Medical Issues: Can a Dying Fetus Be Aborted to Save the Mother — Despite Taqlīd Differences?
Practical Laws of Islam as per the teachings of Imam Khamenei
Medical Issues: Can a Dying Fetus Be Aborted to Save the Mother — Despite Taqlīd Differences?
English:
Question #1262:
If it is known for sure that the baby will suffer intrauterine death and continuing the pregnancy proves dangerous to the mother’s life, is it permissible to abort it? And assuming that the husband follows in taqlīd a mujtahid who is of the opinion that such a case does not warrant abortion, whereas the woman and her relatives follow another mujtahid who sees it otherwise, what should the husband do?
Answer #1262:
The scenario the question suggests is that of the inevitable death of the fetus alone or the death of the mother and her baby. If this is the case, there is no alternative but to abort the fetus in order to save the mother. As the question goes, the husband has no right to prevent his wife from aborting the fetus. However, it is obligatory, if possible, to act in such a way that killing the fetus should not be seen as the responsibility of anybody.