Is it permissible to abort a fetus after its congenital malformation has been confirmed by medical examinations?
There are numerous causes of fetal deformities, many of which can be prevented. Islam and medicine have both encouraged disease prevention. If a fetal deformity is precisely and definitively confirmed before 120 days of pregnancy have passed, and the deformity is incurable, then abortion is permissible with the parents' consent, due to the hardships it may impose on the family and society. This ruling has been affirmed by the Islamic Fiqh Council and the Permanent Committee for Issuing Fatwas. However, if the fetus has reached 120 days and the soul has been breathed into it, abortion is not permissible, regardless of the deformity, unless the continuation of the pregnancy poses a danger to the mother's life. This is because, after the soul is breathed into it, the fetus becomes a life that must be protected. The birth of deformed children contains lessons, admonitions, and a realization of God's power, and enduring it patiently brings great reward.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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