Fatwa ID: 09176
Answered by Muftiyah Humairah Badshah
Question:
Assalāmu ʿalaykum wa raḥmatullāh,
I am seeking guidance regarding the permissibility of terminating a pregnancy at approximately 25 days after conception, and I would be grateful for your scholarly assessment based on Islamic jurisprudence.
My circumstances are as follows:
I will be 41 years old at the time of birth.
I already have two children, aged 13 and 11, for whom I am the primary caregiver.
I am the main breadwinner in the family and work in a demanding full‑time job.
My husband returns home late (around 10 p.m.), so the majority of childcare and household responsibilities rest with me.
We do not have a support system (no extended family or external help).
I also have elderly parents (my father is nearly 80 and my mother is in her early 70s), and it is expected that they will require increasing care and support from me in the near future.
I am already experiencing significant ongoing stress due to these combined responsibilities.
Continuing the pregnancy does not pose a direct physical danger to my life. However, I am concerned that adding another child would cause severe and sustained hardship, significantly affecting my mental well‑being and my ability to fulfill my existing obligations toward my children, family, and dependents.
Given that the pregnancy is still very early (before 40 days), I would appreciate your guidance on the following:
How is mental and emotional harm assessed in fiqh when it does not rise to immediate physical danger?
In light of the principles of lifting hardship (rafʿ al‑ḥaraj) and preventing harm (darʾ al‑ḍarar), would termination at this early stage be considered permissible, disliked, or impermissible in such circumstances?
I am asking sincerely for guidance and wish to act in a manner that is pleasing to Allah, while also being realistic about my capacity and responsibilities.
Jazākum Allāhu khayran for your time and guidance.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
Regarding abortion in Islam, abortion is a grave matter with two major considerations. The first is that it can only occur before 120 days (4 months) have passed and before the limbs of the foetus have been formed.[1] The second is that there must be a major, genuine and valid reason, such as a serious fear of death.[2] An example in the books of fiqh is in the case of a lady who is currently breastfeeding her child and the father of the child does not have the means to hire a wet-nurse: if she fears that her child will starve she may consider an abortion.[2]
Note that in cases where one harm (darar) must be weighed against another, such as harm to the mother’s mental health and harm to the fetus’s life through abortion, careful consideration must be given to which harm is lesser in nature and therefore will have to be endured.[3] In a case such as this, the lower standard of haajah (need) to remove hardship would not be considered, as haajah rulings are applicable specifically in problems afflicting the entire ummah or a group of people.[4] In individual cases, the higher standard of daroorah (neccecity) would be considered, which is serious and predominantly-likely harm to a major necessity of human life, such as starvation which leads to death.[5]
In your case, since there is no likely endangerment of your life or the life of your children or parents, you must explore other avenues outside of abortion. If it is financially possible, consider if either you or your husband can alter their employment situation, or if it is possible for you to hire outside assistance through carers or nannies. Also explore whether there is any assistance available from relatives, or from local government services and charities.
Only Allah ﷻ knows best.
Written by Muftiyah Humairah Badshah
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
References:
[1]
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
Radd Al-Muhtaar (Halabi ed., Daar Al-Fitr, https://shamela.ws) v.3 p.176
[2]
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-Fataawa Al-Hindiyyah (Daar Al-Fikr, https://shamela.ws) v.5 p.356
[3]
يَخْتَارُ أَهْوَنَ الشَّرَّيْنِ
يَجُوْزُ شَقُّ بَطنِ الْمَيْتَةِ لِإِخْرَاجِ الْجِنِّيْنِ إِذَا كَانَتْ تُرْجَى حَيَاتُهُ ، وَيَجُوْزُ السُّكُوْتُ عَنۡ إِنْكَارِ الْمُنْكَرِ ، إِذَا كَانَ يَتَرَتَّبُ عَلَيْهِ ضَرَرٌ أَعْظَم.
إِذَا تَعَارَضَتْ مُفْسِدَتَانِ رُوْعِيَ أَعْظَمُهُمَا ضَرَراً بِاِرْتِكَابِ أَخَفِّهِمَا
Al-Qawaaid Al-Fiqhiyyah (Daar Al-Tirmidy ed.) p.32-33
[4]
اَلْحَاجَةُ تُنَزَّلُ مَنْزِلَةُ الضَّرُوْرَةِ ، عَامَّةً كَانَتْ أَوْ خَاصَّةً فِيْ إِبَاحَةِ الْمَحْظُوْر
اَلضُّرُوْرَةُ أَشَدُّ دَرَجَةً مِنْ الْحَاجَةِ ، وَالضُّرُوْرَةُ يُتَرَتَّبُ عَلَى عِصْيَانِهَا خَطَرٌ ، كَخَشْيَةِ الْهَلَاكِ جَوْعاً ، وَالْإِكْرَاهَ الْمُلْجِيء ، وَالْحَاجَةُ يُتَرَتَّبُ عَلَى عَدَمِ الْإِسْتِجَابَةِ لَهَا عُسْرٌ وَصَعُوْبَةٌ
وَمَعۡنَى كَوْنِهَا عَامَّةً : أَنْ يَكُوۡنَ الْإِحْتِيَاجُ شَامِلًا جَمِيْعَ الْأُمَّة
وَمَعۡنَى كَوْنِهَا خَاصَّة : أَنْ يَكُوۡنَ الْإِحْتِيَاجُ لِطَائِفَةٍ مِنْهُمْ كَأَهْلِ بَلَدٍ أَوْ حَرْفَةٍ ، وَلَيْسَ الْمُرَادُ مِنْ كَوْنِهَا خَاصَّةً أَنْ تَكُوْنَ فَرْدِيَّة
وَمَعۡنَى هَذِهِ الْقَاعِدَةِ أَنَّ التَّسْهِيْلَاتِ الْاِسْتِثْنَائِيَّةِ لَا تَقْتَصِرُ عَلَى حَالَاتِ الضُّرُوْرَةِ الْمُلْجِئَةِ ، بَلْ تُشَمِّلُ التَّسْهِيْلَاتُ حَاجَاتَ الْجَمَاعَة أَيْضاً مِمَّا دُوْنَ الضُّرُوْرَة
Al-Qawaaid Al-Fiqhiyyah (Daar Al-Tirmidy ed.) p.45
[5]
اَلضَّرُوْرَات تُبِيْحُ الْمَحْظُوْرَات
…
اَلضُّرُوْرَاتُ تُقَدِّرُ بِقَدْرِهَا
…
اَلضُّرُوْرَةُ أَشَدُّ دَرَجَةً مِنْ الْحَاجَةِ ، وَالضُّرُوْرَةُ يُتَرَتَّبُ عَلَى عِصْيَانِهَا خَطَرٌ ، كَخَشْيَةِ الْهَلَاكِ جَوْعاً ، وَالْإِكْرَاهَ الْمُلْجِيء ، وَالْحَاجَةُ يُتَرَتَّبُ عَلَى عَدَمِ الْإِسْتِجَابَةِ لَهَا عُسْرٌ وَصَعُوْبَةٌ
Al-Qawaaid Al-Fiqhiyyah (Daar Al-Tirmidy ed.) p.43-45
لَا عِبۡرَةَ لِلتَّوَهُّم
Al-Qawaaid Al-Fiqhiyyah (Daar Al-Tirmidy ed.) p.25