Illegal Teenage Pregnancy by Mohd Yusri Jacis

There are many social challenges we face throughout our neighborhood, and it seems quite
difficult for us to put them to an end. A social challenge we face is illegal teenage pregnancy. Premarital
or extramarital sex - known as Zina which is a major sin in Islam! Allah SWT warns Muslims not to even
come near it. The reason why its forbidden in Islam is because of the major problems that it can bring
into society such as illegitimate children, spread of disease, increase in divorce rate, spread of crime,
children not being brought up or cared for properly and ultimately the breakdown of the family unit. For
many girls and boys, this is because of a lack of parenting. Some feels that they are neglected or
abandoned by those who love them and then life gets hard. Therefore, they go off and do things in the
world that they may regret.
Sometimes teens have abortions and that's not fair to the child. As a Muslim, to be pregnant and
unmarried is the worst situation to be in. Such girls are often shunned by society, talked about in a bad
way and are considered to have brought shame on their family. Even so some people says that having a
child can drastically change a teen's life. The teen would need a job because lots of money would be
needed. The teen would have to provide both for herself and the child, which could be very difficult also
depending on the teen's parents, she could be kicked out of that household, leaving her with no place to
go. This is why many teenage Muslim girls, who find themselves in such a serious situation, will go to
great lengths to hide their pregnancy and this may result in secret abortions or even a virginity fix.
Life is a gift from Allah SWT. No one has the right to take away or stop the life of anyone else.
Killing any person is strongly condemned in the Quran, especially the killing of children which is
specifically condemned in several chapters.
The Quran says:
"Kill not your children for fear of want; it is We who provide sustenance for them as well as for you; for
verily killing them is a great sin. (17: 31).
Sex outside marriage can also result in serious consequences for all involved. In some instances
some Muslim girls are killed for getting themselves in such a shameful situation, in so-called honour
killings which have nothing whatsoever to do with Islam. However, there could be a change in the
problem. The solution to this issue could be safe-sex education and a proper religious approach and
guidance.

Firstly, we need to acknowledge the fact that is an issue that affects the Muslim youth. Secondly,
we need to be prepared to talk about it in order to educate our youth with Islamic knowledge. Parents
should know that sex is not always a dirty word. It is an important aspect of our life. There should be no
shame or holding back in discussing this issue, if a child has reached puberty, its time to teach him/her
the difference between right and wrong because we need to make sure more so that our youth are
educated about sex according to the teachings of Islam. The main reason Muslim parents do not or cannot
discuss sex education with their children is because of their cultural upbringing. Parents may not be
comfortable with their own sexuality or its expression because of the way they were brought up.
Our Imam also Ustaz or Ustazah need to educate the community and offer counselling to those
people who may have fallen into this predicament. That way, young girls would not be forced to have
undercover abortions, run away from home, contemplate getting virginity fix surgery or be victims of
honour crime.
Furthermore, girls, wake up! Most guys can walk away from a sexual encounter without giving it
a second thought. Girls cant do that. Dont sleep with a guy in order to win his love, or to be accepted by
your friends or even if youre convinced that youre in love. The truth is that most guys have little
respect for a girl who has slept with someone before marriage, even if you sleep with them! Plus, society
thinks very low of such people and theres a possibility that you may fall pregnant. More importantly,
youll be feeling guilty since it is one of the biggest sin in Islam! If you have any self-respect, youll hold
out for the guy who respects you enough to commit to marry you. Someone who are willingly want to be
you as their wife.
As a closure for the topic, it is seriously important for all the Muslim or even the non-Muslim
youths to be aware of the boons about the matter mentioned above. It is we are the one who lives our life
and there is no other. Regardless the saying goes, Love is blind, nevertheless, dont let the love makes
you blindly choose the wrong path that eventually puts you blind for the rest of your life.