Prohibiting Female Infanticide
What the Qur'an Says about the Killing of Baby Girls and Gender Bias
Muhammad (pbuh) abolished the practice of female infanticide, overturning a prevalent cultural norm by the verse At-Takwir. The practice, however, still exists today.
Female infanticide is defined as the systematic killing of baby girls after birth, due to the preference of male over female offspring. Female infanticide in different cultures suggests that the birth of a baby girl represents shame and distaste. Bringing a daughter into the family is seen as dishonourable and a burden to family members, especially the parents.
Prior to the advent of Islam, female infanticide was rampant in Arabia. Baby girls were buried alive the moment they emerged from their mother's womb. A quick disposal was always the easiest, to eliminate any embarrassment the child could cause the family and tribe.
Islam condemns this selection of one gender over the other. One of the first verses of the Qur'an that was relayed to Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was entitled At-Takwir (The Folding Up). The verse warned that the crime of infanticide against innocent children would be revealed and questioned on the Day of Judgement.
The verse reads: "When the female infant, buried alive, is questioned - for what crime was she killed; when the scrolls are laid open; when the World on High is unveiled; when the Blazing Fire is kindled to fierce heat; and when the Garden is brought near - Then shall each soul know what it has put forward. So verily I call (at-Takwir: 8-15).
The Qur'an warned those who had practised this sinful custom that should they not repent for their unjust refusal of their daughters' lives, their personal records of deeds would be tainted with murder.
Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings upon him) quickly overturned such gender preference, a practice he never had indulged in. He, himself, and his wife Lady Khadijah (may Allah be pleased with her), were blessed with four daughters, all of whom they cherished dearly despite the overwhelming ill-feelings harboured by the non-Muslims toward daughters at that point in time.
Unfortunately today, there are cultures that still practice female infanticide. In China, there has been great controversy surrounding the one-child-per-couple policy. Many couples are desperate for sons to carry forth their family name. Thus, the non-registering of baby girls; lackadaisical care and concern with respects to the girl's health; the sale to prostitution or the deposit to adoption agencies in addition to infanticide are beginning to be taxing to track. Researchers and analysts believe that they are on the rise.
India is another country that practices infanticide. In a 1998 survey sampling over a million households, Lancet Journal found selective abortion was causing the loss 500,000 baby girls annually. In such an instance, the advent of technology is being used as a tool to faciliate such an abhorrent act that still remains a cultural norm.
Gendercide Watch, a project of the Gender Issues Education Foundation (GIEF) based in Alberta, has charted India's gender imbalance over the years and statistics show that there were nearly 100 less baby girls than boys in the '90s.
Gendercide Watch seeks to eradicate gender mass killings and raise awareness through educational materials on the continuity of infanticide, that is still unfortunately "not a big sin" in some cultures.
The Qur'an regards murder of a single soul as murder of the whole of humanity (Al-Ma'idah: 32). Muslim women, after the abolishment of female infanticide, were granted a stream of rights including the right of an equal education to their male counterparts; food, clothing and accomodation, regardless of their wealth; the choice of a spouse and respectful treatment of a wife; the right to inheritance, career options and the facility to trade. Abolishing female infanticide and providing girls with the right to life was just the beginning of how Islam built a strong Muslim society with equality between men and women.
