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Can Muslims Avoid Pregnancy due to Fear of Autism?

19 August, 2025
Q I am a mother of a child diagnosed with autism, and I constantly feel overwhelmed, anxious, and fearful about the future—especially the thought of having another child with the same condition. I know Islam encourages having children, but my waswasa and mental health struggles make me feel incapable of handling this. What guidance does Islam give about dealing with such fears, anxiety, and doubts regarding having more children when one already has a child with special needs?

Answer

Sheikh Ahmad Kutty
19 August, 2025

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. 

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

In this fatwa:

In Islam, parents who fear having another child with autism may consult medical experts and take safe precautions if necessary. While family planning is permissible under certain conditions, children are considered a blessing, and raising a child with special needs is a path to patience, reward, and spiritual growth.

Responding to your question, Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, a senior lecturer and an Islamic scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, states:

Trusting Allah Through Life’s Trials

I truly empathize with your situation and encourage you to remain patient through the tests that Allah sends. These trials are not meant to break us but to help us grow spiritually. Take comfort in knowing that even the Prophet (peace be upon him)—Allah’s beloved and chosen messenger—faced immense challenges. He himself taught us that the prophets endure the greatest tests, followed by those who are closest to them in righteousness. This world is a place of trials, and while patience is easier said than practiced, it brings immense rewards and blessings.

Islamic Guidance on Fear of Autism in Future Children

Regarding your concern about the possibility of your next child being autistic, it would be wise to consult a medical expert. If there are reasonable concerns, you are permitted to take appropriate precautions using safe methods. However, view your current child as a means to earn Jannah. Caring for them with love and embracing Allah’s decree is an expression of sincere faith. This life is temporary and filled with challenges, but the next life is where we will find true peace and relief.

Finding Strength in Dhikr and Du`a

Strengthen yourself through Dhikr and Du`a. Here are some supplications that may bring you comfort:

  • Rabbana afrigh ‘alayna sabran wa tawaffana muslimin.
    Our Lord, pour upon us patience and cause us to die as Muslims.
  • Allahumma ayyidni minka bi-sabrin da’im.
    O Allah, support me with constant patience from You.
  • La ilaha illa-Allahu al-‘aẓimu al-halim, la ilaha illa-Allahu Rabbul-‘Arshil-‘Aẓim.
    There is no god but Allah, the Almighty, the Forbearing. There is no god but Allah, the Lord of the Mighty Throne.
  • La ilaha illa-Allahu Rabbus-samawati wa Rabbul-arḍi wa Rabbul-‘Arshil-Karim.
    There is no god but Allah, the Lord of the heavens, the Lord of the earth, and the Lord of the Noble Throne.
  • Allahumma ya Sabur sabbirni ‘ala ma balaytani wa imtahantani ya arhamar-rahimin.
    O Allah, O Most Patient, grant me patience over what You have tested and tried me with, O Most Merciful of the merciful.
  • Allahumma aj`alni minas–sabirin, warzuqni as–sabra ‘alal-bala’, waj‘al ajrahu ‘aẓima.
    O Allah, make me among the patient, grant me patience in the face of trials, and grant me a great reward for it.
  • Allahumma ya mufarrijal-humum wa ya kashifal-kurub, farrij hammi wa yassir amri, wa kun ma‘i fi waqtid-ḍiq.
    O Allah, O Reliever of worries, O Remover of distress, relieve my worries, ease my affairs, and be with me in times of hardship.
  • Allahumma inni ‘abduka wabnu ‘abdika wabnu amatika, nasiyati biyadik, maḍin fi hukmuk, ‘adlun fi qaḍa’uk. As’aluka bikulli ismin huwa lak, sammayta bihi nafsak, aw ‘allamtahu ahadan min khalqik, an tufarrija ‘anni hammi, watakshifa kurrbi, wa taj‘alani minas–sabirin.
    O Allah, I am Your servant, the son of Your servant, the son of Your maidservant. My forelock is in Your hand, Your decree over me will be carried out, and Your judgment about me is just. I ask You by every name that is Yours, which You have named Yourself with or taught to any of Your creation, to relieve me of my worry, remove my distress, and make me among the patient.

May Allah grant you strength, patience, and ease in your affairs.

Detailed Islamic rulings are in these fatwas:

Almighty Allah knows best.

About Sheikh Ahmad Kutty
Sheikh Ahmad Kutty is a Senior Lecturer and an Islamic Scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada