Islam & The Sanctity of Life (Edexcel GCSE Religious Studies B)
Revision Note
Why Human Life is Holy for Muslims
The Sanctity of Life
Sanctity means holiness. Therefore sanctity of life is the belief that life is holy and special
Muslims believe in the sanctity of human life because they believe that all life is God-given, therefore it is special and holy
Only Allah created life, therefore only Allah can take life away
This means that all life should be respected; a person should never harm any living thing
All life is important and holy, therefore every human is of equal importance
Belief in the sanctity of life affects a Muslim’s attitude towards many issues, such as murder, abortion, and euthanasia
Muslims believe that humans were given free will and reason, so can choose their actions
Therefore they have a responsibility to remember that all life is human in the way they act and the choices they make
Qur'an Interpretations of the Value of Life
Muslims are called to imitate the qualities of Allah, who is described as Quddus (holy) and Wadud (loving) in their lives
The Qur’an contains numerous teachings about the value of life
Qur’an Teachings that Life is Special & Holy
Qur’an Teaching | Interpretation for Muslims |
|---|---|
‘We decreed upon the Children of Israel that whoever kills a soul unless for a soul or for corruption [done] in the land - it is as if he had slain mankind entirely. And whoever saves one - it is as if he had saved mankind entirely.’ (Surah 5:32) | The value of one human life is equal to the whole human race Recognising the value of life benefits the whole of humanity It is wrong to take a life away, as each life is holy |
O you who have believed … do not kill yourselves [or one another]. Indeed, Allah is to you ever Merciful.’ (Surah 4:29) | No one should ever kill anyone else; everyone is shown mercy by Allah |
‘This is your community, one community - and I am your Lord: be mindful of Me' (Surah 23:52) | Humans have a responsibility to everything else in their community (all living creatures as well as other humans |
'It is He [Allah] who made you successors [khalifahs] on the earth' (Surah 6:165). | Humans are the stewards (khalifahs) of everything on the earth and therefore have a duty to care for Allah’s creation Muslims will be asked to account for how they have fulfilled this duty in the afterlife |
As well as the teachings in the Qur’an, there are also several references in the Hadiths to the need for all Muslims to respect the sanctity of life
Every person should be respected:
‘Your blood, your property and your honour are sacred!’ (Hadith - Sahih Al-Bukhari)
Muslims must respect everyone and everything:
‘The Muslim is one from whose hands and tongue the people are safe!’ (Hadith - Nasa')
The Prophet Muhammad taught Muslims that all life is equally sacred in his final sermon:
‘All mankind is from Adam and Eve. An Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab, nor does a non-Arab have any superiority over an Arab; also a white person has no superiority over a black person, nor does a black person have any superiority over a white person, except by piety and good action.’ (The Prophet Muhammad’s words in the Hadith)
The Importance of the Sanctity of Life for Muslims Today
Muslim teachings about the sanctity of life are extremely important for Muslims today, as they give all Muslims a set of values upon which to base their lives and the way in which they must treat others
These teachings are eternal – because the Qur’an contains the final revelation of Allah, the messages it contains are as relevant to Muslims today as they were at the time of the Prophet Muhammad
Muslims believe that because they will be accountable for their actions in the afterlife, they must take great care to follow these teachings throughout their lives
While all Muslims believe that all human life is special and holy, some Muslims go further and say that Muslim life is particularly sacred, because they are part of the Ummah
Worked Example
Outline three Muslim beliefs about why human life is holy
(3 marks)
Answer:
Muslims believe that human life is holy because:
All human life was made by Allah (1 mark)
Since Allah gave life, only he has the power to take it away (1 mark)
All humans are equally important in the eyes of Allah (1 mark)
Exam Tip
These teachings on the sanctity of life are relevant to many topics you have studied. You can use them to illustrate your answers on other issues, for example, Muslims’ approach to abortion and euthanasia
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