Qur’anic Views on Human Cloning (I): Doctrinal and Theological Evidences

BACKGROUND: Human cloning is a recent occurrence that is not confined to bio-issues; rather, it has provoked numerous questions worldwide and presented scientific and religious challenges. These series of articles aim to examine the proposed approaches and analyze the aspects of human cloning in terms of tenets, morals, jurisprudence, and laws. In this paper, we analyze the ideological and theological evidences, regardless of scientific, ethical and legal problems that exist in the reproduction method. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We used a descriptive-analytical method to consider the challenges of human cloning according to the “system of Divine creativity” and “the will of God”, as well as the “pairing system” and “diversity in nature” with emphasis on the Holy Qur’an and Qur’anic commentaries. RESULTS: According to the Qur’an, although any type of physical changes and retouching of the human body are forbidden, the alteration of God's creation may not prove the prohibition of cloning. Cloning is not contradictory to the principle, precedent, and rule of coupling, and it may be one of the hidden precedents of creation. Therefore, not only does a clone not contradict the precedent of the variety of men, but this variety is a sign for men and not a precedent predominated over the order of nature. CONCLUSION: It is proven that cloning does not give life; instead, it utilizes the life bestowed by God. This technique does not contradict the precedents of existence. It is a way to discover some precedents of God and is under the order of cause and effect of the world. Cloning is not considered as a challenge to human beliefs, nor is it a change in Divine creation. Moreover, cloning does not contradict the theological teachings and concepts of the Holy Qur’an and Shiite Muslims.