Such a verdict exists. It does not require any scholar, imam, or Islamic university or research establishment to come to any new conclusion on the matters you have mentioned. The Prophet, peace be upon him, has taught us that graves should be simple, and that they should not be allowed to rise more than 20-25 cm above the ground. They should be made of mud, and no structure should be built over them. Therefore, all that people do to erect tombs and make splendid graves, building them with marble or stones and placing ornaments, may be of silver or gold, is prohibited. The simplicity of graves is a requirement which is calculated to prevent any glorification of any dead person whosoever. That people nevertheless build tombs and make shrines over the graves of certain people runs totally against Islamic teachings. What you have said about such places becoming breeding grounds for false beliefs, as well as crimes, is certainly correct. People go to such places and appeal to the dwellers of those graves to act as intermediaries with God on their behalf. Such a practice can only be described as associating partners with God. When a dead person is asked to intermediate with God, he is considered to be God's partner. That cannot be accepted from a Muslim. The custodians of such places try to deceive people in order to get money. That is criminal.

Again all the categories you have mentioned of Sufis, Pirs, etc. have no position whatsoever in Islam. Some of these use titles which have been mentioned in the Qur'an or the Hadith. But then, such titles are not used in the right sense. Take, for example, the title "wali", which is the singular of "Aulia". This refers to any person who is dedicated to the cause of Islam. But this title cannot be conferred on any person by other people. It is indeed not used as a title at all, either in the Qur'an or the Hadith, but as an adjective. The adjective can only be used by God who knows people's intentions and what is in their hearts. Therefore, we cannot confer it on any person. Anyone who claims such a title and seeks to have some privileges as a result, is guilty of exploiting Islam for his own interests. My advice to all my readers, if they see any person claiming such a position of privilege, is that they should have nothing to do with him. If they follow him, they are likely to go astray.

In 1983, a conference was held in Kuwait in which specialized doctors of medicine and Islamic scholars took part. One of the most important subject discussed was abortion. There was a great deal of discussion on the various aspects of abortion and when it can be considered appropriate.

From the findings of that conference it can be concluded that abortion is permissible if the continuation of pregnancy poses a real threat to the life of the mother. In this case, abortion can be performed at any stage during the pregnancy, and as soon as it is clear that termination of pregnancy is the only way to save the life of the mother.

As for other medical conditions, scholars differed a great deal on this issue. It is however, remarkable that the proceedings show that gynecologists and obstetricians who also have sound Islamic knowledge took a stronger attitude opposing abortion at any stage of the pregnancy. Scholars of Fiqh could find room for a more understandable attitude.

They gave different verdicts for different stages of the pregnancy. Most of them say that abortion is forbidden after 120 days of conception. Others say that this prohibition begins after 45 days. Both groups define the limit which they favor on the basis of a certain Hadith. The one which speaks of 120 days may be given in translation as follows:

"Indeed, the creation of each one of you is brought together in the mother's belly for 40 days in the form of a drop of sperm, then he is a germ-cell for a like period, then an embryonic lump for a like period, then there is sent to him the angel who blows the breath of life into him and who is commanded about four matters: to write down his means of livelihood, his life span, his actions and whether happy or unhappy.

By Allah, other than whom there is no God, one of you may behave like the people of paradise until there is but an arm's length between him and it, and that which has been written overtakes him and so he behaves like the people of hell fire and thus he enters it; and one of you behaves like the people of hell fire until there is but an arm's length between him and it, and that which has been written overtakes him and so he behaves like the people of paradise and thus he enters it." (Related by Al Bukhari & Muslim.)

There is certainly a very strong order to all Muslims and indeed all people, not to kill their children for any reason, particularly poverty. This is followed by a clear statement that God will provide for all. Yet this has nothing to do with family planning because the latter is not concerned with children already in existence. Family planning seeks to prevent conception. In other words, it tries to avoid pregnancy. When a woman does not get pregnant, how can we say that the verse that forbids the killing of children applies to her?