The Theocentric Identity of the Human Embryo in Confronting the Challenge of Abortion: An Analysis Based on the Qur’anic Verses

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Assistant Professor, Department of Qur'anic Studies and Islamic Texts, Faculty of Islamic Studies and Thought, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.

10.22081/jti.2026.74982.1140

Abstract

The identity of the human embryo as a human being has become the subject of fundamental challenges in the contemporary era due to remarkable advances in biotechnology. Rooted in the political, economic, and cultural discourses of modern societies, these challenges have reduced the embryo’s identity to such notions as objectification, viewing it merely as biological tissue, a commercial commodity, or a part of the mother’s body lacking independent existence. The present study seeks to reinterpret the identity of the embryo through the theocentric worldview of the Holy Qur’an. Employing a descriptive-analytical approach, it addresses the following fundamental question: What are the essential components of the embryo’s theocentric identity from the perspective of the Qur’an, and how can these components provide both theoretical and practical responses to modern bioethical challenges? The Holy Qur’an elaborates on the stages of embryonic creation in numerous verses. A systematic analysis of these verses reveals a set of enduring principles, including the principle of divine creation, the principle of divine ownership, the principle of purposiveness in creation, the principle of the infusion of the divine spirit, the principle of inherent human dignity, and the principle of the sanctity of human life. Collectively, these principles establish the embryo as an entity possessing an independent identity. The findings demonstrate that these six foundational principles provide a coherent and well-substantiated framework for addressing the contemporary challenge of abortion.

Keywords

References

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Theosophia Islamica

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 27 July 2026

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