voices of faith

May 22, 2010 at 12:00a.m.

McClatchy Newspapers

Q. In your faith, when does human life begin?

A. A.M. Bhattacharyya, an active member of Hindu community: In Hindu theology, there is a clear distinction between the physical body and the inner consciousness, which is the ultimate source of the body’s driving force. The body is a material product, subject to birth, growth and decay. The inner consciousness, also called “self” or “soul,” is one with God, and therefore, it is pure, divine and immortal.

According to the Law of Karma and Reincarnation, when a person dies, the soul leaves the body with the subtle impressions of the person’s accumulated karma at the moment of death. Thereafter, the soul with the karmic impressions of the previous life enters into a growing fetus in a mother’s womb. At what stage?

The Hindu scripture Garbha Upanisad gives detailed information about the stages of development of a fetus in the mother’s womb.

According to this scripture, body (embryo) is created at conception and starts growing. At the end of one month, embryo gets “solidified.” At the end of three months, it starts taking the shape. At the end of six months, a human body with limbs is formed. The “life force” enters the body in the seventh month.

Nevertheless, Hindu ethics go against willful termination of a fetus at any stage of fetal growth, unless the mother’s life is in danger. One of the cardinal Vedic teachings is, “Killing a fetus is a great sin.”

A. Syed E. Hasan, Ph.D., Islamic Research Foundation International: There are different interpretations of the question among Muslim scholars, but most agree that human life begins in the mother’s womb 120 days from conception.

Several well-authenticated Hadith (compilation of words and deeds of Prophet Muhammad) tell us that 120 days following conception, Allah orders an angel to infuse a part of his spirit into the growing fetus after certain aspects of the individual’s life — such as his or her life span and time of death, sustenance and traits of character — have been determined.

Verse 9 of Chapter 32 of the Quran states: “But He fashioned him in due proportion, and breathed into him something of His spirit. And He gave you [the faculties of] hearing and sight and feeling (and understanding)...”

It is worth pointing out that according to modern science of embryology, four months is the time when air sacs begin to form in the lungs, and the chest moves up and down as the baby breathes amniotic fluid to mimic breathing; the baby is able to hear, and the nervous system is quite well-developed.

According to general consensus, 120 days marks the beginning of human life and entitles the growing fetus to rights as an individual and lineage. It must be added that abortion is prohibited in Islam, except under life-threatening or dire medical conditions, and intentional abortion after 120 days is considered murder.

2010, The Kansas City Star