Abortion due to disability

[Farhana]

Assalamu-alaikum

I was speaking to a sister who is worried about having a disabled child. She believes when she gets pregnant, inshAllah, she'll have genetic tests done, and if she's expecting a disabled child - she will abort it.

Can someone please help me out with the evidence here? What are the rulings on aborting to prevent the birth of disabled children. I have read that abortion is allowed up until a certain stage, before the soul has entered the body...can anyone direct me to some sound information?

Jazakhallah
Farhana

[haqq]

QUESTION: The doctors have diagnosed that the baby I am carrying will be horribly malformed. They all recommend abortion. I am five months pregnant. Is abortion in this situation permissible?

ANSWER: At four months the foetus becomes a living human being. The Rooh enters the foetus when it has reached 120 days. Abortion at this time will be the murder of an innocent human being. Such murder is haraam. Never heed what the murderers advise you. Abortion in your case is haraam. If Allah Ta’alaa has decreed that your baby will be ‘horribly malformed’, you have to accept it with Sabr and treat it as an Amaanat entrusted to your care by your Creator. He knows best what is good for us. The Qur’aan states: “Perhaps you dislike something when in reality it is good for you.”

The Majlis

[Travelleress]

Assalamu-alaikum

I was speaking to a sister who is worried about having a disabled child. She believes when she gets pregnant, inshAllah, she'll have genetic tests done, and if she's expecting a disabled child - she will abort it.

Can someone please help me out with the evidence here? What are the rulings on aborting to prevent the birth of disabled children. I have read that abortion is allowed up until a certain stage, before the soul has entered the body...can anyone direct me to some sound information?

Jazakhallah
Farhana

Asalamu 'alaykum sister,

I dont have any evidence but I asked Shaykh Faraz Rabbani about this and he said to abort due to disability is wrong. Answer was pretty similar to the one given by Haqq above regarding the timing.

I just wanted to add that wisdom is Allah's alone and if one has a disabled child then of course, there is wisdom behind it. My own sister had a disabled child and I have never seen such a beautiful relationship. When having her second child the doctors told her that her child may be disabled and asked her if she wanted to abort- her answer? Allah does as He wills. For her steadfastness and to ease her anxiety, Allah gave her a beautiful dream wherein she saw her child a few years old, perfectly normal masha Allah. Alhamdu lillah, her daughter is as she saw her.

Wasalam

[sunflower]

Assalamu-alaikum

I was speaking to a sister who is worried about having a disabled child. She believes when she gets pregnant, inshAllah, she'll have genetic tests done, and if she's expecting a disabled child - she will abort it.

Assalaamu alaikum
Can I ask you to pass on some advice to this sister, to put her trust in Allah and pray for a healthy child inshallah......why is thinking about disabled child even beofre she is pregnant. Like sister travelleress said Allah does as he wills and there is wisom behind everything. Allah knows best and he is most merciuful.
waslaam

[nauk]

When you say she is expecting a disabled child what do you mean? she married close family? what..

[sunflower]

When you say she is expecting a disabled child what do you mean? she married close family? what..

The sister didnt say "she is expecting a disabled child" , in fact she has said "when she gets pregnant",please read the original quote:
I was speaking to a sister who is worried about having a disabled child. She believes when she gets pregnant, inshAllah, she'll have genetic tests done, and if she's expecting a disabled child - she will abort it.

[nauk]

Ok thank you for clearing that up.

[Farhana]

Jazakhallah for all your help. I've passed on the important information to her.

I do agree, Sunflower and Travelleress - it's Allah's Will. My best-friend is disabled from birth (due to lack of oxygen)...so no matter how people try to prevent this from happening, it still does. Does that then make these people unwanted? God forbid!

May Allah guide us all.

Wassalam
Farhana

[haneefa]

also tell the sister to becareful in trusting those tests a few people i know were told by doctors their child would be disabled in some way and they carried on with the pregancy and had a healthy child!!! the tests are actually not very accurate. other disabilities occur during birth itself so there is no way to guarentee anything, you just have to trust Allah.