Ruling regarding abortion

Question

Is there a ruling on abortion from Ala Hazrat and/or other scholars?

Answer

There is a legal verdict concerning abortion from Ala Hazrat رحمه الله as well as other scholars and this matter is mentioned in the books of Islamic Jurisprudence which is as follows:

If an abortion has been performed after the pregnancy has reached 4 months then this is tantamount to murder because it has been mentioned in a hadith that when the fetus reaches 120 days of development in the womb the soul is placed inside it. Thus the child is a living human being and if abortion is performed against the child the person is in fact murdering the child.

If the child is aborted before 4 months although this is not the sin of murder but it will fall within the sphere of sin and it will not be permitted without a valid reason. If there is a shar’i necessity then permission may be granted prior to 4 months. As for what will be considered a valid reason falling in the scope of a shar’i necessity then each individual case must be presented to a Mufti. If the Mufti grants permission only then can an abortion be performed.

Answered by: Mufti Sajid Attari

Translated by: Ibrar Shafi