Is IVF Acceptable According to the Quran

Muslims recognize that all life and death happens according to the Will of God. To strive for a child in the face of infertility is not considered a rebellion against Gods will. The Quran tells us, for example, of the prayers of Abraham and Zachariah, who pleaded with God to grant them offspring. Nowadays, many Muslim couples openly seek fertility treatment if they are unable to conceive or bear children. What Is In Vitro Fertilization? In vitro fertilization is a process by which a sperm and egg can be combined in a laboratory. In vitro, translated literally, means in glass. The resulting embryo or embryos fertilized in laboratory  equipment can then be transferred to the womans uterus for further growth and development. The Quran and Hadith In the Quran, God comforts those who face fertility difficulties: To God belongs the dominion of heavens and earth. He creates what He wills. He bestows female (offspring) upon whom He wills, and bestows male (offspring) upon whom He wills. Or He bestows both males and females, and He leaves childless whom He wills. For He is All-Knowledgeable All-Powerful. (Quran 42:49-50) Most modern reproductive technologies have only recently been made available. The Quran and Hadith do not directly comment on any specific procedure, but scholars have interpreted the guidelines of these sources to develop their opinions. The Opinion of Islamic Scholars Most Islamic scholars are of the opinion that IVF is allowable in instances where a Muslim couple is unable to conceive in any other way. Scholars agree that there is nothing in Islamic law which forbids many types of fertility treatment, provided the treatments do not go outside the bounds of the marriage relationship. If in vitro fertilization is chosen, the fertilization must be done with sperm from a husband and an egg from his wife; and the embryos must be  transplanted into the wifes uterus. Some authorities stipulate other conditions. Because masturbation is not allowed, it is recommended that the collection of a husbands semen be done in the context of intimacy with his wife but without penetration. Further, because refrigeration or freezing of a wifes eggs is not allowed, it is recommended that the fertilization and implantation occur as quickly as possible.   Assisted reproductive technologies  that blur marital and parental ties—such as donor eggs or sperm from outside the marriage relationship, surrogate motherhood, and in-vitro fertilization after a spouses death or divorce of the married couple—are forbidden in Islam.   Islamic experts advise that a couple must be very careful to avoid any possibility of contamination or accidental fertilization of the eggs by another mans semen. And some authorities recommend that IVF be chosen only after efforts at traditional man-woman fertilization have proved unsuccessful for a period of at least two years.   But since all children are viewed as a gift of God, in vitro fertilization employed under the proper conditions is entirely allowable for Muslim couples unable to conceive by traditional means.   Sources and Further Reading Abbasi-Shavazi, Mohammad Jalal, et al. The Iranian ART Revolution: Infertility, Assisted Reproductive Technology, and Third-Party Donation in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Journal of Middle East Womens Studies 4.2 (2008): 1–28. Print.Al-Bar, Mohammed Ali, and Hassan Chamsi-Pasha. Assisted Reproductive Technology: Islamic Perspective. Contemporary Bioethics: Islamic Perspective. Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2015. 173–86. Print.Inhorn, Marcia C. Local Babies, Global Science: Gender, Religion and In Vitro Fertilization in Egypt. New York: Routledge, 2003.Ruling on in-vitro fertilization (IVF). Islam Question Answer, May 6, 2007.  Serour, G.I, and B.M Dickens. Assisted Reproduction Developments in the Islamic World. International Journal of Gynecology Obstetrics 74.2 (2001): 187–93. Print.

Myth Example

Essays on Myth Coursework Personal Myth Just as myths define cultural values, personal myths define family values and are links with the past. The story of ‘Granny May’ is a family myth which is a part of my family history and character. Personal Myth. As â€Å"distantly recalled memories,† myths are a part of every family history. These personal myths are often stories based on historical fact which are widely altered as they are handed down from generation to generation. Such myths are the links between the past and the present. They are an integral part of family history, and become a part of the character of each family member. My family myth centers round an old rifle which is mounted on the wall of the living room in my grandparents’ home. It is lovingly oiled and polished. Below it is a sepia-tinted, fading photograph of my great-great-grandmother, ‘Granny May.’ In the early twentieth century, as her husband struggled to establish a home in the open ranges, Gra nny May shot and killed a wild animal with this rifle. This is the bedtime story for generations of children in my family. The story varies, depending on the aunt, or uncle, who is the narrator. Granny May was a timid, diminutive woman who had never handled a firearm in all her life; she had left her baby napping on the back porch; the mountain lion sneaked up on the sleeping baby; granny grabbed her husband’s rifle and just shot it dead! Granny walking with Grandpa one evening, when a black bear suddenly made its appearance; Grandpa tripped at that crucial juncture; Granny grabbed his rifle and shot the bear! The wild animal may be a cougar, a bear, or a wolf; the time and scene of action may vary. What remains constant is Granny May’s courage and quick wits in the face of adversity. Just as myths define a culture’s values, this personal myth defines our family values. The myth embodies the struggles of our ancestors and their triumph over the elements and earl y hardships. Every member of my family holds the story of Granny May close to their hearts. It is our inspiration in times of trial. Each time anybody wavers in the face of a test, or lacks confidence, the question is asked: â€Å"What would Granny May tell you?†

The Virtuous Character of Desdemona Free Essays

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, as is virtue. Such is the case of the virtue of the character Desdemona, from the play The Tragedy of Othello, by William Shakespeare. Desdemona was shown as a low moral, virtue less female in the essay The Character of Desdemona by John Quincy Adams. We will write a custom essay sample on The Virtuous Character of Desdemona or any similar topic only for you Order Now Contrary to this, the modern reader can see that Shakespeare actually showed her to be a virtuous and loving person, whose own innocence lead to her demise. Is Desdemona a virtuous character? Is there anyone who can be so self-sacrificing? Shakespeare is careful to give her a few minor flaws- her treatment of Brabantio, her stubborn persistence about Cassio, her lie about the handkerchief- to make her realistic. But the overall character of Desdemona is of high stature, it is her very innocence that makes her a victim of circumstance. As a young Venetian woman, Desdemona has lived a sheltered life in her father’s home. This sheltering gave her an innate passion for all the things that she was denied. She was denied all things that a modern day women would be allowed to do, including the right to fall in love with someone free of social status, age or race. She then falls in love, probably for the first time, with a man several years older than herself, from a faraway land, and of a different race. She is captivated by the man’s stories and wishes she were a man so that she might also have an exciting life, the very life she was denied because of her being a women. Knowing that her father would disapprove of her marriage to such a man, she elopes with Othello. Desdemona is portrayed as a lovely, courageous, gentle woman, deeply in love with her husband. However, she is not a perfect character but her morals, and her virtues are still there. In the play Desdemona says to her father Brabantio, â€Å"(I,iii;180) My noble father, I do perceive here a divided duty: To you I am bound for life and education; My life and education both do learn me How to respect you; you are the lord of duty†. No matter what the circumstances may be, she never stopped respecting her father. Though still she had to follow her heart. Her lover Othello says of her, â€Å"She gave me for my pains a world of sighs† (I,iii;168) However one person in time may see an event or character, another person in another time can perceive the same to be of completely different meanings. John Quincy Adams says that Desdemona lacks virtues and all she does is cause her father grief to his dying bed. He says that â€Å"the passion of Desdemona for Othello is unnatural, solely and exclusively because of his color. † Which if looked at by today†s standards would hold of no significance what the persons skin color is. Second he says that her elopement to him, and secret marriage with him, indicate a personal character not only very deficient in delicacy, but totally regardless of filial duty, of female modesty, and of ingenuous shame. Third he states, â€Å"her deficiency in delicacy is discernible in her conduct and discourse throughout the play. † Altogether he thinks that she has done nothing but wrong when she ran away for her love, and that she has low morals and no virtues because she has wronged her father. In contrast to what John Quincy Adams said of the character of Desdemona, proof from the play itself states otherwise. â€Å"If virtue no delighted beauty lack, Your son-in-law is far more fair than black†, John Quincy Adams uses that quote to illustrate how the skin color love affair had shown Desdemona to be of low morals, and that she had committed an unnatural thing. When as seen by today†s standards it is perfectly all right for two people of different races, ages, sexes, nationality and religions to be in love and to wed. Another quote from the play used by John Q. Adams is, â€Å"With the Moor, say’st thou? –Who would be a father? † that quote helps to illustrate how the father was hurt by the actions of his daughter. When in fact Desdemona meant no harm to her father, she simply wanted to do what†s right as is said by Iago, â€Å"She that was ever fair and never proud, Had tongue at will and yet was never loud†¦ (II,i;158). Also shown to us by Desdemona herself is how she felt towards her father all along, again proving wrong the portrayal of her by John Q. Adams, â€Å"(I,iii;180) My noble father, I do perceive here a divided duty: To you I am bound for life and education; My life and education both do learn me How to respect you; you are the lord of duty†. Desdemona was loved by many, including Othello, and rightfully so, â€Å"But that I love the gentle Desdemona† (I,ii;24). Even John Q. Adams is quoted saying himself in his essay, â€Å"Desdemona, †¦ is amiable and lovely,† towards the top of his last paragraph. Even he in the end admitted to the fact that Desdemona’s character is amiable, lovely, virtuous, and still retains its morals. Many people from separate time periods can look at Desdemona in different ways. The modern reader will apply the modern aspects of life to the story and look at it from that perspective, while someone like John Quincy Adams looks at it from the vision of the time period he lived in. How to cite The Virtuous Character of Desdemona, Papers

Comparative Analysis of Qualitative and Quantitative free essay sample

Research in social sciences largely depends on measurements and analysis and interpretation of numerical as well as non numerical data. Quantitative research methods focus on statistical approaches and qualitative methods are based on content analysis, comparative analysis, grounded theory, and interpretation. Quantitative methods- emphasize on objective measurements and numerical analysis of data collected through polls, questionnaires or surveys and qualitative research focuses on understanding social phenomena through interviews, personal comments etc. Quantitative and qualitative methods are studied within the context of positivist and henomenological paradigms. The application of research methods could be studied in the context of business and management or in social psychology to understand a social process. Some of the basic tools for qualitative or quantitative research are related to data collection methods which can be case studies, questionnaires or interviews. Research methods are focused on things like management issues or social process for example; a study on the interaction between age, physical exercise and gender. We will write a custom essay sample on Comparative Analysis of Qualitative and Quantitative or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Some disadvantages and possible flaws of such methods may be related to abuse or isuse of interview techniques, inadequacy of data collection methods and reliability of data. The methodological approach and data collection techniques are important in research and form an important aspect of study. The case study approach is especially useful in analysis of business environments and perceptual mapping techniques are used for marketing research. Focus groups and surveys are used as other preferred methods of data collection, especially within business environments. Interpretive research can be considered as an important aspect of qualitative nalysis, although as with all qualitative data, subjective bias can be a deterrent in the validity of such approaches. In studying research methods, it would be necessary to highlight the differences between qualitative and quantitative methods although it has also been argued that an integrated approach to social analysis could close in the gap between quantitative and qualitative methods and both these methods could be used for social research studies. In fact there may not be a specified correct method of research as each method seems to have its strengths and weaknesses and