Rape & Abortion
Question
A woman was raped and fell pregnant. Is it permissible for her to abort the child?
Answer
In general, the abortion of a foetus is not permissible in Shariah except in certain exceptional cases provided that the soul has not yet been infused in the foetus. This period has been determined as 4 Months (120 days).
If a woman has been raped and falls pregnant, it will be permissible for her to abort the foetus. This is one of the exceptional cases in which the abortion of the foetus is permitted provided that the foetus is aborted before 4 Months. (Shaami 6/374 – Fataawa Raheemiyyah 10/190/191)
And Allah Ta’ala Knows Best
- Answered by
- Mufti Ismaeel Bassa, Mufti Moosa Salie
Fatawa SA is an independent, read-only index of fatawa already published by Jamiatul Ulama KZN. It is not a fatwa service. For your own situation, ask the issuing Darul Ifta directly.