Islam and abortion
Most religious Muslims are opposed to abortion because, when all is said and done, it is an act of taking life, either potential or actual human life. Some Muslims repeat pro-life arguments that seem to be copied from Christian sources. This is a shame, since the Islamic tradition contains a thorough discussion of abortion, based on the Quran and Sunna. Here is a summary with links to sources.
According to the teaching of the Prophet Muhammad (sAas), the soul is placed in the fetus after 120 days. This is his explanation of the meaning of several passages in the Quran (particularly Surah al-Muminun verses 12-14 and Surah as-Sajda verses 7-9) that discuss the stages of development of the fetus. Thus, under Islamic law, the fetus is considered a human being after the end of the fourth month. From this, it is clear that abortion after the fourth month can only be allowed in Islamic law if it is the lesser of two evils, that is, if the mother's own life is at risk.
There is a difference of opinion among the scholars about whether abortion is permitted during the first four months of pregnancy, and for what reasons. I have not seen any scholars who consider it better than detestable (makruh), that is, better to avoid but not punishable if done. The majority of scholars hold that as a general rule it is forbidden but there may be specific exemptions or concessions under the law; they also differ on how extensive those exemptions are.
For comparison, you can read the opinions of modernist Pakistani scholar Moiz Amjad, who considers it detestable, and of conservative Saudi scholar Shaykh Muhammad al-Munajjid. Munajjid holds that during the first 40 days, abortion is permissible "if it serves a legitimate shari'i interest or wards off harm". The exemptions are more limited between 40 and 120 days: if the fetus is deformed, if the woman was raped, or if continuing the pregnancy would damage the health of the mother. See also here for a general summary of this issue. Overall, we can say that abortion is permissible in limited circumstances during the first four months, but the restrictions become greater as the fetus develops and comes closer to ensoulment.
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