Pre-marital Medical Examination is a Panacea to the High Rate of Parental Mortality in the Society; A Reflection on its Implication towards Children Upbringing: An Islamic Jurisprudence Perspective

Abstract

Procreation and establishment of happily and healthy community is among the objectives of marriage in Islam. Establishment of a healthy family is the foundation of having a successful and vibrant community. Obviously, health is an engine room for survival here in the world and as well, a key leading to success in the Day hereafter. Children are product of marriage and indeed assets to the family and the community at large. They require so much parental care in order to become good ambassadors of their communities. Unfortunately, in recent times, such parental care has been taken away by high rate of parental mortality that bedeviled most of the Muslims developing countries. Death of parents has denied children from having access to primary care which they ought to have benefited from their parents during their childhood. Of course, lack of a parental care and moral upbringing of a child will certainly have a consequence and negative impact on the entire community. It is against this backdrop that the paper examines the possibility of accommodating modern developments into Islamic law, thereby making a reflection on the fate of children after birth. Thus, the paper suggests among other things, that there is a need to introduce a new Islamic rule which will mandate prospective spouses to conduct pre-marital medical examination, rather than just leaving it discretionary among the people.

Keywords: Pre-marital, Medical Examination, Parental Mortality, Children, Islamic Jurisprudence