Therefore, one hundred families were chosen randomly and cytological analysis was carried out that concluded that one of its members is suffering from deficiency of chromosomes, then the Center made statistical analysis for this sample, however, one hundred other families were selected statistically as the opposite sample then the research suggested the following:

First: the rate of marriage between relatives of patients was 46%, in comparison to 34% of the sample.

Second: there is no difference with statistical significance in the abortion or stillbirth in the sample resulting from inbreeding, than in the sample resulting from the distant marriages.

Third: there is statistical difference between the age of the mother in the sample resulting from inbreeding which resulted from the marriages to distant, and this difference is blamed by many scientists as the causative defect in the chromosomes.

Fourth: the researcher analyzed these results with several statistical methods, assuming that the marriage to the relatives was the cause of chromosome imbalance. Nevertheless, the results rejected this assumption.

Therefore, it was concluded by the researcher that such kind of gene was absent. Eventually, inbreeding does not play an important role in such diseases, and if it has a role this role is not through a recessive gene, these results are consistent with the findings of some scientists, such as:

"Kwiterovich et al (1966), Matsunaga (1966), Forssman and Akesson (1967), Stene (1977) and Juberg & Daois (1978)".

Then they said: "The historical background is noteworthy in the importance of practicing consanguineous marriages in the community. Is it an ancient widespread historical phenomenon, or a fresh and rare phenomenon that is infrequent? If this custom was practiced for an ancient time, the consanguineous marriages must have led - in the past - to show these diseases, which are often fatal, in the sense that it actually rid the society of hereditary disease-transmitters, and cleansed it over time from disease-causing genes. But if consanguineous marriage was prohibited in the society or rare, then this prohibition will lead to the survival of many people carrying the disease-causing genes. Therefore, the chance for possible intermarriage of two non-relatives carrying the disease-causing genes for a particular disease will be much; hence, the emergence of this disease in these communities. The best example of this disease is Cystic Fibrosis of the Pancreas. This disease is governed by a recessive gene, common in Britain, despite the scarcity of consanguineous marriages. This is due to the presence of a high proportion of carriers of the disease-causing gene, as was explained before, which leads to increased chance of intermarriage between the carriers of this disease, and its manifestation among their progeny.

 It is clear, from the foregoing, that prohibition and permission would not completely prevent the emergence of genetic diseases, which are controlled by recessive disease-causing genes, provided the existence of these genes in the community, i.e. the process is the sacrifice of one generation in place of another generation. If we prohibit (1) consanguineous marriage, the future generations are the ones who will suffer from this disease. While if we let (2) this type of marriages happen it is the first generations who will suffer for the purity of future generations. As if Almighty Allah intended from this discrete permission working on natural equilibrium. Total permission eventually leads to the emergence of diseases, while moderate one helps natural balance”. (End of quote).

This paper presented by them has an importance. That is because it is among the recent investigations, and that it has been presented in an international conference. In these conferences, papers are only accepted after passing through committees specialized in the review of papers and their evaluation. As it is also in agreement with the opinion of Dr. Ahmad Al Kabariti – who is a former Professor of Genetics at the University of Kuwait -, Al Muslimun newspaper(3) published an article entitled: "Consanguineous marriage between science and religion" by Dr. Ahmad Ass- Salus(4). He said in it: "I had been invited to take part in a symposium with the theme: (Consanguineous marriage between science and religion), and the elucidation of the scientific aspect was delegated to Dr. Ahmad Al Kabariti – Professor of Genetics at the University of Kuwait at the time - and I had to speak on the religious aspect, before I explain the result I arrived at, I mention beforehand the conclusion reached by Dr. Al Kabariti:

Dr. Al Kabariti dealt with the scientific aspect of the topic, where he overturned the rumor, which says that consanguineous marriage causes genetic diseases, and said: "This is a wrong assertion, and demonstrated that by modern theories which confirm that, and added:" As a result of scientific research in a society in which consanguineous marriages is prevalent, and another where marriage between non-relatives is more common, and a third where marriage between different races is widely spread, it has been proven that there is no difference between these societies in terms of the incidence of genetic diseases. This is the summary of what was mentioned by the Professor of Genetics. "

Then Dr. Ass- Salus said: "When I carried out my studies of the subject, I arrived at a result not inconsistent with the previous result, despite the rumors spread before and recently, that consanguineous marriage results in a weak progeny."

He mentioned that the Prophet (may the peace and the blessings of Allah be upon him) gave in marriage and got married to his relatives, so how can he forbid something and does it himself (may the peace and the blessings of Allah be upon him) while it is not of his particularities!.

Then he quoted from Ibn Hazm(5), that he said: "We have elected to chose marriage from relatives; because it is the practice of the Messenger of Allah(may  the peace and the blessings of Allah be upon him) he only married from the Banu Hashim and the Banu `Abd Shams, and the Almighty said: "You have indeed in the Messenger of Allah a good pattern of conduct." [Al Ahzab: 21].

                     

 

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(1) Held in Cairo in 1987 - under the auspices of the President of the Republic of Egypt - in cooperation between Al Azhar and the Faculty of Medicine at Ain Shams University.

 (2) The completion of the title is: (... between prohibition and permission), and this sentence does not agree the search, since they examined the harms of permitted consanguineous marriage.

 (3) An Arabic word “Al Mutawajidah” has been used here to denote the sense of “existent” however, the correct is “Al Mawjudah”; as the word “Al Mutawajidah” has the meaning of “intense feeling”, i.e. grief, according to Lisan Al `Arab (6/4770).

(4) See explanation of this word.

(5) Thus was expressed by them. Nevertheless, it would have been better expressed using two other words, since they are Islamic terms; only the Shari`ah forbids or permits.

(6) Thus was expressed by them. Nevertheless, it would have been better expressed using two other words, since they are Islamic terms; only the Shari`ah forbids or permits.

 

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