THE DOCTRINE OF SANCTITY OF LIFE FROM THE ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

Muslims believe that only Allah swt has the ultimate will and power
over life and death. Life is merely a gift and a loan entrusted to
mankind until death takes place. It is therefore forbidden for any
person to intentionally end a life; to do so would be to commit a
grievous transgression against Allah. Islam holds life in the highest
esteem to the extent that the duty to preserve life forms one of the
core principles in maqasid al-shari’ah. Protection of one’s life
includes taking care of one’s body, health and mind from that which
would lead to harm and death. All lives are equally inviolable; Islam
does not discriminate one’s life on the basis of nationality, race or
religion. In order to ensure a just order that protects both individual
and public interests at large, Islam prescribes certain legitimate
situations where the dimensions of sanctity of life are qualified, for
example, by permitting to end life in self-defence or in due course of
law. There is thus a need to understand the wisdom behind the
sanctity of life principle in Islam, not only by studying its importance,
but also the overall scope in which it operates.