Fatwa ID: 06731

 

Answered by: Alimah Shaheen Yusuf

 

Question:

 

A married woman committed zina and is now pregnant.  Her marriage is at stake. Any concession for abortion?

 

 

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

 

Answer:

 

According to shari’ah, preserving the life of humans and respecting them, has been prescribed. Killing a soul is harām even if it is a fetus. 

 

Fuqaha have deduced that the first four months (120 days) of gestation is the crucial time period. After this the fetus is regarded as being ‘alive’ and an abortion is not permissible for any reason whatsoever; and, should an abortion be done then it would constitute murder. Thus, an abortion may be performed within the 120-day period only if there is a valid Sharee reason.

 

It is not permissible to abort a fetus once 4 months have passed even if pregnancy is due to zina. This is because even though the pregnancy is due to zina, yet it is honourable because there is no fault of the unborn child. 

 

If a married woman becomes pregnant due to Zina, and if it is observed that the dignity of a family will be affected and therefore it is necessary to cover the sin committed by the woman, or if it is observed that the woman may be killed because of her action, then it will be counted as a valid excuse and the pregnancy can be aborted before 4 months.

 

But if 4 months have passed then even if pregnancy is due to zina, then abortion cannot be done. It is not permissible for a human to take another human life to save his own. Hence, to save the mother’s life, a child’s life cannot be taken. This is because after 4 months the fetus has soul in it and the limbs are complete. 

 

 

الفتاوى العالمكيرية = الفتاوى الهندية ٥/‏٣٥٦ — محمد أورنك عالم كير

امْرَأَةٌ مُرْضِعَةٌ ظَهَرَ بِهَا حَبَلٌ وَانْقَطَعَ لَبَنُهَا وَتَخَافُ عَلَى وَلَدِهَا الْهَلَاكَ وَلَيْسَ لِأَبِي هَذَا الْوَلَدِ سَعَةٌ حَتَّى يَسْتَأْجِرَ الظِّئْرَ يُبَاحُ لَهَا أَنْ تُعَالِجَ فِي اسْتِنْزَالِ الدَّمِ مَا دَامَ نُطْفَةً أَوْ مُضْغَةً أَوْ عَلَقَةً لَمْ يُخْلَقْ لَهُ عُضْوٌ وَخَلْقُهُ لَا يَسْتَبِينُ إلَّا بَعْدَ مِائَةٍ وَعِشْرِينَ يَوْمًا أَرْبَعُونَ نُطْفَةً وَأَرْبَعُونَ عَلَقَةً وَأَرْبَعُونَ مُضْغَةً كَذَا فِي خِزَانَةِ الْمُفْتِينَ.

وَهَكَذَا فِي فَتَاوَى قَاضِي خَانْ.

وَاَللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ.

النهر الفائق شرح كنز الدقائق ١/‏١٤١ — سراج الدين ابن نجيم 

وأقول إنما ذكر الشارح هذا في نكاح الرقيق وكون المراد به ما ذكر ممنوع فقد وجه في البدائع وغيرها ذلك بأن يكون أربعين يوما نطفة وأربعين علقة وأربعين مضغة وعبارته في عقد الفرائد قالوا يباح لها أن تعالج في استنزال الدم ما دام الحمل مضغة أو علقة ولم يخلق له عضو وقدروا تلك المدة بمائة وعشرين يوما وإنما اباحوا ذلك لأنه ليس بآدمي انتهى

حاشية ابن عابدين = رد المحتار ط الحلبي ٦/‏٣٧٤ — ابن عابدين 

 

وَفِي الذَّخِيرَةِ: لَوْ أَرَادَتْ إلْقَاءَ الْمَاءِ بَعْدَ وُصُولِهِ إلَى الرَّحِمِ قَالُوا إنْ مَضَتْ مُدَّةٌ يُنْفَخُ فِيهِ الرُّوحُ لَا يُبَاحُ لَهَا وَقَبْلَهُ اخْتَلَفَ الْمَشَايِخُ فِيهِ وَالنَّفْخُ مُقَدَّرٌ بِمِائَةٍ وَعِشْرِينَ يَوْمًا بِالْحَدِيثِ اهـ قَالَ فِي الْخَانِيَّةِ: وَلَا أَقُولُ بِهِ لِضَمَانِ الْمُحْرِمِ بَيْضَ الصَّيْدِ لِأَنَّهُ أَصْلُ الصَّيْدِ، فَلَا أَقَلَّ مِنْ أَنْ يَلْحَقَهَا إثْمٌ وَهَذَا لَوْ بِلَا عُذْرٍ اهـ

 

 

Only Allah (عز و جل) knows best.

Written by Alimah Shaheen Yusuf

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham