Is medical termination of a pregnancy permissible in Islam?

Answer 1

According to Islam there are several regulations concerning abortion, but it is generally much more permissive than Christianity in this regard.

Firstly, Islam considers the fetus to take a soul in the fourth month, so abortion during the latter two trimesters is forbidden as an act of murder. The question of permissible abortions therefore is a question for the first trimester.

However, the act of abortion is still a negative act (as it removes a potential life) and therefore must be the lesser of two evils. Three scenarios are typically provided as those in which abortion would be preferable: Rape Victims, Health of the Mother, and Permanent Childhood Deformity. Physical or Financial incapability to take care of a child is insufficient to merit an abortion, as is the "undesirability" of caring for such a child.

In the case of Permanent Childhood Deformity, these refer exclusively to conditions that make life almost impossible or exceedingly difficult to live, such as a punctured pericardium (ruptured heart). Conditions like autism, which make life hard but not exceedingly difficult, are insufficient to merit an abortion.