Of Thrones", "Chernobyl", "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel", "Barry" and "Fosse/Verdon" being in contention for top awards.
The International Emmy Awards on the other hand recognises excellence in television programming produced outside the US. They are presented annually by the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences since 1973. The 47th edition of the award will be held in November in New York.
When it comes to this year's International Emmy Awards nominations, which span 21 countries across 11 categories, Brazil and the UK lead the pack.
There's more to the Emmy story.
American daytime television programming is honoured with the Daytime Emmy Awards, generally held in May or June. Then there's Sports Emmys to recognise the best in sports programming, and News and Documentary Emmys to spot the best in national news and documentary programming.
Creatives working on significant developments on the engineering and technological aspects of television are honoured by the Primetime Engineering Emmy Awards. There's a regional chapter in the whole story with around 20 bodies in the US handing out Regional Emmys to identify great talent in the regional television markets.
In addition, there are Emmy awards for excellent students, highest achievement Emmy and an Emmy to recognise great public service.
By Arundhuti Banerjee
Mumbai, Sep 20 The National award-winning actress Priyamani, who stars in the web series "The Family Man" alongside Manoj Bajpayee, says, without degrading what other actors may feel about the issue, she avoids intimate scenes because such content is not suitable for a family audience.
"I do not want to associate myself with sexual content on the webspace. Honestly, I understand that as an actor I should be comfortable with playing different characters. I am also not degrading those actors who are part of stories that require intimate scenes, but as an actress, I wouldn't be doing any scene that requires smooching and making out. I am not comfortable," Priyamani told IANS.
The new web series, streaming on Amazon Prime Video from Friday, tells the story of a middle-aged, middle-class commoner who is on a mission to achieve something extraordinary in order to protect the country.
Priyamani plays his wife.
Sharing the insight of her character in the show, the celebrated south Indian actress said: "My character Suchitra is a housewife who is constantly balancing everything in her life including her family. I think women have the natural ability to do multi-tasking."
"So when her husband is not there, she becomes the father of the children and spends quality time with them. She is the boss of the house but at the same time she has the desire to explore new opportunity as a professional," she said.
"As a wife, since she does not know what her husband really does, and living under the impression that he is a government officer who does a desk job, she misunderstood her husband. in the course of the narrative, however, she discovers more, about her husband," she added.
Starting her a career in 2003 with the Tamil film "Ullam", Priyamani has acted in films like "Paruthiveeran", "Thirakkatha", "Mana Oori", and "Ramayanam" among others.
While the actress is interested in exploring more opportunities in Hindi cinema, she hopes the show will help her get a lot of film offers, but she mentioned that she would not be able to wear the bikini, like many other mainstream Bollywood heroines.
"When I wore the swimsuit for the first time in one of my earlier films, I received flak from people who asked me why I was doing so, and if I was trying to build a ‘glamourous' image. In south India, the audience is more traditional than the Bollywood cinegoers. Having said that I applaud those girls who have the confidence to flaunt their skin very gracefully on-screen. It is just that I am not comfortable with that idea," said Priyamani.
The show "The Family Man" is directed by Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK. The show also features Sharib Hashmi, Darshan Kumar, Gul Panag, Dalip Tahil among others.
(Arundhuti Banerjee can be contacted at arundhuti.b@ians.in)
New Delhi, Sep 20 Radhika Apte says it's a great feeling to be nominated in the Best Performance By An Actress at the International Emmy Awards for her act in the Netflix anthology "Lust Stories".Nominations for the 2019 International Emmy Awards were announced on Thursday by the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.
Radhika will compete against Jenna Coleman from the UK, Brazil's Marjorie Estiano and Marina Gera from Hungary. "Lust Stories" is also nominated in the TV Movie/ Mini-Series category.
"It's a great feeling to be appreciated for your efforts and also I'm thrilled that Indian content is at par with today's world television," Radhika said exclusively to IANS.
"The new digital platforms have made it possible for us to better our content and have given us the platform to put it up. I'm absolutely thrilled that both 'Sacred Games' and 'Lust Stories' are nominated," she added.
"Sacred Games", featuring Radhika, has a chance to win in the Drama Series category at the awards ceremony, which will be held on November 25 in New York.
Jaipur, Sep 20 The Rajasthan High Court on Friday ordered the quashing of an FIR lodged against Bollywood film producer Boney Kapoor on charges of duping an investor of Rs 2.5 crore in the name of organising a Celebrity Cricket League.
The alleged victim, Praveen Shyam Sethi, a resident of Ramnagaria in Jagatpura, registered an FIR in June this year against three people namely Boney Kapoor, one Mustafa Raj and the director of the Signature Cricket League -- Pawan Jangid -- for allegedly duping him in the name of unrealistic returns on his investment in the Celebrity Cricket League.
The complainant and his friend made a huge investment, but the league was not organised. Hence, an FIR was lodged at Pratap Nagar police station.
A legal team from Boney Kapoor's office confirmed that the FIR has been quashed against him but not against the other two accused. The order copy from the court is yet to come but the judgement is out.
In his plea, Kapoor said that knowing Mustafa, he attended the press conference at his request but he never collected any money from him.
The court had reserved the verdict on September 16 after hearing both the sides and on Friday, while announcing the verdict, it quashed the FIR against Kapoor.
Roo-ba-Roo (Face to Face)
![The Qur’an describes Muslims committed to its mores as “a moderate nation,” and that sense of balance qualifies them to stand as “witnesses over humanity” (Q 2:143). Contemporary Muslims revel in this assertion, especially when it seems that “Islam” proposes a via media solution to a highly polarizing subject as abortion. What currently constitutes “Islam” on a given topic, however, often reflects the personal prerogative apparently offered to the average Muslim by a list of diverse legal perspectives. In other words, the mere fact that multiple legal opinions exist on one or more topics is now taken as license to appropriate any one of them, without any deep ethical reflection on the implications of the opinion, however anomalous it may be. “Islam is the golden mean between all ethical extremes” is what certain Muslims would assert. So if one extreme bars abortion under all circumstances and the other seeks to allow it throughout the duration of the pregnancy, one would assume that Islam must land somewhere in the middle, both forbidding and allowing abortion in certain circumstances. This moral assumption isn’t far from the truth. However, the mere existence of multiple opinions on a topic does not mean that each opinion has equal validity, nor does it mean that every opinion is valid for one to adopt. Similarly, “Islam” or “Islamic law” cannot be summed up into a simple formula like “majority rules” or “when in doubt about prohibition or allowance, the action is, therefore, merely disliked.” Legal positivism plagues both religious and secular-minded people. Just as an act does not acquire its moral strength simply because it is legal, morally appropriate opinions are not always codified into law. If it is true that any unjust law is no law at all, where is the injustice and to whom is it being perpetrated against in the debate between pro-lifers and pro-choicers? Is it deemed unjust to prevent a pregnant woman from disposing of an “insignificant lifeless part of her body” that no one other than herself should be able to decide what to do with? Or is one “depriving a helpless growing person” of the opportunity and right to exist after its Creator initiated its journey into the world? Does a law that prevents a woman impregnated by a family member or rapist from an abortion oppress her? Or does such a law protect the life of a vulnerable fetus, who, like other weak members of society, is expected to be protected by the strong? Does it do both or neither? And if one is taking the “life” of this fetus, what proof is there that it is a living creature? While these are all extremely important questions, this missive is neither intended necessarily to answer them nor to resolve today’s raging political debate. The main goal here is to offer ideas that should be on the minds of Muslims when deciding to join such debates or promoting the idea that their “religion” provides the best solution to social polarization, when by “religion” we mean the opinion of a small minority of scholars in some place and time in Muslim history. Islamic law is very sophisticated; the legislative process is not facile, nor is it a place where any Muslim is entitled to pragmatically select the opinions that he/she finds attractive and accommodating. It demands knowledge of particular aims, the ability to properly realize those aims in the lives of people, and understanding the epistemic and metaphysical foundations that ensure that judgments conform to coherent rationale. In other words, the laws of Islam and the opinions of jurists cannot be divorced from their philosophical and evidentiary underpinnings. Otherwise, the thread holding the moral tapestry of Islam together falls apart completely at its seams. Is Abortion Lawful in Islam? Many past and present have written about the Islamic view of abortion. The ancient scholars prohibited it at all stages of the pregnancy and made practically no exception. Some would later allow for it only if the mother’s life was in danger. That notwithstanding, six popular legal opinions exist regarding abortion: Unlawful (haram), in all stages of the pregnancy. Permitted (ja’iz), during the first 40 days but unlawful (haram) afterwards. Disliked (makruh), before the passage of 40 days but unlawful (haram) afterwards. Permitted (ja’iz), if it is from illicit intercourse (zina). Permitted (ja’iz) without conditions, before 120 days. Permitted only for a legitimate excuse. The late mufti of Fez, Morocco, Shaykh Muhammad Al-Ta’wil (d. 2015) said, The first opinion forbidding that during the [first] 40 [days] and beyond, regardless of whether or not it is due to an excuse, even if from illicit intercourse, is the view of the supermajority [of jurists].[1] The Qur’an is a Book of Ethical Teaching The reasons for the cavalier attitude among contemporary Muslims about abortion are multiple. The most significant reason may be that at times Islam is seen as a synonym for shariah. The truth, however, is that the shariah is only part of Islam. Islam covers law (fiqh), creed (aqidah), and ethics (akhlaq). Even though the Qur’an consists of laws, it is not a book of law. It is a book of ethical teachings. Merely 10%–12% of the Qur’an relates to legal injunctions. It is not characteristic of the Qur’an to enjoin upon Muslims to command what is “compulsory” or “recommended” and to forbid what is “unlawful” and “disliked.” What is common though is for it to command us to do what is “ma’ruf” and to avoid what is “munkar.” “Ma’ruf” and “munkar” can be translated respectively as “what is socially commendable” and “what is socially condemnatory.” This is in spite of the fact that social acceptability and unacceptability are often subjective. This does not mean that the Qur’an is morally relativistic. It is quite the contrary. What this means, however, is that the Qur’an’s aim is not merely to teach Muslims what one can and cannot do. It means, rather, that the Qur’an has a greater concern with what Muslims “should” and “should not” do. For this very reason, the companions of the Prophet seldom differentiated between his encouragement and discouragement of acts by the juristic values of disliked, unlawful, recommended, and compulsory. Rather, if the Prophet encouraged something beneficial, they complied. And, if he discouraged from something potentially harmful, they refrained. The Qur’an permits many actions. However, to permit an act is not equivalent to encouraging it. It permits polygyny (Q 4:3), the enslavement of non-Muslim war captives (Q 8:70), and marrying the sister of one’s ex-wife (Q 4:23). Similarly, some Muslim jurists validate marriage agreements wherein the man secretly intends to divorce the woman after a certain period of time known only to him.[2] This is the case, even though the average Muslim man is monogamous; practically no Muslim today believes it is moral to enslave a person; the vast majority of Muslims find the marriage of one’s sister-in-law upon the death of one’s wife to be taboo; and they chide men who marry with a temporary intention of marriage. If the mere existence of permission or legal opinion permitting a socially condemnable act is a legitimate reason to adopt it, why would Muslims be uneasy about these cases but inclined to take a different stance when it comes to abortion? The proper Islamic position on any given issue of public or private concern should not only consider what the law or jurists have to say about the topic. Rather, one should also consider how theology and ethics connect with those laws or opinions. That is to say, one should ask, “What wisdom does God seek to realize from this injunction or opinion?” assuming that such a wisdom can be identified. Secondly, one need ask, “Who and how many will be helped or harmed if this action is undertaken?” The Qur’an is the primary source of Islam’s ethics. And, one often observes a major difference between its morality and the morality validated by certain jurists, often lacking a clear connection to Qur’anic and prophetic precepts. That notwithstanding, a juristic opinion can sometimes masquerade as one that is authentically Islamic, especially when it aims to appease or assuage a social or political concern. Consequently, one finds some contemporary scholars championing opinions simply because they exist, like that of mainstream Shafi’is who traditionally argued that the reason for jihad was to rid the world of unIslamic doctrines (kufr); or certain contemporaries who validated taking of the lives of innocent women, children, and other non-combatants in suicide bombings; those who endorsed the execution of Jews for converting to Christianity and vice versa;[3] or others who classified slaves as animals rather than human beings?[4] For, surely, there are Muslim jurists who validate each one of these opinions, despite their evidentiary weakness. Hence, simply because there is an opinion allowing for abortions does not necessarily mean that it is something Islam allows, even in cases of rape and incest. When Does Life Begin? Medieval Muslim scholars, naturally, lacked the scientific tools that we have today to determine whether or not the fetus growing in its mother’s womb was actually a viable creation and a living creature from conception. Other than when the fetus first showed signs of movement in its mother’s belly, scholars took their cues from the Qur’an and prophetic tradition on when the fetus possessed a soul or if it did so at all. For this reason, very few scholars have offered clear answers to the question of when human life begins, while they agreed that upon 120 days, the child is definitely a living person. According to the Andalusian scholar of Seville, Ibn al-‘Arabi (d. 1148), The child has three states: 1) one state prior to coming into [material] existence …, 2) a state after the womb takes hold of the sperm …, and 3) a state after its formation and before the soul is breathed into it …, and when the soul is breathed into it, it is the taking of a life. [5] Al-Ghazzali (d. 1111) said, Coitus interruptus (‘azl) is not like abortion and infanticide (wa’d) because it [abortion] is a crime against an actualized existence (mawjud hasil). And, it has stages, the first being the stage of the sperm entering into the womb, then mixing with the woman’s fluid, and then preparing for the acceptance of life. To disturb that is a crime. Then, if it becomes a clot (‘alaqah) or a lump (mudghah), the crime is more severe. Then, if the soul is breathed into it and the physical form is established, the crime increases in gravity. [6] These are some of the most explicit statements from Medieval Muslim scholars; they deemed that life begins at inception. The Qur’an states, “Does man think that he will be left for naught (sudan)? Was he not a sperm-drop ejected from sexual fluid?” (75:36-37). In other words, the “sperm-drop” phase is the start of human existence, and existence is the basis for human dignity, as with other living creatures. The human being was a “sperm-drop.” If that is so, this strongly suggests that meddling with this fluid, even before the fetus begins to grow and develop limbs and organs, would be to violate the sanctity of a protected creature. The Qur’an further says, “Did We not create you from a despicable fluid? And then, We placed you in a firm resting place, until a defined scope” (Q 77:20-22). The use of the second person plural pronoun (you) in these verses strongly suggests that the start of human life begins at inception. This is not to mention the multiple verses forbidding one from killing one’s children due to poverty, fear of poverty, or out of shame or folly. The Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) similarly offers sufficient indication that even though the fetus is not fully formed, it is still an actualized existence and living creature. The Prophet reportedly said, “The miscarried fetus will remain humbly lying with its face down at the gates of heaven saying, ‘I will only enter when my parents do.’”[7] Similarly, it is reported that when the second caliph ‘Umar b. al-Khattab ordered that an adulteress discovered to be pregnant be stoned to death, the companion, Mu’adh b. Jabal, said to him, “Even if you have a right to punish her, you do not have a right to punish what is in her belly.”[8] The Prophet and his followers after him never executed a pregnant woman guilty of a capital crime until she gave birth and someone had taken on the care of the child. In addition, they imposed a hefty fine on those who were directly responsible for a woman’s miscarriage.[9] All of this indicates that the fetus is to be respected from the time the male’s sperm reaches the ovum of the woman. Imam Al-Razi’s Ethical Reflection on the Qur’anic Verse, 6:140 God says in the Qur’an, “Ruined are those who murder their children foolishly without knowledge and forbid what God has provided them with while inventing falsehoods against God. They have strayed and are not guided aright” (6:140). About this verse, Imam Fakr al-Din al-Razi (d. 1210) comments, Many issues relate to the verse: the first issue is that God mentioned, in the preceding verse, their murder of their children while depriving themselves of the sustenance that God provided them with. Then, God brings these two matters together in this verse while clarifying to them all that is a logical consequence of this judgment, such as ruin, folly, lack of knowledge, the deprivation of what God has provided them, false statements against God, straying, and the privation of guidance. So these are seven characteristics, each of which is an independent cause for censure. The first is ruin (khusran), and that is because a child is an immense blessing from God upon a person, so when one strives to terminate its existence, he/she suffers great ruin and especially deserves great censure in life and a severe punishment in the hereafter due to terminating its existence. Censure in life is warranted because people say one has murdered one’s child out of fear of it eating one’s food. And there is no censure in life greater than such. Punishment in the hereafter is warranted because the closeness resulting from childbirth is one of the greatest sources of love. Then, upon achieving it, one sets out to deliver the greatest of harms to it [the child], thereby committing one of the gravest sins. As a consequence, one of the greatest punishments is warranted. The second is folly (safahah), which is an expression of condemnable frivolousness. That is because the murder of the child is only committed in light of the fear of poverty. And, even though poverty is itself a harm, murder is a much graver harm. Additionally, this murder is actualized, while the poverty [feared] is merely potential (mawhum). So enforcing the maximum harm in anticipation of a potential minimal harm is, without doubt, folly. The third regards God’s saying, “without knowledge.” The intent is that this folly was only born of the absence of knowledge. And there is no doubt that ignorance is one of the most objectionable and despicable of things. The fourth regards depriving one’s self of what God has made lawful. It is also one of the worst kinds of stupidity, because one denies one’s self those benefits and good things, becoming entitled by reason of that deprivation of the severest torment and chastisement. The fifth is blaspheming God. And it is known that boldness against God and blaspheming Him is one of the cardinal sins. The sixth is straying from prudence (rushd) with relation to the interests of the faith (din) and the benefits found in the world. The seventh is that they are not guided aright. The benefit of it is that a person might stray from the truth but may return to proper guidance. So God clarifies that they have strayed without ever obtaining proper direction. So it is established that God has censured those described as having murdered children and denied what God has made lawful for them, with these seven characteristics necessitating the worse types of censure. And that is the ultimate hyperbole.[10] The Ethical Contentions of a Moroccan Mufti We have already quoted Shaykh Muhammad Al-Ta’wil of Morocco. Like the medieval scholars, he maintained a very conservative opinion on abortion, allowing it only if the mother’s life was at risk. The following is a list of his nine ethical contentions against abortion and those scholarly opinions allowing it. The bulk of what follows is a literal translation of his views. Regarding why abortion is immoral, he says: Firstly, it is a transgression against a vulnerable creature who has committed neither sin nor crime, a denial of it from its right to existence and life that God has given it and Islam has guaranteed as well as the taking of a life in some situations. Secondly, it is a clear challenge to God’s will and a demonstratively defiant act meant to stubbornly contend with God’s action, creative will, and judgment. And that manifests itself in the murder of what God has created, the voiding of its existence, and a commission of what He deems unlawful. Thirdly, it a decisively demonstrative proof of hard-heartedness, the absence of mercy, and the loss of motherly and fatherly affection or rather the loss of humanity from the hearts of those who daringly undertake the act of abortion with dead hearts and wicked dark souls. Fourthly, it is the epitome of self-centeredness, selfishness, narcissism, and sacrifice of what is most precious¾one’s own flesh and blood, sons and daughters¾to gratify the self and enjoy life and its attractions far away from the screams of infants, the troubles of children, and the fatigue resulting from them. Fifthly, it is a practical expression of one’s bad opinion of God, the lack of trust in His promise to which He decisively bounded Himself to guarantee the sustenance of His creation and servants. It also shows ignorance of His saying, “And, there is not a single creature on earth except that God is responsible for its sustenance, just as He knows its resting place and place from which it departs. Every thing is in a manifest record (Q 11:6); as well as His saying, “And do not kill your children due to poverty. We will provide for you as well as for them” (Q 6:151); in addition to His saying, “And, do not kill your children out of fear of poverty. We will provide for them and for you” (Q 17:31). This is in addition to other verses and prophetic traditions that indicate that all provisions are in God’s control and that no soul will die until it exacts its sustenance in full as the Prophet said. Sixthly, it is a bloody war against the Islamic goal, introduced by the Prophet and to which he called and strongly encouraged, of population growth and increase in posterity. Seventhly, it undermines the aims of the Islamic moral code that considers the preservation of offspring to be one of the five essentials upon which the sanctified revealed moral code is built. Eighthly, it goes against the nature to which God has disposed both animals and human beings to of love of children, childbearing, and the survival of progeny…. Ninthly, it is the grossest display of bad manners towards God and the epitome of ingratitude towards a blessing and the rejection of it. And that is because both pregnancy and children are among God’s favors upon His servants and among His gifts to the expectant mother and her husband. These are some important matters of consideration. Every Muslim, woman, and man, will ultimately need to decide what burdens he/she is prepared to meet God with. While abortion is an emotionally charged matter, especially in Western politics, emotions play no role in the right or wrong of legislation. Although our laws currently may not consider a fetus aborted before its survival outside of the womb to be viable, the Muslim who understands that legal positivism does not trump objective or moral truths should be more conscientious and less cavalier in his/her attitude about the taking of life and removing the viability of life. [1] Al-Ta’wil, Muhammad b. Muhammad b. Qasim. Shadharat al-Dhahab fi ma jadda fi Qadaya al-Nikah wa al-Talaq wa al-Nasab. Hollad: Sunni Pubs, 2010, p. 148. [2] Muhammad b. ‘Abd Al-Baqi Al-Zurqani quotes Ibn ‘Abd Al-Barr as saying, They unanimously agreed that anyone who marries without mention of a particular condition while having the intention to remain with her for a period that he has in mind is permitted (ja’iz), and it is not a temporary marriage. However, Malik said this is not an attractive thing to do (laysi hadha min al-jamil). Nor is it part the conduct of moral people (la min akhlaq al-nas). Al-‘Awza’i took a solitary view saying that it is a temporary marriage. And, there is no good in it (la khayra fihi). ‘Ayyad stated it. Al-Zurqani, Muhammad b. ‘Abd Al-Baqi b. Yusuf. Sharh al-Zurqani ‘ala Muwatta’ al-Imam Malik. Beirut: Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, (no date), 3/201. [3] Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-‘Asqalani said about the prophetic tradition, “Kill whoever changes his lifepath”, “Some Shafi’i jurists clung to it concerning the killing of anyone who changes from one non-Islamic faith to another non-Islamic faith (din kufr)…” Al-‘Asqalani, Ahmad b. ‘Ali b. Hajar. Fath Al-Bari Sharh Sahih al-Bukhari. Muhammad Fu’ad ‘Abd Al-Baqi Edition. Riyadh: Al-Maktabah Al-Salafiyyah, (no date), 12/272. [4] Al-Ra’ini, Muhammad al-Hattab. Qurrah al-‘Ayn bi Sharh Waraqat al-Imam al-Haramayn. Beirut: Mu’assassah al-Kutub al-Thaqafiyyah, 2013, p. 78. [5] Al-Wazzani, Abu ‘Isa Sidi al-Mahdi. Al-Nawazil Al-Jadidah Al-Kubra fi ma li Ahl Fas wa ghayrihim min al-Badw wa al-Qura al-Musammah bi Al-Mi’yar Al-Jadid Al-Jami’ Al-Mu’rib ‘an Fatawa al-Muta’akhkhirin min ‘Ulama al-Maghrib. Rabat: Wizarah al-Awqaf wa al-Shu’un al-Islamiyyah, 1997, 3/376. [6] Al-Ghazali, Muhammad Abu Hamid. Ihya ‘Ulum al-Din. Beirut: Dar Ibn Hazm, p. 491. [7] This is how Qadi Abu Bakr b. al-‘Arabi relates the report as related by Al-Wazzani in his Nawazil 3/376. In the Musnad of Abu Hanifah, however, the Prophet reportedly said, “You will see the miscarried fetus filled with rage.” When it is asked, “Enter Paradise”, it will respond, “Not until my parents come in [too].” Al-Hanafi, Mulla ‘Ali Al-Qari. Sharh Musnad Abi Hanifah. Beirut: Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, 1985, p. 252. [8] Ibn ‘Asakir, Abu al-Qasim ‘Ali b. al-Hasan. Tarikh Madinah Dimashq wa Dhikr Fadliha wa Tasmiyah man hallaha min al-Amathil aw ijtaza bi Nawahiha min Waridiha wa Ahliha. Beirut: Dar al-Fikr, 1997, p. 342. [9] Among the fines due for causing the miscarriage of a fetus are: 1) prison or flogging; 2) the penance for murder (kaffarah), which is the freeing of a slave, fasting two consecutive months which is compulsory for Shafi’is and recommended for Malikis; and 3) the gifting of a slave to the woman who lost her child. [10] Al-Razi, Fakr al-Dina. Tafsir al-Fakr al-Razi al-Mushtahir bi Al-Tafsir Al-Kabir wa Mafatih al-Ghayb. Beirut: Dar al-Fikr, 1981, pp. 220-221 Related Topics: abortion Ethics Featured Fiqh Islam muslims](https://cdn.bdc-tv.com/2019/06/Leonardo-770x513.jpg)
