Embryo Moral Status and Ontological Grounding in Islamic Ethics: Examining Ethical Implications of Contemporary Medical Practices Through Sunni Jurisprudence by Dr Rafāqat Rashid

Discussions on applied Islamic ethics related to the beginning of human life primarily focus on the moral status of the embryo, foetus, and child, as well as the developmental stages and the time elapsed between these stages that inform Islamic rulings. The moral status assigned to each developmental stage

carries significant implications for contemporary medical practices such as In vitro fertilization (IVF), embryonic stem cell research, prenatal testing, and foetal surgery. This article aims to explore the ontological grounding of the embryo's moral status within Islamic ethics, concentrating on the diverse approaches presented by Sunni schools of jurisprudence and addressing the complexities

arising from the intersection of religious and scientific viewpoints.

Initially, the article will provide an overview of the current landscape of ethical debates surrounding the beginning of human life, emphasising the need for a comprehensive understanding of the various factors shaping the moral status of embryos in Islamic ethics. It will then define the full moral status (FMS) of the

human person and outline the theoretical conceptions of moral status proposed by various Sunni schools of jurisprudence, addressing the challenges that their

theories face. The article will suggest two mutually inclusive routes to FMS: (1) belonging to the human species, determined by biology and human form

(takhlīq), and (2) possessing capacities or potentialities that differentiate an embryo from a human person.