Fatwa ID: 09338
Answered by Muftiyah Maryam Badshah
Question:
I would like to gain advice on the matter of abortion. I have been married for 8 years and have a 3 year old child. My husband and I are having a difficult marriage and recently he has left the UK indefinitely with my child. I followed them two weeks later to his home country in hope of reconciliation. My husband decided not to return to the UK. I returned with my child and upon returning I have found myself pregnant with his child. I am currently 7 weeks (or roughly 5 weeks from conception) and seeking advice on abortion.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
“And do not kill your children for fear of poverty. We provide for them and for you. Indeed, their killing is ever a great sin.” Surah Al-Isra’ (17:31) [1]
It is the responsibility of the father of your children to provide for their maintenance. The general rule regarding children after divorce is that the children stay with the mother until a son can clean, clothe and eat by himself (approx. 7 years), or a daughter reaches maturity (baligh), after which the father has custody. The father is responsible for providing maintenance for his children regardless of the mother’s monetary situation, even during her custody. Maintenance for a son is until maturity or until he can provide for himself, and for a daughter it is until she is married. The father must also provide shelter for both the mother and children if they have no shelter whilst they are in the mother’s custody. If your husband refuses to provide for his children, you should attempt to seek the help of a local Islamic Scholar or Shariah Court. You may also wish to involve family members or find a trustworthy Islamic Mediator if necessary.[2]
According to the Shari’ah, it is permissible for someone to seek an abortion before the limbs of the foetus have been formed, or before 120 days (4 months) of pregnancy, provided they have a valid reason. According to some scholars, a valid reason for abortion would be if a mother’s milk has stopped, and she fears the death of her child due to the father not having the means to provide a wet-nurse for the child. From this we learn that abortion would only be excused if there is a genuine fear of death, and this is not something that can be determined through a short online message. Life is a trust given by Allah ﷻ and should be treated as sacred in all forms. Consider other options for you and your children, such as obtaining help from family members, transferring custody of the child to another relative or the father, care support services, or seeking legal help in regards to obtaining maintenance.[3]
Only Allah ﷻ knows best.
Written by Muftiyah Maryam Badshah
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
References:
[1]
وَلَا تَقْتُلُوا أَوْلَادَكُمْ خَشْيَةَ إِمْلَاقٍ ۖ نَّحْنُ نَرْزُقُهُمْ وَإِيَّاكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ قَتْلَهُمْ كَانَ خِطْئًا كَبِيرًا
Qur’an (17:31)
[2]
وَالْحَاضِنَةُ) أُمًّا، أَوْ غَيْرَهَا (أَحَقُّ بِهِ) أَيْ بِالْغُلَامِ حَتَّى يَسْتَغْنِيَ عَنْ النِّسَاءِ وَقُدِّرَ بِسَبْعٍ وَبِهِ يُفْتَى لِأَنَّهُ الْغَالِبُ. وَلَوْ اخْتَلَفَا فِي سِنِّهِ، فَإِنْ أَكَلَ وَشَرِبَ وَلَبِسَ وَاسْتَنْجَى وَحْدَهُ دُفِعَ إلَيْهِ وَلَوْ جَبْرًا وَإِلَّا لَا (وَالْأُمُّ وَالْجَدَّةُ) لِأُمٍّ، أَوْ لِأَبٍ (أَحَقُّ بِهَا) بِالصَّغِيرَةِ (حَتَّى تَحِيضَ) أَيْ تَبْلُغَ فِي ظَاهِرِ الرِّوَايَةِ. وَلَوْ اخْتَلَفَا فِي حَيْضِهَا فَالْقَوْلُ لِلْأُمِّ بَحْرٌ بَحْثًا
وَأَقُولُ: يَنْبَغِي أَنْ يُحَكَّمَ سِنُّهَا وَيُعْمَلَ بِالْغَالِبِ. وَعِنْدَ مَالِكٍ، حَتَّى يَحْتَلِمَ الْغُلَامُ، وَتَتَزَوَّجَ الصَّغِيرَةُ وَيَدْخُلَ بِهَا الزَّوْجُ عَيْنِيٌّ
Raddul Muhtār (Vol.3, pg.566, Dār Al-Fiqr)
…سُئِلَ أَبُو حَفْصٍ عَمَّنْ لَهَا إمْسَاكُ الْوَلَدِ وَلَيْسَ لَهَا مَسْكَنٌ مَعَ الْوَلَدِ؟ فَقَالَ: عَلَى الْأَبِ سُكْنَاهُمَا جَمِيعًا
–
…فَعَلَى هَذَا يَجِبُ عَلَى الْأَبِ ثَلَاثَةٌ: أُجْرَةُ الرَّضَاعِ، وَأُجْرَةُ الْحَضَانَةِ، وَنَفَقَةُ الْوَلَدِ اهـ وَمِثْلُهُ فِي الشُّرُنْبُلَالِيَّةِ…
Raddul Muhtār (Vol.3, pg.561, Dār Al-Fiqr)
الْوَلَدُ مَتَى كَانَ عِنْدَ أَحَدِ الْأَبَوَيْنِ لَا يُمْنَعُ الْآخَرُ عَنْ النَّظَرِ إلَيْهِ وَعَنْ تَعَهُّدِهِ
Raddul Muhtār (Vol.3, pg.571, Dār Al-Fiqr)
[3]
مَطْلَبٌ فِي حُكْمِ إسْقَاطِ الْحَمْلِ
قَوْلُهُ وَقَالُوا إلَخْ) قَالَ فِي النَّهْرِ: بَقِيَ هَلْ يُبَاحُ الْإِسْقَاطُ بَعْدَ الْحَمْلِ؟ نَعَمْ يُبَاحُ مَا لَمْ يَتَخَلَّقْ مِنْهُ شَيْءٌ وَلَنْ يَكُونَ ذَلِكَ إلَّا بَعْدَ مِائَةٍ وَعِشْرِينَ يَوْمًا، وَهَذَا يَقْتَضِي أَنَّهُمْ أَرَادُوا بِالتَّخْلِيقِ نَفْخَ الرُّوحِ وَإِلَّا فَهُوَ غَلَطٌ لِأَنَّ التَّخْلِيقَ يَتَحَقَّقُ بِالْمُشَاهَدَةِ قَبْلَ هَذِهِ الْمُدَّةِ … قَالَ ابْنُ وَهْبَانَ: وَمِنْ الْأَعْذَارِ أَنْ يَنْقَطِعَ لَبَنُهَا بَعْدَ ظُهُورِ الْحَمْلِ وَلَيْسَ لِأَبِي الصَّبِيِّ مَا يَسْتَأْجِرُ بِهِ الظِّئْرَ وَيَخَافُ هَلَاكَهُ. وَنُقِلَ عَنْ الذَّخِيرَةِ لَوْ أَرَادَتْ الْإِلْقَاءَ قَبْلَ مُضِيِّ زَمَنٍ يُنْفَخُ فِيهِ الرُّوحُ هَلْ يُبَاحُ لَهَا ذَلِكَ أَمْ لَا؟ اخْتَلَفُوا فِيهِ، وَكَانَ الْفَقِيهُ عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُوسَى يَقُولُ: إنَّهُ يُكْرَهُ، فَإِنَّ الْمَاءَ بَعْدَمَا وَقَعَ فِي الرَّحِمِ مَآلُهُ الْحَيَاةُ فَيَكُونُ لَهُ حُكْمُ الْحَيَاةِ كَمَا فِي بَيْضَةِ صَيْدِ الْحَرَمِ، وَنَحْوُهُ فِي الظَّهِيرِيَّةِ قَالَ ابْنُ وَهْبَانَ: فَإِبَاحَةُ الْإِسْقَاطِ مَحْمُولَةٌ عَلَى حَالَةِ الْعُذْرِ، أَوْ أَنَّهَا لَا تَأْثَمُ إثْمَ الْقَتْلِ اهـ. وَبِمَا فِي الذَّخِيرَةِ تَبَيَّنَ أَنَّهُمْ مَا أَرَادُوا بِالتَّحْقِيقِ إلَّا نَفْخُ الرُّوحِ، وَأَنَّ قَاضِيَ خَانْ مَسْبُوقٌ بِمَا مَرَّ مِنْ التَّفَقُّهِ، وَاَللَّهُ تَعَالَى الْمُوَفِّقُ
Raddul Muhtār (Vol.3, pg.176, Dār Al-Fiqr)
الْعِلَاجُ لِإِسْقَاطِ الْوَلَدِ إذَا اسْتَبَانَ خَلْقُهُ كَالشَّعْرِ وَالظُّفْرِ وَنَحْوِهِمَا لَا يَجُوزُ وَإِنْ كَانَ غَيْرَ مُسْتَبِينِ الْخَلْقِ يَجُوزُ…
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
Al-Fatāwa al-Hindiyyah (Vol.5, pg.356, Dār Al-Fiqr)