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What is the ruling on a woman born with congenital deformities undergoing genetic testing to determine the nature of the disease, the extent of its hereditary transmission to children, and the possibility of her being susceptible to other diseases? What is the ruling on her marriage and procreation if there is a genetic defect that can be inherited by children, potentially leading to mental or physical disabilities? Is refraining from marriage or procreation considered taking precautionary measures? What is the ruling on informing the suitor about the deformity and the possibility of the disease being genetically transmitted to children?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

It is permissible to perform genetic analysis to identify the nature of a disease and the probability of its hereditary transmission, as this serves an interest and prevents harm. It is permissible for a woman with a genetic disorder to marry, provided she informs the suitor of her condition, because the default ruling for marriage is permissibility, and procreation is one of the objectives of marriage, and the child may be born healthy.

If it is highly probable that a child will be born deformed, the spouses may agree not to procreate, or to abort the fetus before the ensoulment (before 120 days). The suitor must be informed of the genetic defect, and if the suitor accepts, then there is no harm.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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