ABORTION IN ISLAM (Dr Zakir Naik)

Brother has asked a question that… ‘Speaking today – Scientifically… the doctors who want to abort, etc.- why does Qur’an not give permission to abort, if it is danger to the life of the mother?. Qur’an speaks about abortion in Surah Anam, Ch.  6, Verse No. 151. as well as in Surah Isra, Ch.  17, Verse No. 31, it says… ‘Kill not your children for want of sustenance, for it is Allah that will provide sustenance to you and your children, for killing of infants is a major sin’. 

So abortion is haram under normal circumstances – Example, pork is  haram, alcohol is haram, having dead meat is haram. But same time the Qur’an says in four different places, in Surah Baqarah, Ch. 2, Verse No. 173, in Surah Maidah, Ch. 5, Verse No. 3, in Surah Anam, Ch. 6, Verse No. 145,  and Surah Nahl, Ch. 16, verse No. 115, it says… ‘that if unwillingly if you disobey Allah (SWT) Allah is Rehman O Rahim’. 

If under compulsion, if you disobey Allah (SWT)  …Allah is Rehman O Rahim. If you are dying of hunger… pork is the only dish that you can have, pork becomes halal for you – It is perfectly allowed – but do not have so much, and keep on having after you do not require it. If you are in a jungle if pork is the only thing that you can find to eat… or in a desert- pork becomes allowed for you only for that time. When you come back to the city it becomes haram – So same way abortion. Just because you do not want a child… isharam – In Islam it is a major sin. But if it is a danger to the life of the mother, it is totally allowed – because in Islam the life of the mother is more precious than the life of the child which has not come in being on its own. I do know there are certain people, who say… ‘after 40 days its not allowed – before 40 it is allowed’. Qur’an is very clear cut on that – ‘ If it is a danger to your life… unwillingly if you disobey Allah (SWT), it  is totally allowed.’ So if the doctor says that if you have certain heart problems, and the labour pain will cause a strain on your heart… the mother will die – You have to abort. You have to go ahead with it, became in Islam you cannot sacrifice a greater loss, to save a small loss. The life of the mother who adult is more important than the child who cannot live on its own. In these cases if it is danger to the life of the mother, it is totally allowed in Islam – if it is not a danger, it is haram. Hope that answer to the question.