Bioethical Issue: Stem Cell Research

Stem cells are young cells from which all blood

cells derive. As the cells are at a young age they
have not become specialised and, as a result,
they can be grown into a number of different
specialised cells. These cells can be used to treat
(and possibly cure) illnesses such as Parkinsons
disease, heart disease and spinal cord injuries.
Adult stem cells
Adult stem cells are undifferentiated cells found
throughout the body after embryonic development
that divide to replenish dying cells and regenerate
damaged tissues. They can be found in children,
as well as adults and can also be found in
umbilical cord blood.
Research into adult stem cells has been fueled by
their abilities to divide or self-renew indefinitely
and generate all the cell types of the organ from
which they originate - potentially regenerating the
entire organ from a few cells.
Embryonic stem cells
Embryonic stem cells are stem cells derived from the inner cell mass of an early stage embryo known as a
blastocyst. Human embryos reach the blastocyst stage 4-5 days post fertilisation, at which time they consist of
50-150 cells. These cells have the ability to become all types of cells.

The Muslim Response

Stem Cell Research is a complex ethical issue. Islam does not have a centralised authority to state its
position and the position on embryonic stem cell research is not uniform in Islam.
It is claimed by the experts in the field that the research on stem cells has great potential to relieve
human disease and suffering. If this is the case, according to Islam, it is not only allowed but such
research is encouraged.
Research on embryos can be seen to devalue human life by using embryos as experimental material.
On the other hand, embryonic research can aid conception and improve the quality of life. This can
be seen as an act of faith in the will of God as the Giver of all life.
Most Muslims are in favour of the research, arguing that the embryo does not have a soul until its
later stages of development. The majority of Sunni and some Shii scholars argue that ensoulment
takes place 120 days after conception. This argument is attributed to the Prophet. The majority of
Shii and some Sunni scholars have exercised caution as they regard the embryo in the preensoulment stages as alive.
Some scholars believe ensoulment takes place after 40 days. If research is conducted within this time
frame, the embryo is said not to yet have a soul and therefore is not considered to be a human life at
this point. Others argue that life begins from the moment of conception and therefore embryos cannot
be destroyed to harvest the stem cells.
Using surplus embryos for research is generally acceptable but creating embryos for the sole purpose
of research is not. Most scholars are of the view that the use of embryonic stem cells should be very
heavily limited:
only allow isolation of stem cells from frozen embryos that were created for the purpose of in vitro
fertilisation and would otherwise have been destroyed;
obtain full consent from the donors (parents are not seen as the owners of the foetus, however,
they do have a special responsibility for it);
provide safeguards against monetary compensation to embryo donors and against the creation of
embryos in excess of what is required for in vitro fertilisation.

Quotes:
If anyone kills a person it would be as if he killed the whole people: and if anyone saved a life, it
would be as if he saved the life of the whole people. (Quran 5:32)
Nor take life, which God has made sacred (Quran 17:33)