BOOK CHAPTER: The Impact of Maternity Beliefs on Reproductive Health in Muslim Societies

Title: The Impact of Maternity Beliefs on Reproductive Health in Muslim Societies

Nazila Isgandarova

Books Muslim Mothering, Global Histories, Theories, and Practices

Edited by Margaret Aziza Pappano and Dana M.Olwan, 2016

DIRECT QUOTATION

PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES IN ISLAM: MARRIAGE, PREGNANCY, SEXUAL LIFE, BREASTFEEDING, AND HEALTH REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH

HIS proofs are that He created for your spouse from among yourselves, in order to have serenity and He placed in your hearts love and compassion towards each other. QS 30:21

In Islam, childbearing and childrearing are not only physical but also spiritual experiences.

Islam sources, Muslim acquires a proper basic knowledge pregnancy and childbearing. For instance, according to Islam, pregnancy is developed in three trimester periods. The first fourty days or the first trimester of embryonic development, comprises the drop stage (nutfa), the leech-like clot or substance stage (‘alaqa), and the tissue stage (mudgha); the adham (bones) and the dressing of the bones with muscle.

Qur’an draws attention to the burden, dhat al-haml, of pregnancy and the special care legally due to pregnant women: “and every pregnant woman (dhat al-haml) will drop her burden” (QS 22:2); “And for those who have burden [pregnant] their term is when they bring forth their burden…If they have a burden [pregnant] then provide them with maintenance untIl they bring forth their burden (QS 65:4-6)

VIEW OF HEALTH REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH IN ISLAM

The available literature suggests that Muslim have essentially three differing views about reproductive health:

FIRST: reproductive health education should be entirely secular

SECOND:  sex education should be taught from an Islamic perspective

THIRD: teaching reproductive health education is against moral and cultural values and /or may engrain dangerous ideas in children’s mind

ISLAM AND SEXUALITY

SEXUALITY UNDER PATRIARCHAL CULTURE LIMITED TO MEN’S SEXUALITY

PATTERNS OF MASCULINE AND HETEROSEXUAL DOMINATION

Under the influence of the patriarchal cultures, this discussion of sexuality was limited to men’s sexuality. Such misogynistic practices resulted in 1) granting unlimited sexual rights to men; 2) reducing the mutual consent in sexual relations to men and excluding women’s voices in this consent; 3) demanding women to be sexually available for their men anytime. Pp 265

One reason for such oppressive attitudes towards women regarding their sexuality is the dominance of patriarchy, which has prevented women from new and creative re-readings of the Qur’an because only a male scholarly elite can claim “to speak authoritatively in God’s name” (Barla 41)

Maryam and the pharaoh’s wife, “as ideal spiritual women or archetypes for being ‘the silent pious, the pure, the virgin, and so on” (Barasangi 40).

Sexuality is constrained by patterns of masculine and heterosexual domination “ (Dialmy 162)

The role of culture should not be disregarded as one the important sources of influence over the understanding of sexuality. Since Muslim are not a homogenous group, ethnic, cultural and linguistic factors also influence attitudes towards sexuality. Although teachings of the Qur’an, hadith and Shari’ah provide a common framework to discuss themes of reproductive health, some Muslim communities prefer to follow their cultural values in some areas rather than the religious teachings (Sanjakdar)

Sanjakdar, Fida. “’Teacher Talk’: The problem, perspectives, and Possibilities of Developing a Comprehensive Sexual Health Education Curriculum for Australian Muslim Students, “Sex Education 9.3 (2009): 261-275. Web. 12 Sept. 2015

ISLAM AND MARRIAGE

MARRIAGE HAS COMPLETED HALF OF HIS IMAAAN [FAITH]

MUTUAL CONTRIBUTION BETWEEN WIFE AND HUSBAND: SEXUAL FULFILLMENT

MALE CONTROL OVER WOMEN BEFORE AND AFTER MARRIAGE FOR SOCIAL ORDER

“And among His signs is this, that He created for you mates from among yourselves, that you may dwell in tranquility with them, and He has put love and mercy between your (hearths): verily in that are Signs for those reflect” (QS 30:21)

“Marry those among you who are single, or virtuous one among yourselves, male or female: if they are in poverty, Allah will give them means out of His grace: for Allah encompasses all, and he knows all things “ (QS 24:32)

Whoever marries has completed half of his imaan [faith], so fear Allah in the remaining half.” (Bukhari, vol 7, book 62, number 80)

A majority of Muslim scholars argue that marriage is an act of taqwa-piety and God consciousness, a form of ibadah-worship of Allah and obedience to His messenger and the only legitimate means of emotional and sexual fulfillment; it is a means of legitimate procreation and an approach to inter-family alliance and group solidarity (Noibi)

Mutual contribution is expressed in an ideal marriage: the wife takes care of herself in order to be attractive to her husband; and the husband too, should make himself attractive to his wife.

However, male control over women before and after marriage is the troublesome reality that Muslims face today. By controlling women in every aspect of marriage life, including women’s bodies and sexuality, men want to achieve a “social order” (Dialmy 167)

Dialmy, Abdessamad. “Sexuality and Islam” The European Journal of Contraception and Reproductive Health Care 15.3 (2010):160-168. Web. 22 Sept 2015

SEXUAL ENJOYMENT BETWEEN WIFE AND HUSBAND

ISLAM AND PREMARITAL AND EXTRAMARIAL SEX

ABORTION

Islam clearly allows abortion when doctors declare with reasonable certainty that the continuation of pregnancy will endanger the woman’s life or the existing children’s health (Al-Qaradawi). In this case, the client has a right to choose between two evils, known in Islamic legal terminology as the principle of al-ahamm wa ‘l-muhimm ( the more important and the less important)

The Prophet encouraged his followers to prefer the greater over the lesser when two forbidden things become an issue

A mother should not be made to suffer because of her child (QS 2:233)

BELIEF ON REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH

REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH EDUCATION FOR PROMOTING SAFE AND LOVING SEXUAL BEHAVIOUR FROM SEXUALITY TO HIV/AIDS: HAVE SEXUAL RELATIONS FREE OF THE FEAR OF CONTRACTING DISEASES

The examination of the fundamental sources of Islam points out that nothing prevents Muslim from acquiring a reproductive health education about sexuality, menstrual cycle, virginity, marriage, pregnancy, abortion, HIV/AIDS etc. It is important factor to achieve an optimal health. the Qur’an and the prophetic tradition encourage Muslim to consider reproductive health education as a key strategy for promoting safe and loving sexual behavior. The existing literature on reproductive health and Islam also points out that reproductive health education plays an important role in promoting:

An ability to reproduce (have children) and regulate their fertility. A state in which women are able to go through pregnancy and child birth safely; outcome of pregnancy is successful in terms of maternal and infant survival and well-being: and couple are able to have sexual relations free of the fear of contracting diseases (Fathala 1986)

Fathala, Mahmoud Fahmy. “Research needs in human reproduction.” Draper Fund Report 6 (1978): 1986-1987. Print

WOMEN SHOULD BE GIVEN SUFFICIENT SPACE TO BENEFIT FROM REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH EDUCATION.

TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION THE SENSITIVITY OF PARENTS, REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH EDUCATION SHOULD TARGET SECONDARY, COLLEGE, AND UNIVERSITY STUDENTS.

REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH EDUCATION WOULD BE MORE EFFECTIVE IF MEN TAUGHT MALE STUDENTS, AND WOMEN TAUGHT FEMALE STUDENTS

I strongly believe that with the recent cultural and political changes in Muslim countries, the younger generations are more open to these discussions. Cultural and religious factors both should be taken into consideration regarding reproductive health education. First, women should be given sufficient space to benefit from reproductive health education. Second, taking into consideration the sensitivity of parents, reproductive health education should target secondary, college, and university students. Third, reproductive health education would be more effective if men taught male students, and women taught female students. Both the medical professional and religious scholars in Muslim-majority countries and Muslim communities across Europe and North America must be involved in culturally sensitive reproductive health education. Pp 276

CONCLUSION

The traditional Islamic discourse of pregnancy and childbearing must be a source of inspiration for Muslim to develop a positive attitude towards reproductive health education. Reproductive health education for Muslim is more effective if it is based on the Qur’an and other sources of Islam, and is both religiously and culturally appropriate. Compared to more secular approaches, it should pay attention to the fact that some elements of the Islamic tradition and patriarchal culture can be a source of misinformation. Reproductive health education for Muslim should be address the ideas and practice that it is not only Muslim women responsible for childbearing and childrearing the Qur’an 31:14, 12:4, 66:6, 2: 233. This kind of reproductive health education will assign new role and voice for Muslim women within Muslim societies and, at the same time, will bring an Islamic dimension to reproductive health education.

Result 1	Result 2	Result 3	Result 4	Summary
Physical and spiritual experiences in Islam: marriage, pregnancy, sexual life, breastfeeding, and health reproductive health QS: 30:21; 65:4-6; 22:2	View of health reproductive health in Islam FIRST: reproductive health education should be entirely secular SECOND:  sex education should be taught from an Islamic perspective THIRD: teaching reproductive health education is against moral and cultural values and /or may engrain dangerous ideas in children’s mind	Sexuality under patriarchal culture limited to men’s sexuality Patterns of masculine and heterosexual domination 1) granting unlimited sexual rights to men; 2) reducing the mutual consent in sexual relations to men and excluding women’s voices in this consent; 3) demanding women to be sexually available for their men anytime. Pp 265	A common framework to discuss reproductive sexual health should consider Al Qur’an, Hadits, and Culture Since Muslim are not a homogenous group, ethnic, cultural and linguistic factors also influence attitudes towards sexuality	First, women should be given sufficient space to benefit from reproductive health education. Second, taking into consideration the sensitivity of parents, reproductive health education should target secondary, college, and university students. Third, reproductive health education would be more effective if men taught male students, and women taught female students.

Authors	Setting	Research Paradigm/Methodology
ISGANDAROVA, NAZILA, 2016	FEMALE MUSLIM	REVIEW OF AL-QUR’AN; HADITS; AND PUBLICATIONS

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