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[quote][b]Stem cell research[/b]

Dear All,
Assalamoalaikum wa Rahmatu(A)llahe wabarakatohoo

What I am going to write is based on the little knowledge that I have of the Holy Quran and the Hadeeth of the Holy prophet (salAllahoalaihe wasallam).

In the Holy Quran, Allah Almighty has clearly stated that the creation and development of man in the womb of the Mother is a sign of God, which is relevant in order to understand the concept of resurrection and the life hereafter.

[i][22:5] O people, if you are in doubt concerning the Resurrection, then consider that We have indeed created you from dust, then from a sperm drop, then from clotted blood, then from a lump of flesh, partly formed and partly unformed, in order that We make Our power manifest to you. And We cause what We will to remain in the wombs for an appointed term; then We bring you forth as babes; then We rear you that you may attain to your age of full strength. And there are some of you who are caused to die in the normal course, and there are others among you are kept back till the worst part of life with the result that they know nothing after having had knowledge. And thou seest the earth lifeless, but when We send down water thereon it stirs and swells and grows every kind of beauteous vegetation.   [/i]

In this beautiful passage, the various stages of Human development in the Mother’s womb and then a brief summary of mna's sojourn on this Earth is mentioned.

In response to the the question as to whether embryonic stem cell research is valid, my personal view is as follows:

The primary bases for judging of all actions, in light of the Hadeeth of Sahih Bukhari (Hadith No. 1 related on the authority of Umar Ibne Khattab [i]raziAllah anho[/i])  are the "intentions" of the person who performs the action. 
In matters of religious devotion such as Salat etc. this hadeeth is easily understood.  In matters such as the permissibility of stem cell research, however the matter becomes slightly more complicated.

The purpose of doing something, also known in the parlance of  Fiqh is called [i]Maqasid[/i]. It is important to understand that because stem cell research is an off shoot of In vitro fertilisation in most cases, therefore from an Islamic viewpoint one has to make sure that the methods used right from the beginning are permissible in terms of Islamic ethics and teaching and that the objectives of such research are also clearly defined. These two principles are well developed in all fields of biomedical research and the ethical committees which exist in order to monitor all research in the fields of medicine and biology,  throughout the developed world do a pretty good job.  The need in my opinion, is for more Muslim Scientists and lay people to be actively involved in these committees and not to hesitate to point out or inform and educate the members of these committees about concerns which are specific to Islamic teachings.

Most embryonic stem cell research is at present being carried out on embryos which are produced as a result of attempts at IVF treatment. These are the  "surplus" embryos.  I understand that these embryos would be discarded after successful implantation of one of the embryos from the couple who are being treated. 
I feel that if the objectives ( [i]maqasid[/i] ) of the  exercise are noble, such as those which have been mentioned in the original posting i.e. finding cures for genetic and degenerative diseases, then there should not be any abjection to such research on the basis of Islamic teachings or ethics.

This is my personal opinion, in view of my limited knowledge; the truth is that Allah Alone knows best.

wassalam

Navidul Haq Khan[/quote]

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