Pre-term delivery after 120 days

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.  

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.  

We take note of the contents of your query and ask Allah to grant the sister courage to overcome her challenges. Ameen  

In principle, the soul (Ruh) enters the foetus at 120 days from conception. After the Soul has entered the foetus, it is now regarded as a living organism and cannot be aborted. It is strictly prohibited to abort the child after 120 days. This ruling remains the same irrespective of the foetus having proven abnormalities or not.  

However, some jurists have given permission to abort the pregnancy where the mother’s life is in absolute danger. In this situation the mother’s life is given preference to that of the unborn child.  

Accordingly, you should consult with medical practitioners and specialist obstetricians to assess the potential danger a fourth caesarean may have upon the mother. If the life of the expectant mother is not in certain danger it will not be permissible to abort the child. Rather, one should make Dua for a healthy child and be content with the Qadar (fate) decreed by Allah the All-knowing, All wise. 

Kindly see the attached article by Mufti Ebrahim Desai (db) on abortion. 

ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVE ON ABORTION 

(Al-Mahmood by Mufti Ebrahim Desai) 

Almighty Allah Ta'ala says in the Quran: "Life is from a decree of my Lord." (Surah 12 Verse 85). The above verse is self explanatory on the sanctity and significance of life. Generally every decree is from Allah Ta'ala but the honour of attribution increases its sanctity and demands its highest level of reverence. This command is mentioned in many verses of the Noble Quran - Allah Ta'ala says: "Whosoever has spared the life of a soul, it is as though he has spared the life of all people. Whosoever has killed a soul, it is as though he has murdered all of mankind."(Surah 5 Verse 32)  

The above should suffice to express the sanctity of the Rooh (life). The Noble Qur'an describes the various stages of man's primordial development but it does not specify the exact duration of each state. In one verse of the Noble Qur'an, Almighty Allah Ta'ala says, "Man, We did create from a quintessence (of clay); then We placed him as (a drop of) sperm in a place of rest, firmly fixed; then We made the sperm into a clot of congealed blood; then of that clot We made a (foetus) lump; then We made out of that lump bones, and clothed the bones with flesh; then We developed out of it another creature: So blessed be Allah, the best to create." (Surah 23 Verses 12 and 14)  

In a Hadith related by Bukhari and Muslim, our beloved Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) said, "Verily the creation of each one of you is brought together in his mother's belly for forty days in the form of a seed, then he is a clot of blood for a like period, then an angel is sent to him who blows the breath of life into him..."  

Based on the above references, Muslim jurists have deduced that the first four months (120 days) of gestation is the crucial time period. After this the foetus is regarded as being 'alive' and an abortion is not permissible for any reason whatsoever; and, should an abortion be done then it would constitute murder. Thus an abortion may be performed within the 120 days period only if there is a valid Shar’ee reason. (Family Planning and Abortion, by Qaadhi Mujahidul Islam, published by the IMA of South Africa)  

Upon and after 120 days, it will not be permissible to abort the child. Almighty Allah Ta'ala, the All-Knowing, the All Merciful, has endowed the foetus with life. The heights of His Infinite Wisdom cannot be reached nor comprehended. The importance of the biggest problem in the circumstances cannot be equivalent to the importance of the Rooh (life). In general, abortion is not permissible but within 120 days as stated above; however, it is permissible to abort the child in the following instances:  

1.      Rape and incest  

2.      Proven abnormalities, e.g. Anencephaly (no brain), Downs Syndrome, Trisomy, HIV positive, congenital rubella health.  

3.      If the foetal abnormalities are not proven but speculated, if there is a high risk that a woman may suffer from any of the above factors, then in the opinion of an honest, reliable and an experienced Muslim doctor, abortion may be permissible prior to the four months' gestation. It must be stressed that these are exceptional circumstances in which an abortion is allowed. Once again, it must be emphasized that the permission granted rests on medical grounds. (Ibid)  

4.      If there is a high risk of the mother's permanent mental well-being and if the doctor is certain (Zanne Ghaalib) that the depression, schizophrenia will be permanent and incurable.

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best  

Mohammed  

Student Darul Iftaa 
UK  

Checked and Approved by, 
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.  

(2021-05-23)

____________

[1] الأشباه والنظائر لابن نجيم (ص: 76( 

الرَّابِعَةُ: [إذَا تَعَارَضَ مَفْسَدَتَانِ رُوعِيَ أَعْظَمُهُمَا ضَرَرًا بِارْتِكَابِ أَخَفِّهِمَا] 

نَشَأَتْ مِنْ هَذِهِ الْقَاعِدَةِ قَاعِدَةٌ رَابِعَةٌ، وَهِيَ مَا: 

إذَا تَعَارَضَ مَفْسَدَتَانِ رُوعِيَ أَعْظَمُهُمَا ضَرَرًا بِارْتِكَابِ أَخَفِّهِمَا". 

قَالَ الزَّيْلَعِيُّ فِي بَابِ شُرُوطِ الصَّلَاةِ: ثُمَّ الْأَصْلُ فِي جِنْسِ هَذِهِ الْمَسَائِلِ أَنَّ مَنْ اُبْتُلِيَ بِبَلِيَّتَيْنِ، وَهُمَا مُتَسَاوِيَتَانِ يَأْخُذُ بِأَيَّتِهِمَا شَاءَ، وَإِنْ اخْتَلَفَا يَخْتَارُ أَهْوَنَهُمَا؛ لِأَنَّ مُبَاشَرَةَ الْحَرَامِ لَا تَجُوزُ إلَّا لِلضَّرُورَةِ وَلَا ضَرُورَةَ فِي حَقِّ الزِّيَادَةِ. 

المحيط البرهاني (٨٣/٨) 

ان ارادت ذلك بعد مضي مدة ينفخ فيه الروح لأنها تصير قاتلة فانه اعتبر حيا علي ما عليه الظاهر فلا يحل لها ذلك كما بعد الانفصال  

شرح منظومة ابن وهبان (ص.١٧٠) 

وفي الذخيرة: ...قالوا ان كانت ارادت الالقاء بعد ما مضي مدة ينفخ فيه الروح فانه لا يباح لها ذلك لأنها تصير قاتلة فانه اعتبر حيا علي ما عليه الظاهر فلا يحل لها ذلك كما بعد الانفصال 

الدر المختار وحاشية ابن عابدين (رد المحتار) (3/ 176) 

(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 كَذَا فِي الْفَتْحِ، وَإِطْلَاقُهُمْ يُفِيدُ عَدَمَ تَوَقُّفِ جَوَازِ إسْقَاطِهَا قَبْلَ الْمُدَّةِ الْمَذْكُورَةِ عَلَى إذْنِ الزَّوْجِ. وَفِي كَرَاهَةِ الْخَانِيَّةِ: وَلَا أَقُولُ بِالْحِلِّ إذْ الْمُحْرِمُ لَوْ كَسَرَ بَيْضَ الصَّيْدِ ضَمِنَهُ لِأَنَّهُ أَصْلُ الصَّيْدِ فَلَمَّا كَانَ يُؤَاخَذُ بِالْجَزَاءِ فَلَا أَقَلَّ مِنْ أَنْ يَلْحَقَهَا إثْمٌ هُنَا إذَا سَقَطَ بِغَيْرِ عُذْرِهَا اهـ 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 اهـ كَلَامُ النَّهْرِ 

https://d1.islamhouse.com/data/ar/ih_books/single_010/ar_qrarat_elmogama3_alfiqhy.pdf pg. 521 

5.      Abortion before 120 days is not permissible due to spacing of children, financial constraints, young age and unwed mothers.