Q:

I have a problem whereby I have met someone and we get on really well and we are very attracted to each other, both of us pray 5x a day and are practicing etc. However, we have both found out that we both carry a genetic trait called Beta Thellasemia Trait. It doesn’t affect us but if we were to have children there is 1 in 4 chance that our children will inherit the Major Thellasemia disease which means they will be severely anaemic, would constantly need blood transfusions, in and out of hospital and would die young. We’re absolutely devastated because both of us have been searching for a spouse for a very long time. I’m 33, he’s 39. I prayed tahajjud for it and when I met him I finally thought my Duas were answered. He has also been making lots of dua. It is so hard to find someone you’re attracted to and get on with and have the same outlook on life. But now we’ve discovered this and I don’t know what to do. He said it’s my call as he has children from his previous marriage already but he still wants it to work out between us.

My question is, would abortion be allowed in this case if we tested the baby while I was pregnant and found out it had the major thellasemia disease?

I’ve been thinking I would want to go to umrah every time I became pregnant to pray really hard to Allah to grant us a healthy child and I would pray tahajjud as much as I could too and surely Allah would then answer our prayers? I have also been thinking that maybe we have met and are meant to get married but this may help us get closer to Allah as we would constantly be praying to him for healthy children?

Thank you for your time

A:

Wa alaykum as-salam wa-rahmatullah wa-barakatuh,

In the Name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Mercy-Giving,

Peace and blessings be upon His noble Prophet Muhammad.

This is one of the negative effects of pre-marriage checkups. Now, as both of you know about that risk and still you decided to marry, then let’s pray to Allah to bless your marriage and grant you healthy and lovely children.

As for abortion, Muslim scholars have reached a consensus on the prohibition of aborting the fetus after the life-giving spirit has been breathed into it; that is, after lapse of 120 days as indicated by the Prophetic statement “Indeed, the creation of each one of you is brought together in his mother’s womb for forty days in the form of a sperm-drop, then it becomes a clinging clot for a like period, then a morsel-like lump for a like period. Then the angel is sent to it to blow the life-giving spirit into it.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

The only reason to abort the fetus at this stage is to save the life of the mother.

Before these 120 days, it may be aborted only if trustworthy specialists confirm, through their medical examinations, that it will be born with severe deformation or an incurable disease that will cause constant pain, hardship, and suffering for both parents and their child.

Of course, you should always turn in humility to Allah and implore Him to grant you healthy children and to set all your affairs aright.

Almighty Allah knows best.