Abortion

Q: I am four months pregnant and I wish to abort the child. The doctors say that the child will be born as a down syndrome child. Is abortion allowed in Islam? Will I be sinful?

Q: I have three daughters by three caesareans. In last caesarean there were some complications in last few days. And now I got pregnant again for the fourth time surprisingly. My husband doesn't want to continue this pregnancy because of my health problems. I have so many health problems as I got knee joint problem so I can't read my Salaah standing. So we are asking that is it permissible to abort this baby, its just starting pregnancy. Please answer me soon.

Q: I am a female blessed with a son (2 years old) and now expecting again but I am very weak and so scared to have another child. Now my question is what does Islam say about abortion for a weak woman?

Q: We have three children 6 1/2 , 5 1/2 and 3 1/2 years old  and last child is 100 % invalid. She has metabolic disease for her whole life. Doctors told us that the next child is also at risk of metabolic disease. My wife is again pregnant last few weeks. Is it possible she can have and abortion. Till how many weeks is abortion possible?

A: My wife is 23 weeks pregnant and we have just been advised by two specialists that:

- The heart of the foetus is extremely enlarged such that it is filling up the entire width of the chest cavity (the normal ratio is 60% of the cavity. In this case, its wall to wall)

- The right ventricle valve is deformed and not closing, which is resulting in back flow of blood back into the right atrium (instead of towards the lungs as it should be)

- The pulmonary arteries are half the diameter that they should be at this stage of development, meaning that there is insufficient blood flow to the lungs.

- As the heart is so large, the lungs are severely under-developed, and they are uncertain how these will hold up at the time of birth

- The specialists are certain that any form of operation post birth will not be corrective, and whatever they do may only prolong the condition of the newborn for a short period.

In summary, their prognosis is very poor, such that they are of the opinion that the foetus is likely to suffer heart failure even before reaching full term. In the event that it does reach full term, it will require immediate intensive care and surgery to re-direct blood flow away from the left side of the heart directly towards the lungs, implying that the newborn will only be surviving by using one side of the heart. This in itself, they believe, will not last long as the heart cannot sustain this in any meaningful manner.

International research (performed by myself) confirms their assessment and prognoses that death before full term is very likely, and if not, death within 3-4 weeks after birth should be expected.

At this stage, they cannot determine the impact that the heart enlargement and pulmonary arteries under-development, is having on the other organs in the body, except to say that, in their opinions, the condition of the foetus will only get worse and will not be compatible with life. 

Notwithstanding the 120 day 'rooh entering the body' consensus, would it be Islamically permissible (or not) to terminate the pregnancy?

Q: We were gifted with a baby girl 6 months ago and now yesterday we came to know that my wife is again pregnant. She is suffering from Bipolar Disorder, after the birth of 1st child, and is taking medicine for cure. If the medicine is stopped, it might harm her according to doctors. She is under deep mental stress and if the medicine is stopped it will be further problem. So I request your good self that can we abort the foetus to avoid bigger problems in my family life. We should have taken care before but I was not knowing that she is under this kind of mental depression as I was away for 5 months. I am under deep tension since yesterday and hope you will guide me to the right path, Insha Allah.

Q: Is termination of pregnancy permissible? if yes, in what circumstances is it allowed and not allowed? As a medical practitioner, one is allowed to refuse to perform an abortion. However, one is required to refer the patient to where it could be performed. Is this allowed?