Islamic View to Pre-marital Care

In spite of the wide extend of a lot of diseases, advancements in genetic engineering have led to substantial improvements in diagnosing these diseases. Consequently, stress has increased considerably on future spouses to undergo premarital medical exams. A lot of Islamic countries have responded to this rising necessity by making some premarital screening tests obligatory for a marriage. The acceptance of these policies comes from the core message of Islam, which encourages counseling to save future generations from harm and to promise the continuity of worshipping God. However, some people refuse the obligatory test, considering them against Islam rules.

Pre-marital lab tests are vital in determining possible health risks for couples intending to marry as well as for their siblings. Couples are tested for blood-transmitted, infectious and genetic diseases, the last being particularly significant in consanguineous marriages (marrying a blood relative), as such marriages place partners at greater risk of having children with genetic disorders such as autosomal recessive disorders,.

These tests have importance in places where consanguineous marriages are relatively well-liked, such as in Arab countries. As a result, the need for premarital counseling is essential. Although some countries like Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Jordan, Iraq, Turkey and Iran, have established centers to discover the likelihood of having any blood disorders such as thalassemia among couples who intend to get married, some people are not conscious about the significance of genetic testing.

One of the recommended methods to increase community alertness of genetic testing is by encouraging them by referring to Islam regulations. The basic goal of Islam is to conserve what are called the five requirements: existing, royalty, keeping faith, the intellect and the continuity of humanity. In order to keep these requirements, people need to be in good health.

When Muslims are feeling ill, they are encouraged to seek out medical counsel instantly. When Prophet Mohammad asked about the legitimacy of looking for medical treatment and advice, he said, You ought to search for medical treatment, since God has let no disease exist with no treatment, excepting one disease, namely, old age‟. Thus, Islam followers are encouraged to seek medical treatment to keep people in good health and to be capable of worshipping God.

The continuity of worshipping God can be assured by an additional method by marriage and giving birth to fit children who are competent to carry the message of Islam that is worshipping God. Peoples are encouraged by Islam to stop risky events from happening prior to they occur and to cope with their consequences. Islam urges couples preparing to marry to undergo premarital screening tests to prevent communities from having ailing kids and maximize the probability of having a new generation without diseases.

In reality, Prophet Mohammed advices his followers to seek out counseling, as he said, „Religion (Islam) is honest counseling and good advice‟. From another viewpoint, Islam considers the dealings of couples that marry devoid of undergoing premarital counseling as a type of risky behavior. Allah says: “Do not fling yourselves into damage by your own hands”. A couple could have a STDs and a premarital medical examination can recognize it and stop the spread of such diseases to his/her spouse.

As well, Islam forbids sick individuals with genetic and/or inherited diseases from grouping collectively to avoid transmitting illnesses. The Prophet said, „Do not collect sick with healthy people‟. The majority of Muslim scholars have concluded from this that if people carry out premarital investigations and the results of it point out that there is a probability of illness being transmitted to their spouse or the likelihood of having a baby with a hereditary disease, the marriage should not be completed.

Obligatory premarital screening tests do not compromise individual freedom as some people say; rather, it protects individuals and society at large. Even though the results of these tests might infrequently result in negative consequences for an individual, the juristic principles delineated by Islamic rule educate us to select the lesser of two evils and to allow individual harm to occur so as to avoid greater harm.

To conclude, Islam encourages counseling to defend future generations and to assure the continuity of worshipping God. In fact, Islam considers couples who endure premarital investigation, get positive results for certain illnesses and then marry as wicked people.