A woman became pregnant in a temporary marriage [muta marriage] and is afraid for her reputation and fears shame, especially from her family and people she knows. Can she have an abortion before or even after four months?

Fatwa, posted 4.22.2010, from Iraq, in:
Religious Authority: 
Ali al-Sistanti
Website URL: 
http://www.sistani.org/
Fatwa Question or Essay Title: 
A woman became pregnant in a temporary marriage [muta marriage] and is afraid for her reputation and fears shame, especially from her family and people she knows. Can she have an abortion before or even after four months?

If the soul has been entered [the fetus], abortion is not permitted. Before the soul enters, she may have an abortion if keeping the baby will create embarrassment for her that is not normally bearable and if there is no way to prevent this, for instance, by traveling to another country and giving birth there.

امراة حملت بعقد زواج منقطع وتخشی عن سمعتها والعار وخاصة من اهلها ومعارفها هل یجوز لها الاجهاض بعد الاشهر الاربعة او قبلها او حتی بعدها؟ اما بعد ولوج الروح فلایجوز اسقاطه واما قبله فان كان ما تواجهه من الحرج بسبب انكشاف امرها بحد لا یتحمل عادة ولم یكن هناك طریق للمنع من ذلك ولو بان یسافر الی اي بلد اخر وتسكن فیه حتی تضع الحمل جازلها الاجهاض.

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