Fatwa ID: 06813

 

Answered by: Maulana Burhaan Rahman

 

Question:

 

I have a query regarding abortion I am so saddened I have to even write this and find it heartbreaking but I have no one to ask or find support.

 

I am 10 weeks pregnant and having such a difficult time in my life. I have been separated from my husband for a while due to his family interfering and bullying me this caused a lot of issues and he used to become aggressive I left our home after a while due to my mental health and miscarriage caused by this stress. He blamed me for not ignoring them or being thick-skinned and showed no empathy at all.

 

Now I am pregnant again and he has issued an ultimatum I either move back or he will divorce me we live in different towns and he will not move at all and his excuse is why I should?

 

I have had such a difficult pregnancy and is a very high risk to myself and have to take regular medication to stop my blood from clotting even the birth will be high risk- also prior to pregnancy I was having chronic pain issues which were being treated and now I am unable to take medication or necessary treatment due to harm to the baby which means I am in constant chronic pain which is effecting my mental health and also mobility.

 

My husband is aware of this and isn’t bothered he gives me hardly any money and is asking me to move back or face being a mother alone and divorced. I know I am having this baby at such a risk to my own health and I know being alone will affect me immensely mentally and physically I can’t cope with my mobility and health will affect how I care for this child and have no family support around. Would it be permissible to abort given the risks I feel awful but I know I am already mentally having a breakdown and if I continue I will deteriorate. 

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

Answer:

 

We ask Allah SWT to ease all the hardships you are facing. We sincerely ask the most glorious and the highest to direct you towards the light which is waiting for you at the end of the tunnel. Our female counterparts and our sisters around the world can be going through so much hardship, and we as people, although have never experienced anything close to this degree, make Du’a for you sincerely Inshaa Allah.

 

Being pregnant with a baby is already tough, but having people who are close to you who stay away from supporting you is even tougher. Let’s not mention how difficult it can be when the closest people to you purposely make your life problematic and challenging. Allah SWT is the All-knowing and he knows what one goes through. May Allah SWT also ease the physical and mental pains you are enduring! Allah is completely aware of the deeds and sincere actions our sisters do and how they overcome situations with patience.

 

He SWT mentions:

وَٱصْبِرْ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُضِيعُ أَجْرَ ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ

And be patient! Certainly, Allah does not discount the reward of the good-doers. [Surah Hud verse 115]

 

From the question I have gathered that you are experiencing many things and it is worth mentioning, not to remind you, but rather to understand the situation we are dealing with:

 

• Separation from husband and he is bullying you (and we really dislike hearing this)
• Your husband gives you hardly any money and requests you to be a mother alone
• Miscarriage from before – causes stress no doubt
• You are on Anti-blood clot medication – risk to yourself as well due to side effects etc. (bleeding gums, heavy periods [NHSUK])
• Chronic back pains – you can’t take medications due to the effect on the baby (circulation of baby affected and reduced blood flow to kidneys [BNF2022])

 

In such situations my dear questioner, if a God-fearing Muslim doctor is instructing you that due to your adverse health, there is going to be a risk to your life then aborting will be permissible. However, I must stress this needs to be carefully considered by speaking to the doctors and your local GPs before you come to any decision. 

 

 

As the Islamic legal maxim of sacred law states:

الضرورات تبيح المحظورات

“Necessity permits prohibited things”.

 

The dire need to keep one’s self alive and in good health is crucial and should never be overlooked. May Allah SWT bless the women of this world!

 

 

Only Allah knows best

Written by Maulana Burhaan Rahman

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham