What is the ruling on terminating a pregnancy in the early months?
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The questioner : And this one says: What is the ruling on terminating a pregnancy in the early months?
The Shaykh : Yes, terminating a pregnancy after the soul has been breathed into it, meaning after the completion of four months, is not permissible under any circumstances, even if the doctors decide that if it remains, the mother will die. We say, let her die. When? After four months. It is not permissible to terminate it under any circumstances. If terminating it would result in death, why? Because it is not permissible to preserve the life of a person by the death of another. Otherwise, if a person were hungry and had a child, for example, he could eat his own children, but if he were hungry and had other people's children, he would say, "I am afraid I will die, so I will eat them." This is not permissible. So take this rule: after the soul is breathed into it, if its termination necessitates its death—answer me—it is forbidden. And if a person terminates it, he is a murderer who killed intentionally. So if they say, "If it remains in its mother's womb, the mother will die, and if the mother dies, it will die,"
The answer is: First, the doctors may estimate that if it remains in its mother's womb, she will die, but then she does not die. Is this certainty? It is not certainty.
Then, if it is estimated that she will die, there is a rapid surgical operation by which the fetus can be extracted before it dies. This is two.
Third, if this and that are negated, and the mother dies, did she die by our action or by the action of Allah? By the action of Allah. Allah (Mighty and Majestic) is the One who made this fetus the cause of her destruction. But if we extract the child after the soul has been breathed into it in a state where it is viable, then we are the ones who killed it. So the rule is: terminating the fetus after the soul has been breathed into it, if it necessitates its destruction, is forbidden, and there is no doubt in it.
As for before that, if the doctors decide that its remaining is harmful to the mother, there is no harm in terminating it.
Likewise, if the doctors decide that if it remains, it will be born deformed or mentally retarded, there is also no harm in terminating it. When? When? Before four months. Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes, terminating a pregnancy after the soul has been breathed into it, meaning after the completion of four months, is not permissible under any circumstances, even if the doctors decide that if it remains, the mother will die. We say, let her die. When? After four months. It is not permissible to terminate it under any circumstances. If terminating it would result in death, why? Because it is not permissible to preserve the life of a person by the death of another. Otherwise, if a person were hungry and had a child, for example, he could eat his own children, but if he were hungry and had other people's children, he would say, "I am afraid I will die, so I will eat them." This is not permissible. So take this rule: after the soul is breathed into it, if its termination necessitates its death—answer me—it is forbidden. And if a person terminates it, he is a murderer who killed intentionally. So if they say, "If it remains in its mother's womb, the mother will die, and if the mother dies, it will die,"
The answer is: First, the doctors may estimate that if it remains in its mother's womb, she will die, but then she does not die. Is this certainty? It is not certainty.
Then, if it is estimated that she will die, there is a rapid surgical operation by which the fetus can be extracted before it dies. This is two.
Third, if this and that are negated, and the mother dies, did she die by our action or by the action of Allah? By the action of Allah. Allah (Mighty and Majestic) is the One who made this fetus the cause of her destruction. But if we extract the child after the soul has been breathed into it in a state where it is viable, then we are the ones who killed it. So the rule is: terminating the fetus after the soul has been breathed into it, if it necessitates its destruction, is forbidden, and there is no doubt in it.
As for before that, if the doctors decide that its remaining is harmful to the mother, there is no harm in terminating it.
Likewise, if the doctors decide that if it remains, it will be born deformed or mentally retarded, there is also no harm in terminating it. When? When? Before four months. Yes.