Is it permissible to abort a fetus that is 35 days old if there is a high probability of it having deformities, especially after the mother stopped taking a medication that causes these deformities?
Some scholars consider abortion permissible before forty days, or before the ensoulment, while others deem it absolutely forbidden. The latter view is the more preponderant one, because the nutfah (zygote/sperm drop), after it settles, begins to form and prepares for the ensoulment. This is also based on the Prophet’s (peace and blessings be upon him) saying about coitus interruptus (azl): “That is the hidden infanticide.” Therefore, intentional abortion is not permissible unless the continuation of the fetus’s life threatens the mother’s life. The possibility of the fetus being deformed does not justify aborting it.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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