Answered by Shaykh Irshaad Sedick
Question
I am thinking of getting pregnant. However, I have a severe mental illness. I have schizoaffective disorder, thyroid disorder, anxiety, and a skin condition, morphea. I’m taking schizoaffective and thyroid disorder medication and am currently stable for all illnesses.
My doctors gave me the go-ahead for pregnancy, but they did say that there is a small risk due to the medication. Since there is a small risk to the baby, what does Islam say about my situation?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate. May Allah guide us to that which pleases Him, forgive us for our shortcomings, and alleviate our difficulties, Amin.
If the medical experts approve, nothing in Sacred Law prevents you from attempting pregnancy. The fact that the medical experts approved indicates that the risks in getting pregnant are not enough to alarm them about your health. Sacred Law seeks to protect your life, but also progeny.
Natural Risks – Trust Allah
There are always natural risks in a pregnancy, but this is not in our control, Allah is the Sustainer and Shaper of the (hoped-for) fetus and ourselves, and Allah knows best.
Allah says: “Do not kill your children for fear of poverty. We provide for them and for you. Surely killing them is a heinous sin.” [Quran, 17:31]
Allah says: “He is the One Who shapes you in the wombs of your mothers as He wills. There is no god (worthy of worship) except Him—the Almighty, All-Wise.” [Quran, 3:6]
I pray this is of benefit.
[Shaykh] Irshaad Sedick
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Shaykh Irshaad Sedick was raised in South Africa in a traditional Muslim family. He graduated from Dar al-Ulum al-Arabiyyah al-Islamiyyah in Strand, Western Cape, under the guidance of the late world-renowned scholar, Shaykh Taha Karaan.
Shaykh Irshaad received Ijaza from many luminaries of the Islamic world, including Shaykh Taha Karaan, Mawlana Yusuf Karaan, and Mawlana Abdul Hafeez Makki, among others.
He is the author of the text “The Musnad of Ahmad ibn Hanbal: A Hujjah or not?” He has served as the Director of the Discover Islam Centre and Al Jeem Foundation. For the last five years till present, he has served as the Khatib of Masjid Ar-Rashideen, Mowbray, Cape Town.
Shaykh Irshaad has thirteen years of teaching experience at some of the leading Islamic institutes in Cape Town). He is currently building an Islamic online learning and media platform called ‘Isnad Academy’ and pursuing his Master’s degree in the study of Islam at the University of Johannesburg. He has a keen interest in healthy living and fitness.