Is It Permissible to Make Duaa That a Pregnancy Does Not Continue If It Will Cause Harm to One’s Dīn and Well-Being?
Question
As-salamu alaykum.
I was married earlier this year, but my husband has been verbally abusive and emotionally neglectful, and I no longer feel safe in the marriage. I am considering divorce. I have recently discovered that I am six weeks pregnant, and I am feeling overwhelmed. My question is: is it permissible to make duʿaʾ asking Allah that, if this pregnancy is destined to cause severe hardship, trials, or negatively affect my ʿibādah, that He does not allow it to continue and instead grants me a different blessing that is better for my dīn and well-being?
I am seeking Islamic guidance on whether such a duʿaʾ is appropriate.
Jazakumullahu khayran.
Answer
Alhamdulillah, wassalatu wassalamu ala rasulillah, wa ala alihi wa sahbihi ajmain.
Your question reflects deep sincerity, fear of Allah, and concern for your deen during an emotionally painful and vulnerable moment. Islam does not ignore hardship, nor does it forbid a servant from turning to Allah with honesty, humility, and fear of harm.
1. The Shar‘i Context
Duaa is an act of worship and a direct expression of servitude to Allah. A believer is permitted to ask Allah for protection from harm, hardship, and trials, and to ask that whatever Allah decrees be خير (good) for their deen and dunya.
Allah says:
“Allah does not burden a soul beyond its capacity.” (Surat al-Baqarah 2:286)
And He also teaches the believers to say:
“Our Lord, grant us good in this world and good in the Hereafter, and protect us from the punishment of the Fire.” (Surat al-Baqarah 2:201)
Asking Allah to protect one’s deen and well-being is not only permissible but encouraged.
2. Du’a Versus Action
There is an important distinction in Sharia between making duaa and taking prohibited action.
- Making duʿaʾ is leaving the matter entirely to Allah’s wisdom and decree.
- Taking action to terminate a pregnancy without valid Shar‘i justification is a separate legal ruling and is not what you are asking about.
You are not asking whether you may act to end the pregnancy. You are asking whether you may ask Allah to decree what is best, even if that means the pregnancy does not continue. This distinction is critical.
3. The Prophetic Guidance on Asking Allah for What Is Best
The Prophet taught the believers the duaa of istikharah, in which one asks Allah to turn a matter away from them if it is harmful, even if the heart desires it.
He taught us to say:
“If You know this matter to be bad for me in my religion, my livelihood, and the outcome of my affairs, then turn it away from me and turn me away from it, and decree for me what is good wherever it may be.” (Bukhari)
This establishes a clear principle: it is permissible to ask Allah to avert a matter if it will harm one’s dīn, even when that matter is ordinarily a blessing.
4. Pregnancy, Trials, and Divine Wisdom
Children are a blessing, but they can also be a trial. Allah says:
“Your wealth and your children are only a trial.” (Surat al-Taghabun 64:15)
Recognizing that something may be a trial does not mean rejecting Allah’s mercy. Rather, it is acknowledging one’s human weakness and seeking Allah’s protection.
Making duaa such as:
- “O Allah, if this pregnancy is good for my deen and my well-being, then allow it to continue and bless it.”
- “And if You know it will bring harm, fitnah, or distance me from You, then avert it from me and grant me something better.”
is fully within the bounds of Sharia.
This is not اعتراض على القدر (objecting to divine decree), but submitting to it and asking Allah to choose on your behalf.
5. Relevant Usul Principle
الأمور بمقاصدها
Matters are judged by their intentions.
Your intention is not to reject a blessing, but to preserve your dīn, safety, and ability to worship Allah. This intention is sound and Islamically valid.
Another relevant principle is:
الضرر يزال
Harm must be removed.
Seeking Allah’s protection from harm through duaa is one of the highest forms of reliance upon Him.
Final Ruling
It is permissible and appropriate to make duʿa asking Allah that if this pregnancy is destined to cause severe hardship, harm to your deen, or inability to worship Him properly, that He averts it and grants you something better for your faith and well-being.
This duʿaʾ is an act of humility, reliance, and submission to Allah’s wisdom, not a sin and not a rejection of His mercy.
You are encouraged to continue making duʿa, seeking Allah’s protection, and asking Him to guide you to what is best in this world and the next.
And Allah knows best.