Fatwa: Abortion if mother fears harm

Question: Is it permissible for a pregnant mother to abort the baby if she has a severe sickness and fears harm?

Fatwa:

If she has a severe sickness, it is permissible to abort before spirit is breathed into the baby. The spirit is breathed into it at the completion of four months. This is indicated by al-Hadi (as) in Al-Muntakhab.

--answered by Sayyid Allama Muhammad bin Abdul-Azeem al-Houthi