Infanticide is an evil ancient custom practised by many cultures. Islam is claimed to have forbidden the pagan custom of female infanticide. Here are the Koran verses on the topic:
And likewise, to many of the polytheists their partners have made [to seem] pleasing the killing of their children in order to bring about their destruction and to cover them with confusion in their religion.
And if Allāh had willed, they would not have done so.
So leave them and that which they invent.
Koran 6:137
They will have lost who killed their children in foolishness without knowledge and prohibited what Allāh had provided for them, inventing untruth about Allāh.
They have gone astray and were not [rightly] guided.
Koran 6:140
Say, “Come, I will recite what your Lord has prohibited to you. [He commands] that you not associate anything with Him, and to parents, good treatment, and do not kill your children out of poverty; We will provide for you and them. And do not approach immoralities – what is apparent of them and what is concealed. And do not kill the soul which Allāh has forbidden [to be killed] except by [legal] right. This has He instructed you that you may use reason.”
Koran 6:151
And [recall, O Children of Israel], when We saved you from the people of Pharaoh, [who were] afflicting you with the worst torment – killing your sons and keeping your women alive.
And in that was a great trial from your Lord.
Koran 7:141
16:57 And they attribute to Allāh daughters – exalted is He – and for them is what they desire [i.e., sons].
58 And when one of them is informed of [the birth of] a female, his face becomes dark, and he suppresses grief.
59 He hides himself from the people because of the ill of which he has been informed.
Should he keep it in humiliation or bury it in the ground?
Unquestionably, evil is what they decide.
Koran 16:57
And they attribute to Allāh that which they dislike [i.e., daughters], and their tongues assert the lie that they will have the best [from Him].
Assuredly, they will have the Fire, and they will be [therein] neglected.
Koran 16:62
And do not kill your children for fear of poverty.
We provide for them and for you.
Indeed, their killing is ever a great sin.
Koran 17:31
O Prophet, when the believing women come to you pledging to you that they will not associate anything with Allāh, nor will they steal, nor will they commit unlawful sexual intercourse, nor will they kill their children, nor will they bring forth a slander they have invented between their arms and legs, nor will they disobey you in what is right – then accept their pledge and ask forgiveness for them of Allāh.
Indeed, Allāh is Forgiving and Merciful.
Koran 60:12
81:8 And when the girl [who was] buried alive is asked 9 For what sin she was killed
Koran 81:8-9
This verse refers to a sexual practice of Muhammad’s time, R18 coitus interruptus R18. The relevant hadith is:
Judama daughter of Wahb said:
I was with God’s Messenger along with some people when he was saying, “I intended to prohibit suckling during pregnancy* but I considered the Greeks and the Persians and saw that they suckled their children during pregnancy without any injury being caused to their children thereby.”
Then they asked him about withdrawing the penis and God’s Messenger replied, “That is the secret burying alive” and reference is made to it in the words, “When the girl buried alive will be asked (Al-Qur’an 81:8).”
* Ghila. It means either suckling during pregnancy, or intercourse with a woman while she is suckling a child.
Mishkat al-Masabih 3189
There’s more commentary from Islamic Scholars at:
There’s a non-scholarly account:
- Burying baby girls alive;
- Muslim killing his daughter before Islam and
- Saudi academic argues that it’s actually about infanticide in general.
Now compare the Islamic prohibitions against female infanticide against reality. Yaqoob Khan Bangash in the Daily Times of Pakistan warns against “Killing our daughters quietly“. Safi in Medium points out:
Although the tradition of infanticide died in Arabia, sons were still preferred over daughters. And still sons are favored in Arabia.
Pre-Islamic Arabs Used to Bury Their Children Alive
Hadith
A man said: “Messenger of Allah, I have a slave-girl and I withdraw the penis from her (while having intercourse), and I dislike that she becomes pregnant. I intend (by intercourse) what the men intend by it. The Jews say that withdrawing the penis (azl) is burying the living girls on a small scale.”
He (the Prophet) said: “The Jews told a lie. If Allah intends to create it, you cannot turn it away.”
Sunan Abi Dawud 2171
The Prophet said, “Allah has forbidden for you, (1) to be undutiful to your mothers, (2) to bury your daughters alive, (3) to not to pay the rights of the others (e.g. charity, etc.) and (4) to beg of men (begging). And Allah has hated for you (1) vain, useless talk, or that you talk too much about others, (2) to ask too many questions, (in disputed religious matters) and (3) to waste the wealth (by extravagance).”
Sahih al-Bukhari 2408
As you can see, Muhammad shows he can say Koran better than Allah with “Allah has forbidden for you,… to bury your daughters alive”.
The Prophet said, “Allah has forbidden you ( 1 ) to be undutiful to your mothers (2) to withhold (what you should give) or (3) demand (what you do not deserve), and (4) to bury your daughters alive. And Allah has disliked that (A) you talk too much about others ( B), ask too many questions (in religion), or (C) waste your property.”
Sahih al-Bukhari 5975
And of course, Muhammad can’t remember what he said earlier.
The Prophet said, “Allah has forbidden you: disobedience to your mothers, to withhold (what you should give), or demand (what you do not deserve), and to bury your daughters alive. And Allah dislikes idle talk, to ask too many questions (for things which will be of no benefit to one), and to waste your wealth”.
Riyad as-Salihin 340
Allah has made it prohibited for you to be disrespectful (showing undutiful behavior) to your mothers, to bury your daughters alive, to refuse others (their dues), and to demand things from others (which are not worth demanding), and He hates that you engage in gossip, asking many questions about people’s affairs and wasting wealth.
Book 16, Hadith 20
(The clerk of Al-Mughira) Muawiya wrote to Al-Mughira ‘Write to me what you have heard from Allah’s Messenger.’
So he (Al-Mughira) wrote to him: ‘Allah’s Prophet used to say at the end of each prayer: “La ilaha illalla-h wahdahu la sharika lahu, lahul Mulku, wa lahul Hamdu wa hula ala kulli shai’in qadir. ‘Allahumma la mani’ a lima a’taita, wala mu’tiya lima mana’ta, wala yanfa’u dhuljadd minkal-jadd.”‘
He also wrote to him that the Prophet used to forbid (1) Qil and Qal (idle useless talk or that you talk too much about others), (2) Asking too many questions (in disputed Religious matters); (3) And wasting one’s wealth by extravagance; (4) and to be undutiful to one’s mother (5) and to bury the daughters alive (6) and to prevent your favors (benevolence to others (i.e. not to pay the rights of others (7) And asking others for something (except when it is unavoidable).
Sahih al-Bukhari 7292
Surely, one of these hadiths is perfectly preserved, right? I gave up looking at this point in my disgust. You can check for more with this search query for “azl” in Sunnah.
Abrahamic Religions
Compare this with the forbidding of murder in Christianity and Judaism:
You shall not murder.
NIV Exodus 20:13
Obviously, this is better.
Muhammad was a false prophet, for a false god, Allah, for a false religion, Islam, without even a false book, the Koran.
Koran Contradiction 