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As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Dear Brother,

Assalamu Alaikum and First let me take this opportunity to Wish you all a RAMADAN KAREEM and congragulate you people who are involved in this noble cause of sending and guiding people of allah on this right path to attain the path of "Sirathul Musthakeen".

I am a married individual having a lovely Halima wife and Two beautiful son alhamdulliah,and both the sons of age 3.5 yrs and 1yr respectively.My question to you brother is My wife concieved during the 8th month of my second son and she is feeding the baby(2nd Son) already and Second son is a very weak kid since birth as its cecerian child with birth weight of just 1.96 KG and had a head skin peeling disease since birth.At the time of her conceiving my second son is taking only mothers milk no extra food even a drop and his weight is only 4.9 KG and he suffered with Anemia with Haemoglobin level of only 4.65 which should be atleast 9 for the babyand he was admitted in the hospital for this anemia and they did blood transfussion of 50 ml.Concedering all these aspects as well as the health condition of my wife who under gone cecerian operation 8 months back I opted to abort the child and as she also told she cant carry one more baby on basis of her health condition and we did that sin,from that day onwards I feel so embraced and guilty that I have comitted a murder ,Kindly Advise me what should I do as remedy and console myself from this evil deeds,please do dua to allah for the greatest sin in which I have committed in my life.

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Answer:

Abortion repentance

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 6 Surah Anaam verse 140:

Most surely they became losers, who, in their folly and ignorance killed their own children;  and made unlawful what Allah had provided them as sustenance,  falsely ascribing prohibitions to Allah.   Surely, they went astray and were not at all rightly guided.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 6 Surah Anaam verse 151 (part):

You should not kill your children for fear of poverty; for We provide sustenance for you and will provide sustenance for them also.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 17 Surah Israa verse 31:

Do not kill your children for fear of want; for it is We Who provide for them, and for you as well.   Indeed, their killing is a heinous crime!

The heinous act of intentionally killing one’s unborn child is akin to the crime of murder in the Sight of Allah Subhanah, and abortion is thus absolutely forbidden and impermissible in Islam.  If one performs or is an accomplice in the heinous crime of abortion, and does not sincerely repent to Allah Subhanah for their abomination, they will be held severely accountable for their sin of intentional murder of an innocent soul in the Just and Supreme Court of The Majestic Lord on an Inevitable Day.

In light of the guidance of the Quran and the Sunnah, the intentional killing of an un-born child or abortion is absolutely and totally forbidden in Islam.  The only one exception where some jurists and scholars in Islam have reluctantly allowed abortion is when in extreme circumstances and situations, the medical experts come to a solemn conclusion that it would be humanly possible to save only one life, either the mother’s or the un-born child’s, during a severe pregnancy complication.  In such extreme cases where only one of the two, either the mother or the un-born child, can be saved, the jurists have concluded that the life of the one who is alive will take precedence over the one who is not yet born.  Other than this one extreme exception, to the best of our knowledge, there is absolutely no room where abortion would be permitted in Islam.

Your Question: ….from that day onwards I feel so embraced and guilty that I have comitted a murder ,Kindly Advise me what should I do as remedy and console myself from this evil deeds

Respected brother in Islam, regardless of whatever deeds one might have done in one’s past in ignorance,  if one turns to Allah Subhanah in sincere Taubah and seeks forgiveness, Allah Subhanah has promised in the Holy Quran that He will forgive all the sins of such a believer,  even if one has committed the gravest sin of all: ‘Shirk’!    Not only that, our Lord is so Merciful and Generous, that He not only will forgive the sins of the repentant believer,  He will change his evil deeds done into good deeds!  

The conditions or ways to seek sincere Taubah or Repentance from the Merciful Lord are:

• One is aware that he has sinned,  and feels sorry and ashamed at his sin.
• Makes a solemn covenant and promise with Allah that he will not repeat his sin again.
• Turns to Allah and seeks forgiveness,  before he has met with his appointment of death.
• Is a believer and does righteous good deeds thereafter. 

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 39 Surah Zumur verses 53-54:

(O Prophet) say: “O My servants who have wronged their own souls….Do not despair of Allah’s Mercy!  Surely,  Allah forgives all sins.   He indeed is the All Forgiving,  All Merciful.   Return to your Lord and submit to Him before the scourge overtakes you;  for then you may get no help from anywhere.”

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 3 Surah Ale Imraan verse 135-136:

Allah likes such good people very much, who,  if ever they commit a base deed or wrong their own soul by the commission of a sin,  remember Allah instantly,  and ask for forgiveness from Him for their shortcomings.  For who,  but Allah,  can forgive sins?   (And Allah loves those) who do not knowingly persist in the wrongs they did.   These will be rewarded with forgiveness from Allah,  and with Gardens beneath which canals flow,  and they will reside therein forever!   How excellent is the reward of those who do good deeds!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 25 Surah Furqaan verses 63-71:

The (true) servants of the Merciful are those who walk humbly on the earth.   When the ignorant people behave insolently towards them,  they say, “Peace to you”;  (And those) who pass their nights in prostrating themselves and standing before their Lord and pray, “O our Lord,  save us from the torment of Hell,  for its torment is killing!  It is an evil abode,  and an evil resting place”.  (And those) who,  when they spend are neither extravagant,  nor miserly,  but keep the golden mean between the two extremes.  (And those) who do not invoke any god but Allah Alone,  nor kill a soul unjustly,  which Allah has forbidden,  nor commit adultery… He who does this shall be punished for his sin,  and his torment shall be doubled on the Day of Resurrection,  and he shall abide in a state of ignominy;  EXCEPT THE ONE WHO MAY HAVE REPENTED (AFTER THOSE SINS),  AND HAVE BELIEVED AND DONE RIGHTEOUS DEEDS.   For then,  Allah will change his evil deeds into good deeds,  and He is very Forgiving and Merciful.   In fact,  one who repents and does righteous deeds,  returns to Allah as one rightly should!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 6 Surah Anaam verse 54:

When those come to you who believe in Our Signs,  say: "Peace be on you!  Your Lord had inscribed for Himself (the rule of) Mercy.  Verily if any of you did evil in ignorance,  and thereafter repented and amended (his conduct),  Lo! He is Oft-Forgiving,  Most Merciful."

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 2357        Narrated by Abdullah ibn Mas'ud

Allah's Messenger (saws) said, "He who repents of a sin is like him who has committed no sin."

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 2338        Narrated by Abdullah ibn Umar

Allah's Messenger (saws) said, "Allah accepts a servant's repentance (taubah) till he gives up his spirit in death."

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 2339        Narrated by Abu Sa'id

Allah's Messenger (saws) said that the Shaytaan said, "By Thy Might, my Lord, I shall continue to lead Thy servants astray as long as their spirits are in their bodies!"  The Lord, Who is Great and Glorious, replied, "By My Might, Glory and Exalted Station, I shall continue to pardon them as long as they ask My forgiveness!"

My dear and beloved brother in Islam, if the decision you made to abort the child was only to save the life of the mother, then indeed you had a valid excuse to abort the unborn child….but if your wife was not in any mortal danger, and you took the decision to abort the unborn child then indeed the intentional abortion of an unborn child is akin to the crime of murder in the Sight of Allah Subhanah.

Respected brother, your constant guilt and your fear at your deed is indeed what sincere ‘taubah’ is all about…and if you are indeed sincere in your ‘taubah’ and seek repentance from your Lord, it is expected that you will find your Lord Forgiving and Merciful.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me.  Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan