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Jordan Journal of Islamic Studies

Jordan Journal of Islamic Studies

Abstract

Many scholars of Islamic jurisprudence argue that all changes to the human form, particularly elective cosmetic surgeries, are banned because they amount to “altering God's creation.” This argument has been generalized to deem genetic modification in humans forbidden. Using the framework of Islamic jurisprudence,5 the present paper aims to refute this argument and its underlying evidence. The paper argues that genetic modifications to reproductive and non-reproductive cells are permissible in Islam, but only within the general restrictions of Islamic jurisprudence. The most significant of these restrictions is that the harm incurred by such modifications should not outweigh their benefits.

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